Bangladesh managed only six goals in their recent 2027 Men’s Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign, half of them coming in a single home match against Hong Kong. While the arrivals of expatriate players like Hamza Choudhury and Shamit Shome have significantly strengthened the side, the lack of consistent goalscorers remains an unresolved issue.
The top-tier Bangladesh Football League and Federation Cup this season have also failed to throw up any standout local forward. In that context, the rise of players like 22-year-old Amir Ali offers at least a glimpse of possibility.
The forward from Gopalganj finished as the top scorer in the recently concluded Bangladesh Championship League (BCL), netting 12 goals in 15 matches for Shuktara Jubo Sangsad, including a hat-trick against Chittagong Abahani in the final round of the second-tier competition.
“Last season I could score only five goals, so this season I was determined to become the top scorer,” Amir told The Daily Star.
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Now he wants to take the next step -- earning a contract in the Bangladesh Football League and eventually breaking into the national team setup.
“I know the competition is very tough, especially with expatriate players,” he said. “I need to improve my finishing because finishing is a common problem for many Bangladeshi forwards.”
However, performances in the BCL are often viewed with scepticism due to recurring allegations of betting, spot-fixing and match manipulation. This season too, social media was flooded with clips showing questionable defending during certain goals. Amir, though, insisted his side stayed away from such issues. “We didn't really know what was happening with other teams.”
While Shuktara narrowly missed promotion, Amir felt the league “was very competitive”, adding that matches played on “better grounds had improved the quality” of football.
Amir’s football journey began in Moksedpur, Gopalganj, inspired by local seniors and a schoolteacher. He represented the district side before moving to Dhaka, where he played for Uttara FC, Kawran Bazar Progati Sangsad and later Bangladesh Police FC.
His two-year spell at Police under Romanian coach Aristica Cioaba proved particularly influential. “He even told me that one day I could become a great player.”
Whether Amir eventually becomes the “great player” remains to be seen. But for a Bangladesh side still struggling to produce reliable local goalscorers, even the emergence of a dependable forward could prove a significant gain.
