Morsalin is a reminder of Arman
Sheikh Morsalin arrived in the Bangladesh football scene with incredible potential at a time when the word talent had almost disappeared from its lexicon. The 18-year-old from Faridpur stole the spotlight during the ongoing SAAF Championship in Bengaluru. He scored two goals in four matches and also earned an assist. But the statistics are not enough to understand his impact. The Bashundhara Kings footballer was seen in almost every position of attack despite playing as a midfielder. He outwitted the opponents with his pace and intelligence.
Morsalin is reminding people of Arman Mia, a Bangladeshi midfielder in the 90s. Arman used to provide defence piercing through balls and powerful volleys from the midfield. Arman, who played for the Bangladesh team from 1993 to 2006, had an amazing capacity of keeping possession of the ball and moving forward. The regulars in the Dhaka football circuit are still mesmerised by him and await such a talent. Only time will tell whether Morsalin meet their expectations. But many have already seen a little bit of Arman within Morsalin.
Former footballer and coach Golam Sarwar Tipu is one of them. “Morsalin reminds me of Arman. Both his legs are equally good. If we look back at the last 15-20 years, we did not get good players in attack. We have no good finishers. Morsalin has the talent to fill that gap. He has natural talent and if he can hold himself, he will serve Bangladesh for a long time."
Morsalin got a golden opportunity just in the second minute against Kuwait in the semifinal but he squandered it by kicking the ball straight to the goalkeeper. Had he not missed that opportunity, Morsalin might have been the hero of the semifinal. But he is already a hero thanks to his performance throughout the tournament. He is the biggest discovery for Bangladesh in the tournament. His biggest quality is his technical capacity. He is good at mid-range shots.
Former footballer Ashrafuddin Chunnu recalls the vibrant 90’s watching him by saying, “As a matter of fact I haven’t seen any big talent in Bangladesh football over the last few years. Rakib is doing well, young Faisal Ahmed Fahim is also good but Morsalin is something else. His goal for Mohammedan in last year’s league against Bashundhara Kings gave me a good feeling. I have been following him ever since. I have not seen such a talent after Arman. I hope he will become like Arman.”
Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib, one of the finest strikers in Bangladesh football’s history also wants the same. After the 90’s, the era of Zakir, Arman, he has seen a vacuum in the midfield till date. He expects that will be filled now. “Our players disappear after playing a good season. Many talents have faded away. I have not seen an extraordinary talent for many years. Morsalin has the potential of becoming extraordinary. Another defender Hridoy, who also played for Bangladesh in SAFF, also impressed me. But Morsalin has somewhat reminded me of Arman."
In 2005 SAAF at Karachi, young Zahid Hasan Ameli created a hype by scoring two goals. His goal against India from a long-range shot is unforgettable. Ameli recalls his own starting days while watching Morsalin, “I was new like Morsalin in 2005 at Karachi. I was awarded Prothom Alo’s emerging player of the year award after that tournament. Morsalin reminds me of myself. I have not seen such a talent in the last 10-15 years. The state of the Bangladesh team has changed with his arrival."
Morsalin came as a big surprise in Bangladesh football. He shines amid the dearth of talent and Bashundra Kings should get the credit of discovering his talent. Kings’ Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon upon his first observation of Morsalin thought he may be a star of the future. While describing the saga of discovering Morsalin, he said Kings’ president Imrul Hasan scouts around to find talent.
He said, "Around two and a half years ago some of the BKSP players were playing for a club in third division football at the Kamalapur Stadium. Morsalin was among them. It was the third division final. The president of the Kings, myself and some of the coaching staff went to the stadium that day. The president liked Morsalin at first sight. I liked him too. We saw him as a future star. Then we brought him from BKSP."
Kings also brought Pias Ahmed (Nova), Joyonto and Hridoy from BKSP along with Morsalin. Pias is now playing on loan for Sheikh Jamal. Joyonto and Hridoy are playing respectively for Brothers and Muktijoddha. Among the four Morsalin has developed the most. Bruzon is happy. He said, “He has come up according to our future plans. I anticipated he would be a vital part of the team, he is so."
* The report was originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Syed Faiz Ahmed