When Pintoo made a bold but heartfelt claim, saying that “I am luckier than Pele," he was not boasting about his skills on the pitch but about his unparalleled role in history. While the Brazilian icon dazzled with goals, Pintoo led a team that fought for a nation’s freedom.

Zakaria Pintoo, who passed away in Dhaka yesterday at the age of 81, was not only the captain of Swadhin Bangla football team and the first captain of independent Bangladesh, but was also a reference point to many legends of Bangladesh football.

Sheikh Abdul Hakim, member of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team, passed away at the early hours of Sunday at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Former footballer, member of the Swadhin Bangla Football team Ainul Haque breathed his last on Monday night after battling lung cancer for the last four months.