Abdul Kadir

Abdul Sulaiman Kadir (; 27 December 1948 – 4 April 2003) was an Indonesian professional football player and manager. He is regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers in history and as the greatest Indonesian player ever.

Kadir played as a winger in the Indonesia national team from 1967 to 1979. In December 2021, Kadir was confirmed by FIFA to have played 105 "A" international matches (111 as recognized by RSSSF) at the international level to become a member of the FIFA Century Club, the only Indonesian footballer to do so.

Early life Abdul Sulaiman Kadir was born on 27 December 1948 to an Indonesian couple in Denpasar, Bali. Since childhood, he has shown his love for football which made him join the Assyabaab Surabaya youth team as a teenager.

Club career

PSMS Medan After spending his youth career at Assyabaab Surabaya, Kadir joined Pardedetex Medan (PSMS Medan's internal team) in 1968. He joined the team along with other Indonesian international players including Soetjipto Soentoro, Iswadi Idris and Jacob Sihasale. He played there until 1971 and managed to win the Perserikatan in his last season with the club.

In total he has played 34 matches with both Pardedetex and PSMS Medan and scored 20 goals.

Persebaya Surabaya

In 1971, Kadir joined the other Perserikatan side Persebaya Surabaya. He spent most of his club career with the team, and managed to deliver the Perserikatan trophy in 1978, as well as three consecutive Surya Cups from 1975 to 1977.

It has been recorded that he has made 107 appearances and scored 85 goals for Persebaya Surabaya from 1971 to 1979, making him Persebaya Surabaya's all-time top scorer.

With Arseto, Kadir made history as the first goal scorer in the Galatama competition. He achieved the record after he scored the opening goal against Pardedetex Medan in the opening match of the 1979–80 season. The match ended with Arseto's 3–2 victory with Kadir's hat trick.

Yanita Utama In 1982, Kadir moved to Jaka Utama (later renamed to Yanita Utama) to compete in the 1982–83 Galatama. He only played 3 matches and scored 3 goals at the club until he finally decided to retire as a player at the end of the season.

In total during his career with six different clubs, Abdul Kadir has recorded 166 appearances and scored 132 goals, both in the Perserikatan and Galatama competitions. He made his century of appearances for Indonesia against India in the Merdeka Tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia on 1 August 1974 – the match ended in a goalless draw. In total, he has made 111 appearances for the national team, making him the most capped player of all time for Indonesia. His 70 goals are also the most of all time for the Indonesia national team.

Style of play Kadir spent most of his career as a left winger. He was praised for his speed and dribbling ability, as well as his ability to create chances and get into the penalty box. In his prime, he was often compared to the playing style of top Brazilian player, Pelé. He was also nicknamed "The Deer" (Indonesian: Si Kancil) due to his agility in maneuvering the ball. Despite only 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) tall, it is not a hindrance, but rather an advantage on the field. His body posture supports his agility in running and controlling the ball, making it difficult for opponents to catch him. In the 1986–87 season, he once again led KTB to win the Galatama and also won the club's first cup trophy (Piala Liga). In the next two seasons from 1988 to 1989, he again led the team to win two consecutive cup trophies.

Indonesia In 1989, Kadir coached the Indonesia national team alongside his former teammates in the national team, Muhammad Basri and Iswadi Idris. Together they were known as the "Bas-Is-Ka" trio. Indonesia managed to win a bronze medal after defeating Thailand through a penalty shootout in the bronze medal match of the 1989 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kadir's career with the trio had to stop in the same year after Indonesia was only able to survive in the first round of the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. The national team at that time finished in third place in Group 6 with only one win from six total matches.

Return to Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian After no longer serving as Indonesia's coach, Kadir returned to coach Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian in 1989 until the club dissolved in 1991.

Personal life In June 1972, Kadir had the opportunity to accompany Pelé (who at that time came to Indonesia with Santos) who was invited by the national television network TVRI to be a guest star and then demonstrated their skills in controlling the ball.

Later years and death In his 50s, Kadir suffered from kidney failure and had to undergo hemodialysis twice a week at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Salemba, Jakarta. After several months of medical treatment, he died on 4 April 2003 in Jakarta, leaving behind a wife, four children, and a grandchild.

Career statistics International

Honours

Player PSMS Medan Perserikatan: 1967–69

Persebaya Perserikatan: 1975–78; runner-up: 1971–74 Surya Cup: 1975, 1976, 1977

Indonesia U19 AFC Youth Championship runner-up: 1967

Indonesia King's Cup: 1968; runner-up: 1969 Pestabola Merdeka: 1969; runner-up: 1971 Korea Cup runner-up: 1972 Pesta Sukan Cup: 1972 Jakarta Anniversary Tournament: 1972; runner-up: 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978

Individual FIFA Century Club Korea Cup top scorer: 1972

Records Indonesia national team all-time top scorer: 70 goals Most capped Indonesia international: 111 caps Youngest player to reach 100 caps for Indonesia: 25 years 217 days (v India, 1 August 1974) All-time top goalscorer in the Nusantara derby: 16 goals

Manager Yanita Utama Galatama: 1984