Mohammed Ariful Islam (footballer)

Mohammed Ariful Islam (Bengali: মোহাম্মেদ আরিফুল ইসলাম; born 20 December 1987) is a retired Bangladeshi professional footballer who last plays as a defender for Brothers Union in the Bangladesh Premier League. He usually played as a center back, however earlier on his career he was also deployed as a right back. He represented the Bangladesh national team between 2006 and 2016.[1]

Mohammed Ariful Islam
Personal information
Full name Mohammed Ariful Islam Arif
Date of birth (1987-12-20) 20 December 1987
Place of birth Kishoreganj, Bangladesh
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Center Back/Right Back
Team information
Current team
 Brothers Union
Number 50
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Fakirerpool YMC
2007 Farashganj SC
2008–2014 Mohammedan SC
2014–2016 Abahani Limited Dhaka
2016–2019 Saif SC 19 (0)
2019 Sheikh Russel KC 11 (0)
2021 Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi 3 (0)
2021 Brothers Union 3 (0)
International career‡
2006–2010 Bangladesh U23 9 (0)
2006–2016 Bangladesh 31 (0)
Medal record
Representing Bangladesh U-23
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 May 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 June 2016

Club career

Ariful started his career with Young Men's Fakirerpool, he then went on to play for minnows Farashganj SC, before getting his big move to Mohammedan SC and eventually Brothers Union. He injured his right ankle while playing in Mohammedan during the early years of his career. During his time at Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi in 2012, Ariful underwent surgery on his right knee and in 2014, he underwent surgery on his left knee. And although he maintained a strict diet and underwent daily weight training from the beginning, he could not get his career back on track, as he dropped out of the national team in 2013. He has experience of winning several league titles for Abahani Limited Dhaka and Sheikh Jamal, during his stint at both clubs. In 2017, he joined newcomers Saif SC, as they spent big after getting promoted.[2] The following four years saw Ariful changed clubs three times, before returning to Brothers Union in 2021, after 13 years. Ariful witnessed the lowest point of his career, as the historic Brothers Union, who were once considered the third biggest club in the country, were relegated from the Bangladesh Premier League. This was the clubs first ever taste of relegation in its 72 years existence.[3]

International career

Arif was a regular face in the under-20 and 23 national team, before he made his national team debut in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Qatar, on 6 September 2006. He then went on to play the 2007 Nehru Cup and 2008 SAFF Championship. During the Nehru Cup, coach Syed Nayeemuddin was heavily criticized by the local pundits for deploying Arif as the right-back in a flat-four backline, during all four games.[4] Ariful won the 2010 SA Games, under Serbian coach Zoran Đorđević, which was his only international title in his 11-years playing for Bangladesh. He also played at the 2011 SAFF Championship and 2013 SAFF Championship, during the latter he was vice-captain. Ariful was last called up to the national team, in 2016 for Bangladesh's disastrous 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, by Lodewijk de Kruif. During the qualifiers Bangladesh conceded a total of 13 goals in the two matches Ariful played in, including a 8–0 defeat at the hands of Jordan.[5]

Honours

Mohammedan SC

Abahani Limited Dhaka

Bangladesh U23

References
  1. "ফিটনেস রক্ষা আরও কঠিন হবে". jjdin.
  2. প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব. "গল্পটা আলাদা বলেই তিনি 'জিম ম্যান'!". Prothomalo.
  3. "সেই আরিফুল-এমিলির ব্রাদার্সে ফেরা". jagonews24.com.
  4. Sadi, Al Musabbir (August 27, 2007). "Football requires rethink". The Daily Star.
  5. "গল্পটা আলাদা বলেই তিনি 'জিম ম্যান'!". Prothom-alo.
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