Fahim: The Boy Wonder?

The name that has been making recent headlines in Bangladesh football is Foysal Ahmed Fahim. Fahim, a member of the national U16 team which became group runner-up in the AFC championship qualifiers, displayed mesmerizing football throughout the campaign which made him one of the most talked about footballers of the nation.

Fahim’s brilliant display in the first match against Yemen went in vain as they lost 2-0. However, Fahim showed what he is capable of with the ball at his feet when broke through dancing around the Yemeni defence only to be denied by the goalkeeper. Had that run ended up in a goal, it would surely have been among the spectacular goals showcased at the international levels. Undaunted, Fahim continued to sparkle in the final group match against Qatar.

This time, Fahim made no mistake getting his name on the score sheet. He produced a dazzling dribble to get past two Qatari defenders and a shot from outside of the penalty box, after stealing the ball from opposition with a counter attack, rewarded him a goal to be remembered. The blistering speed, silky smooth body dodges and some cunning dribbling techniques flaunted by Fahim during the match suggest that this lad has the potential which can be compared to some of the world’s best young talents and is the gem of Bangladesh football that needs to be carefully nurtured.

Although his performance in the AFC U16 Championship 2018 qualifiers brought him to the headlines recently but he also showed his capabilities back in August at the SAFF U15 Championship which took place in Nepal. During that campaign, Fahim scored 7 goals in 4 matches including a hat-trick.

Upon the arrival of the Bangladesh national U16 team from Doha, Fahim was asked about his performance to which he responded by saying, “We won against Qatar. So, you can understand what an occasion it is to be happy. I don’t want to stop here; I’m looking forward to become a big footballer.” The prodigy also expressed his disappointment about his failure to score against Yemen after a magnificent run which was denied to be ended as a goal by the Yemen goalkeeper. He said, “It was unlucky for me to not to hit the back of the net. I need to keep a calm head in front of the goal to become a lethal striker.”

The coach of the team, Mostofa Anowar Parvez, was also found praising his frontman. However, he also advised him to keep his feet on the ground.

With all these being said, the only doubt that the entire nation have on their minds is that, will this talent reach his full potential? Will he be able to spark the same way in the coming time as he did recently? The question remains, with the answer to be seen in future.

However, the BFF remains confident that not only Fahim, but also the other talented players in the pipeline of different age levels will reach their full potential and uphold the name of the nation. And to make sure of that, the BFF is committed to providing them with all the facilities at its disposal under the elite player development programme. Like the whole nation, the BFF also hopes that these talents will redeem the footballing scenario of the country and bring glory for Bangladesh.