Mahbubur Rahman Sufil wants to get into scoring ways while seeking more playing times at his new destination, Mohammedan Sporting Club after spending last four years frequently on the bench at Bashundhara Kings.
The national forward was once considered one of the most promising young footballers of the country after he had captained Arambagh Krira Sangha to historic Independence Cup title in 2018 at the age of only 19.
He had unusual pace with the ability to control the ball and finding the net while delivering the assists too.
The hype and performance turned down slowly after he joined star-studded Kings that has always been involving most of the national team members alongside quality foreign recruits.
From the beginning, it was difficult for Sufil at the Kings – getting regular game-times and proving him better than the others in his position.
The Kings also provided him adequate opportunity to show his worth but the winger could manage only a single goal and a couple of assists from the 64 matches he played measuring a total of 3366 minutes on the pitch.
“It's not easy playing for big teams. You need high performance,” Sufil told Dhaka Tribune. He admitted, “My performance was not good at Bashundhara Kings. If I play regularly, I hope, my performance will get better.”
At Mohammedan, Sufil can expect more playing times as well as more occasions to be involved in front of the goal.
When the Kings had more than a dozen of national players, the Black and Whites currently have only three including Sufil.
While being deployed at center-forward in the national side, Sufil played mostly as right-winger for the clubs in domestic football.
The Kings also had more foreign forwards than the current Mohammedan squad for 2022-23 season which include four of the five overseas signings playing at midfield and defence.
But Sufil fears he has to fight for his position at the new club too. “It's not good sitting on the bench. It decreases confidence. I don't know what would happen at Mohammedan. I think I have to fight to get a regular place. I have to do better.”
Mohammedan coach Shafiqul Islam Manik couldn't be reached for a comment but team manager and former national forward Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib was available.
Nakib explained why they roped in Sufil. “He is a national player and also a proven one. He was a youngster. I knew him before. He may get more chance here. If he has the tenacity and the mentality to play well, he will do well at our club.”
Sufil's performance at the Kings also reflected his place in the national team. He was not included in Javier Cabrera's squad for the last two games against Cambodia and Nepal. Before these, he appeared 28 times for the red and green but there too, he featured mostly as substitutes.
The 23-year-old hoped, “I want to get back into scoring ways like the Arambagh days and play for the national team more often.”
Sufil will join his first practice session at Mohammedan tomorrow as the football season kicks off through the Independence Cup next month.
