Mamunul’s goal voted the best

Midfielder Mamunul Islam’s stunning goal against Manang Marshyangdi Club was adjudged ‘Goal of the Week’ by public vote for ongoing AFC Cup, the Asian Football Confederation revealed yesterday.

Mamunul scored Abahani’s fifth and final goal against the Nepalese outfit with a powerful left-footer from outside the box to earn the feat as the second Bangladeshi footballer to be named in such a list. Former national striker Alfaz Ahmed was named ‘AFC’s player of the month [August], 1996 for scoring four goals for Mohammedan against Laos’s Electricity Club during the AFC Cup Winners Cup in Dhaka.  

Goals from four players – Mohammad Al Wakid of Syria’s Al Jaish SC, Samuel Lalmuanpuia of India’s Minerva Punjab, Dilshod Vasiev of Tajikistan’s FC Khujand and Mamunul of Bangladesh’s Abahani – were uploaded by the AFC for voting by the public, where Mamunul got 52 percent votes out of 15520 votes cast which ended midway through middle of yesterday.

Mamunul’s nearest competitor – Mohammad All Wakid – got 46 percent votes while the two other players received only two percent of votes each.

“It is really pleasing that my goal has been declared the best of the week. It is also an honour for me and I want to thank those who voted for me,” Mamunul said. “It proves that our football has not died as people still love football and they voted for me. I will try to contribute to my team by scoring in future.”

Mamunul started for Abahani in the last two matches of the AFC Cup and scored in both matches.

“If you want me to select the best goal, I would keep the goal against Chennaiyin FC ahead because I scored that goal from a distance with a right-footed shot, which helped Abahani win the match,” said Mamunul.