Kolkata: It was an incredible resurrection that came from fighting where everything was thought to be lost …! It was such a heartwarming sight when a shot bouncing off Anwar Ali’s boot just before the heat of the game hit Hong Kong’s right eye. It is special for a player to score a goal for his national team. It always happens. However, the center-back’s midfielder’s half-volley was so sweet and special when it slammed into the back of the net in Asian Cup qualifiers.
The turf of the Salt Lake Stadium was filled to the brim with excitement after a player who had to take off his boots from the battlefield four years ago. Few expected a return to a career in which doctors ruled it was necessary to stay out of the game after tests revealed he had heart problems. But when the young man, who thought life itself was football and ran with the ball, came back with increased vigor, the defeat was sickening.
Anwar Ali made his debut in the Under-17 World Cup hosted by India. This was followed by a stellar performance in the Indian Arrows. Anwar, who was sweating in the back, was then acquired by ISL champions Mumbai City. But the verdict was another matter for Anwar. In 2018 he was diagnosed with hypertrophic myocardiopathy (a disease in which the heart valves become uncontrollably thickened and obstructed blood flow) affecting the heart valve.
The doctors advised him to stay away from the game. Prohibition even to engage in training due to the player’s illness. Anwar lived for two years without hitting the ball that was supposed to be alive. Back to the field in early 2021 through the lesser known state leagues of Punjab and Himachal. Later, he wore the Delhi FC jersey in the Durand Cup. Finally FC Goa will be back in the ISL in January 2022. The brilliance in the game slowly returned. He was on the field full time in ten games in the second quarter of the season.
It was an incredible comeback in the blue when Igor Stemak was included in the squad for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He played brilliantly in three warm-up matches. He played well in the first few matches against Cambodia and Afghanistan. He finally scored in the opening group match against Hong Kong.
It was in the name of the goalkeeper that Anwar fired into the goal in that half chance inside the penalty box. If the best stories do not have the accompaniment of decoration. No need for embellished adjectives. That courage, that willpower, that fighting spirit … it all speaks for itself. Anwar Ali and that goal are sure to inspire Indian football in that sense for a long time to come.