Ilyas Pasha

Ilyas Pasha (1964 – 22 January 2026) was an Indian footballer who played for East Bengal FC and captained the team during 1993–94 season. He was a dependable right wing back and earned eight caps for the senior Indian team.

Career Pasha was from Karnataka. He made his debut for the India national team on 27 January 1987, against Bulgaria in the Nehru Cup at Kozhikode. His eight appearances for India include two Nehru Cup tournaments in 1987 and 1991, the 1991 SAF Games and the 1992 Asian Cup qualifiers.

He began with a local Bengaluru outfit, Vinayaka Football Club in Vyalikaval and earned a spot in the Indian Telephone Industries team in the mid-1980s that helped him rise to the national stage. He played for Karnataka in the Santosh Trophy tournament from 1987. He played for his home state, Karnataka, at Kolkata in 1987, Quilon (now Kollam) in 1988, and Guwahati in 1989. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons. His death was condoled by the All India Football Federation and the Bangalore District Football Association.

Awards In 2012, Pasha received a Lifetime Achievement Award from East Bengal.