Centre-back Anwar Ali became FC Goa’s fourth new acquisition of the season after he signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with the Indian Super League (ISL) club following a move from Delhi FC.
Ali has been practising with the team since the beginning of the season and was cleared by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to resume his career in August earlier this year.
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“I am just happy that the worst part of my life is now over. This is a new chapter in my life and I want to welcome the opportunity to play football. It has been a long wait to get onto the field at the highest level.
“I would like to thank FC Goa at this moment for having faith in me. I have been with the team since the beginning of the season and that has helped me understand the way we play the game.
“I was ecstatic when I got to know I was going to FC Goa. I didn’t know about it till around three days before I had to pack my bags. There is a certain excitement in the air, which I can’t put into words,” Ali said.
“Anwar is a very exciting prospect. He caught everyone’s eyes with his performances for the India U17 team. We have watched him flourish in the days to come with the Indian Arrows.
“He is only 21 years old and has a wonderful future ahead of him. He has the potential to become a difference-maker in the game. In the years to come, we hope to see him play a key role here in FC Goa and for Indian football,” FC Goa Director of Football Ravi Puskur said.
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Ali was barred from playing competitive football by the AIFF in 2019 after he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Apical Hypercardiomyopathy (HCM).
The defender played his first game after a break of over a year for Techtro Swades United before moving on to Delhi FC via Minerva Academy.
Ali top-scored for Delhi FC in the I-League Qualifiers in 2021 with four goals. FC Goa's Sunday night game against Kerala Blasters will thus mark Ali's long-awaited ISL debut.
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