Alfaz Ahmed, the legendary striker of Bangladesh football, has announced his retirement from domestic football, five years after he quit his international career.
Alfaz’s retirement from the domestic football circuit brings an end to a golden era of the game as he was regarded as the last star of the golden generation of Bangladesh football.Alfaz, the former Bangladesh national team captain who spent most of his club career at Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited, will don the Black and White jersey for the last time today when Mohammedan take on arch-rivals Abahani at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
In his bright playing career, Alfaz scored more than one hundred goals for both club and country and won countless awards and plaudits which made him a satisfied person as he was going to hang up his boots.
The 42-year-old forward started his career with the Ershad Cup in 1985. Alfaz then played in the Pioneer Football League for two years. He then played in the Second Division League for the next two years before joining Rahmatganj in the First Division.
Alfaz made his Premier league debut with Arambagh in 1994, but his career turned a corner when he joined the Black and Whites a year later.
Alfaz proved his mettle with the Motijheel-based outfit where he featured for the next six years and proved himself as a clinical finisher. 1995 was also the year when Alfaz made his bow for the national team in the SAARC Football meet in Sri Lanka.
Alfaz left Mohammedan in 2002 and joined Muktijoddha Sangsad KC. The veteran forward played for different clubs including Abahani in the next eight years before returning to his old club Mohammedan in the mid-season transfer window in 2011. However, Alfaz did not get the opportunity to play for Mohammedan in the current season.
`I’m very happy with my playing career because as a footballer I have achieved all kinds of success. I feel honoured to quit football at an outstanding game between Mohammedan and Abahani.
‘I thank the Mohammedan officials for presenting me with the chance to retire in a big and prestigious match like this,’ said an emotional Alfaz.
As an honour to the shining career of Alfaz, Mohammedan have decided to bestow him with lifetime membership and have organised a dinner at the club tent tonight while both Mohammedan and Abahani will honour him with crests and bouquets of flowers during today’s match.
Alfaz wishes to become a football coach after retirement, even though he has already started his coaching career as a member of Mohammedan’s coaching staff. Alfaz, father of two, has also recently joined the Cambrian School and College’s sports academy as a technical director.
newagebd
-With New Age input
