Sabbir

Syed Rumman Bin Wali Sabbir (; born 5 June 1968), is a Bangladeshi former footballer. He played for Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) in the First Division League during the 1980s and 1990s. He made several appearances for the Bangladesh national football team, appearing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. He is commonly regarded as the "Maradona of Bangladesh".

Success with Mohammedan

Sabbir joined Mohammedan in 1987. And he played a key role in MSC winning the double, the Federation Cup plus the First Division league title. In the Federation Cup final they defeated their great rival of the 1950s, Dhaka Wanderers 1–0. In the league the MSC side trailed Abahani for most of season, but following an impressive 3–2 victory for MSC in the final match of the regular season, the two teams were tied at the top. The 1st replay saw a 0–0 draw but Mohammedan clinched the title after a 2–0 victory in the 2nd replay.

He has also represented Mohammedan at the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons of the Asian Club Championship.

For the national team In the national team Sabbir formed a partnership with the Abahani striker Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, and the two combined to produce many important goals for the national side. For example, a cross by Sabbir helped Aslam score a headed goal against Iran, at Dhaka, in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in early 1989. Bangladesh lost 2–1. The missed penalty by Sabbir in the first half proved decisive. The team was more successful in the President's Cup final later that year. There, Aslam scored, heading a Sabbir corner to give Bangladesh the lead against a South Korea side; and although the visitors equalized, Bangladesh prevailed in the penalty shootout.

Sabbir scored his last goal for the national team against Thailand on 5 May 1993, but Bangladesh lost 1–4. He played a total of twenty matches for the national team and appeared in his last match at the Al Maktoum Stadium in UAE, against Sri Lanka on 7 May 1993.

In Calcutta league In the summer of 1991, Sabbir was invited to play for Kolkata Mohammedan in the Calcutta Football League, and appeared with the side for a season.

In domestic league Before joining Mohammedan, Sabbir began his professional career at Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. He appeared with Dhanmondi from 1985 to 1987. At his peak, Sabbir was regarded as one of the country's finest winger. After his second stint with Dhaka Mohammedan, he signed with Rahmatganj MFS in 1997. Although his career was interrupted by injury, he left a lasting impression on the domestic game.

Career statistics International National team Year Apps Goals Bangladesh 1987 3 0 1989 9 2 1990 2 0 1991 3 0 1992 2 0 1993 9 2 Total 28 4

Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition+ List of international goals scored by Rumman Bin Wali Sabbir 1. 21 October 1989 Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan 2–0 3–0 1989 South Asian Games 2. 8 March 1989 Dhaka Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2–0 3–1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification 3. 5 May 1993 Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, UAE 1–4 1–4 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 4. 13 December 1993 Mirpur Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 3–1 3–1 Friendly

Post-playing career In May 2021, Sabbir became a member of the technical committee for cricket and football of the Dhaka Mohammedan.

Honours Mohammedan SC Dhaka First Division/Premier Division League: 1987, 1988–89, 1993, 1996 Federation Cup: 1987, 1989, 1995 Independence Cup: 1991 Ma-O-Moni Gold Cup: 1990 DMFA Cup: 1993, 1995

Bangladesh South Asian Games Silver medal: 1989; Bronze medal: 1991