Ali Ashfaq
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 September 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Malé, Maldives | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Maziya S&R | ||
| Number | 50 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2005 | Club Valencia | 109 | (104) |
| 2006–2007 | New Radiant | 59 | (30) |
| 2007–2008 | DPMM FC | 7 | (2) |
| 2008–2011 | VB Sports Club | 85 | (93) |
| 2012–2013 | New Radiant | 51 | (66) |
| 2014–2016 | PDRM FA | 70 | (46) |
| 2016– | Maziya S&R | 7 | (6) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2006–2010 | Maldives U23 | 7 | (2) |
| 2003– | Maldives | 77 | (52) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 November 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 December 2015 |
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Ali Ashfaq (born 6 September 1985), nicknamed "Dhagandey", is a Maldivian professional footballer who plays for Maldivian club Maziya S&R and the Maldives national team. He is a forward and serves as captain for Maldives. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in south Asia region along with Baichung Bhutia. He is noted for his strength, amazing dribbling skills and the capability of beating any sort of defenders, according to many coaches. He is a free-kick specialist and a clinical finisher. His trademark style of scoring is beating couple of defenders and rounding off the keeper to score. He is considered as the best Maldivian footballer ever most notably when he was named as the "World's 2nd Best Top Goal Scorer" in 2013 by IFFHS. He was also named as South Asia's Best Player in 2014 by eultimategoal.com. In March 2016, Ashfaq completed his 50th goal mark for Maldives national team.
Ashfaq had been noticed by some big clubs in Europe like Portugal's S.L. Benfica, FC Porto, Turkish club Bursaspor, and many other clubs within Asia, but he refused those offers. However, he is the first ever Maldivian footballer to play abroad, and the only player to win a title with a foreign club. In November 2003, Ashfaq was honored with the most prestigious awards a Maldivian footballer would get, in the age of 18 – Maldivian Footballer of the Year and Golden Boot Award in 2003 season. With Club Valencia, New Radiant, VB Sports Club and PDRM FA, he has won Dhivehi League ten times, six FA Cup, four President's Cup, two Cup Winners' Cup, three Charity Shield, two POMIS Cup and one Malaysia Premier League.
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