Sohel Rana’s goal voted best

Midfielder Sohel Rana’s stunning left-footed goal against April 25 was adjudged ‘Goal of the Week’ by public vote for ongoing AFC Cup, the Asian Football Confederation revealed on its website yesterday.

Sohel scored Abahani’s opening goal in their 4-3 win in the first-leg of the inter-zone semifinal playoffs with a powerful left-footer from 25 yards at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.

The online voting helped Sohel become the third Bangladeshi footballer to be recognised by the AFC.  Mamunul Islam’s goal against Manang Marshyangdi Club in the group stages of the AFC Cup was voted best in June this year. Earlier, 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 in the AFC Cup Winners Cup in Dhaka.

Four goals from three players -- Hanoi FC’s Nguyen Quang Hai [two goals], Sohel Rana of Abahani and Choe Jong Hyok of April 25 SC -- were uploaded by the AFC for voting. Sohel got 26089 votes [57 percent of total votes], with the voting ending on Friday midday.

Rana’s nearest competitor -- Quang -- got 19090 votes while Choe got only 35 votes. 

“To be honest, I did not realise what I had done after scoring, but I realised it after watching the goal later on video footage. It is the best goal of my playing career. I believe such recognition will help me play better in future,” Sohel said in his reaction.