Tewfik Abdullah (Arabic: توفيق عبد الله, also spelled Tawfik Abdallah; 23 June 1896 – 1963) was an Egyptian football player and manager. He was the second Egyptian to play in the English Football League and the first to play in the English First Division.
Early Life and Career in Egypt
Abdullah was born in Cairo, Egypt. He began his career in the youth team of Zamalek SC (then known as Cairo International SC or El-Mokhtalat), where he spent approximately ten years. He represented Egypt at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, playing in both of Egypt's matches: a 2–1 first-round loss to Italy and a 4–2 consolation match victory over Yugoslavia.
Career in the United Kingdom
After the Olympics, Abdullah moved to England to join Derby County in the First Division. He made his debut in October 1920, scoring the first goal in a 3–0 home win against Manchester City. He made 12 league appearances for Derby County in the 1920–21 season, scoring one goal. He was nicknamed "Toothpick" by English fans.
He subsequently played for Cowdenbeath FC in the Scottish Second Division (1922–23), Bridgend Town in Wales (1923–24), and Hartlepools United in the English Third Division North (1924).
American Soccer League
From 1924 to 1928, Abdullah played in the American Soccer League (ASL). He played for the Providence Clamdiggers (1924–1927), Fall River F.C. (1926–27, 1928), Hartford Americans (1927–28), and New York Nationals (1928). With Fall River, he won the National Challenge Cup (predecessor of the U.S. Open Cup) in 1927.
Return to Egypt and Later Playing Career
Abdullah returned to Egypt and joined Al Ahly SC, winning the Sultan Hussein Cup in 1929 and the Egypt Cup in 1930. He then returned to Zamalek, winning the Egypt Cup in 1932 and the Cairo League in the 1931–32 season. He finished his playing career with Montreal Carsteel in Canada.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Abdullah managed Zamalek from 1937 to 1945. During his tenure, Zamalek won the Egypt Cup four times (1938, 1941, 1943, 1944), the Cairo League four times (1939–40, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1944–45), and the King's Cup once (1940–41). He also managed the Egypt national football team from 1940 to 1944.
