Tewfik Abdullah

Beginnings in Egypt's Zamalek - Olympics 1920

Tewfik Abdullah initially started his career in the youth team of Zamalek SC (Cairo International SC), he spent eight years in the club. With the Egyptian national team her participated at the 1920 Olympic Games in the Belgian city of Antwerp. There Egypt was ousted 1-2 in the first round by Italy. After this Egypt defeated Yugoslavia in a "consolation match" with 4-2. He participated in both matches.

United Kingdom

The Scottish Derby County player Tommy Barbour encountered Abdullah first, when he served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry in Egypt during the Great War. There he was inside right of an Egyptian XI which played the British Army in Cairo. After recommendation of Barbour Abdullah was tried out in a match of the Derby County reserves in mid September 1920. After he "pleased the crowd immensely" there, he was signed by the club a week later. He played his first match in the First Division in October, where he scored the first goal for the Rams in a 3–0 home win against Manchester City. Abdullah, whose first name Tewfik was soon transformed into his nickname "Toothpick", thus became the second Egyptian in professional English football after Hussein Hegazi, who played with him in the 1920 Olympics and who spent some years with Dulwich Hamlet FC in the Isthmian League and in 1911 completed a match with London's Fulham FC in the Second Division. Abdullah's goal against City should remain his only goal and only…

Player

Fall River F.C.

National Challenge Cup: 1927 New York Nationals (ASL)

National Challenge Cup: 1928 Al Ahly

Sultan Hussein Cup: 1929 Egypt Cup: 1930 Zamalek

Egypt Cup: 1932 Cairo League: 1931–32

Manager

Zamalek

Egypt Cup: 1937–38, 1940–41, 1942–43, 1943–44 Cairo League: 1939–40, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1944–45 King's Cup: 1940–41