Mohammed Sujan

Mohammed Sujan (; born 1 June 1982) is a retired Bangladeshi professional footballer who played as a defender and at times was deployed as a defensive midfielder. He played for the Bangladesh national team from 2001 to 2013. He was also a key member of the Bangladesh team that won the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup.

Club career Controversies In 2008, Sujan took half his contract money from Abahani Limited Dhaka and was supposed to stay with the club that season. However, Sujan decided to return to his former club Brothers Union. Nevertheless, due to the controversy Sujan ended up returning to Abahani the following season.

International career Sujan represented Bangladesh U16 in the 1998 AFC U-16 Championship held in Qatar. On 12 January 2001, Sujan made his debut for the Bangladesh national team against Bosnia & Herzegovina during the Sahara Cup. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Sujan scored a brace against Mongolia in a 2–2 draw. He played four out of the five matches during the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup. On 1 January 2003, after a 1–1 stalemate during the final of the tournament against Maldives, Sujan stepped up to take the last penalty during the shootout and kept his nerve as Bangladesh won their first ever SAFF Championship. The match is considered one of the most important in the country's football history. He missed the 2008 SAFF Championship after being sidelined the entire season due to an injury.

After a six-year absence from the national team, newly appointed head coach Nikola Ilievski recalled Sujan in 2011, after watching his performances in the league with Dhanmondi Club. Ilievski made Sujan the captain of the national team for the 2011 SAFF Championship. However, under his leadership Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament after being defeated 3–1 by rivals Maldives during the last group-stage game. The team was heavily criticized due to their individual mistakes, in the end costing them a place in the knockout stages. On 4 March 2013, Sujan made his last appearance for the national team against Nepal during the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. Sujan made a total of 36 appearances and scored 3 goals for his country during his twelve year long international career.

Personal life On 1 October 2016, Sujan's father, Mohammed Nasiruddin, died at the age of 70 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Career statistics International caps

International goals Youth Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 26 April 1998 Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu Guam 11–0 1998 AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers 2. 3 October 2002 Gudeok Stadium, Busan Turkmenistan 1–1 1–3 2002 Asian Games

Senior Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 19 February 2001 Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam Mongolia 1–1 2–2 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2. 2–1 3. 14 December 2005 Peoples Football Stadium, Karachi Pakistan 1–0 1–0 2005 SAFF Championship

Honours Victoria SC Dhaka First Division League: 1999

Muktijoddha Sangsad KC Dhaka Premier Division League: 2000 National Football League: 2003 Bangladesh Federation Cup: 2003

Abahani Limited Dhaka Dhaka Premier Division League: 2001 Bangladesh Premier League: 2007, 2009–10, 2012

Brothers Union National Football League: 2004 Dhaka Premier Division League: 2003–04, 2005 Bangladesh Federation Cup: 2005 Bordoloi Trophy: 2004

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Bangladesh Premier League: 2010–11

Bangladesh SAFF Championship: 2003

Awards and accolades 2005 − Sports Writers Association's Best Footballer Award.