He is called as the “Iron Man” but his appearance and manners are soft and subtle. His game has power but is also balanced with a delicate touch and his skills have made him a true ambassador for Maldives football. Over the years Ali Ashfaq, the 28 year old captain of Maldives has captured the attention of the South Asian media.
Ashfaq has been on fire since stepping foot in Kathmandu for the Saff Championships. He scored a record six goals in his side’s opening 10-0 demolition of Sri Lankan and just for good measure, added four more in the next match against Bhutan. Ashfaq, however, was rested and didn't feature in their last group match against Afghanistan.
Ashfaq’s goal scoring tally now stands at 36 goals from 41 international matches and he is also all time leading scorer in the Saff Championships. Previously, Indian star Bhaichung led the way with 11 strikes and coming into this year’s event, fellow Indian Sunil Chhetri had hopes of going ahead of that as he stood on nine goals. Ashfaq’s phenomenal form has seen him move on from the eight goals he had previously collected to a tally of 14 and he is already the overwhelming favourite to clinch the award for being this year’s top scorer and best player.
Part of Ashfaq’s success might be that he is mentally at ease with hitting the back of the net. “I don’t find anything special in scoring goals, I have been doing that in every level I have played. My football dream was surrounded by scoring goals and I have been living with it,” said the Maldives maestro.
“Dhagande” means “iron man” in the Maldivian language and Ashfaq said he was given that nickname in his early childhood. “In my schooling days, maybe I was a little bit stronger from the others and as I have been scoring goals, the label was inserted upon me,” he explained.
Ashfaq’s greatness goes beyond goal scoring. He is a busy playmaker and his neat passing and brilliant footwork has aided many a teammate from score or advance an attack still further. He is not a selfish player and has a good sense of positioning, while his wand-like left foot’s magical doings is a joy to behold.
However he is a realistic man with reasonable targets. “People ask me whether I have the dream of playing the World Cup. Yes, I have the dream but it is not realistic. At the moment I have the target of winning the Saaf Championship and more sub-continental tournaments and next qualify for the AFC Challenge Cup,” he said.
It was said that he would have been attracted more attention if he played club football outside Maldives but the maestro seemed to be content with what he is. “Yes, there were offers from Malaysia and others but due to different reasons - to be precise the payment resolution with my club - prompted me to stay in Maldives,” Ashfaq explained.
Ashfaq said that failing to win the Saff Championship in Dhaka on 2009 was the biggest disappointment of his career. “It was a big blow as we did not win the title and losing in penalties. We played well but maybe luck was in not in our favour.” Nonetheless, Ashfaq had no plans to prolong his career or enter into a coaching role after his stint on the field was over. “I will play for next two years and I don’t have any plans to become a coach. If I remain involved with football then maybe a managerial role will be more convenient for me” concluded Ashfaq.”