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FC Goa team-mates all praise for Anwar Ali

Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Manvir Singh and Ishan Pandita were the goalscorers for the Blue Tigers.

Team India

Bengaluru, June 16: June 14, 2022, will remain etched on Anwar Ali's memory forever, with the FC Goa defender registering his first-ever goal for the senior Indian national football team during the AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers against Hong Kong.

Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Manvir Singh and Ishan Pandita were the goalscorers for the Blue Tigers, who thrashed Hong Kong 4-0 in Kolkata in their final game of Group D.

This was after they had already made the AFC Asian Cup 2023 cut and it was all the more special for Anwar.

Seriton Fernandes, who recently signed his contract extension with FC Goa, has watched him at close distance having spent the last season with him and had some words of praise for Anwar.

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"Anwar (Ali) joined us in training last year, and he has been impressive from the moment he stepped on to the practice pitch," Seriton Fernandes, his team-mate at FC Goa told fcgoa.in.

"We all knew about his struggles before joining the club, and how he fought hard off the pitch to return to playing the game that he loves the most. We were all elated when we got to know that he got his call-up to the India team. I believe this is just the beginning for him."

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Spanish midfielder Edu Bedia, who too extended his stay with the Amche Gaurs, also weighed in on Anwar's moment of glory.

"He deserves the goal and all the praise that he is getting right now. I knew in the very first few games that I played with him that he is a different player. I have played five seasons so far in India and never have I seen someone else like him. He has everything that one needs to excel at the top levels in the country," said Edu on Anwar Ali.

"I am extremely happy for him and also for Brandon (Fernandes) and Glan (Martins), who qualified for the Asian Cup with the Indian team. They are very important players for both our club and the national side, and I hope we get to enjoy more success together at Goa."

Anwar Ali

While India had already booked a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Group Stages by virtue of Palestine's 4-0 win over the Philippines in the third round of the qualifiers, a win was a must for Igor Stimac and co to end the qualification campaign on a positive note.

It was important that the Blue Tigers beat Hong Kong and ensure fans that they could qualify on their own merit, and Ali's early goal set the tone for his team as they thrashed the visitors in front of a goodly crowd at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

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Another FC Goa star, Princeton Rebello also heaped praise on his compatriot.

"I'm happy to see Anwar score for India, that too in a very important game at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers. And even beyond the strike, his composure playing in his first international matches was admirable" he said.

"He played a crucial role in India's qualification and I can't wait to meet him and congratulate him in person."

Story first published: Thursday, June 16, 2022, 13:02 [IST]
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