Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu

Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu (Bengali: আশরাফ উদ্দিন আহমেদ চুন্নু) is a Bangladeshi former professional footballer who played for the Bangladesh national team[2][3][4] for 10 years between 1975 and 1985. The left-winger represented Bangladesh in 50 international matches in which he scored 17 official goals during his 10-year long national career.[5]

Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu
Last day of Chunnu in Abahani colors
Personal information
Full nameAshraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu
Date of birth (1956-08-01) 1 August 1956 (age 67)[1]
Place of birthNarayanganj, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh)
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)Left Winger
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1973Dilkusha SC
1974Rahmatganj MFS
1975–1988Abahani Krira Chakra
International career
1975–1985Bangladesh50(17)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Chunnu started his football career with Dilkusha (first division) in 1973. He played for Abahani Krira Chakra from 1975 to 1988 after playing for Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society in 1974, besides wearing the national team jersey. The winger, locally known as Chunnu, scored a hat-trick as the first-ever Bangladeshi footballer against Nepal at the President's Gold Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in 1983.

Chunnu was the first Bangladeshi goal scorer in a WC qualifier (against India). Later he scored the winner against Indonesia with a free kick just outside the penalty area. Bangladesh won 2–1, their first ever victory, and their first ever point in WC qualifying matches in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier in 1985.[6] He participated in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup, scoring the second goal in the history of Bangladesh in the Asian Cup in the 88th minute, against North Korea. Bangladesh was eliminated in the first round, with four defeats in that tournament. Later, Chunnu scored two goals in the 1986 World Cup qualifier without progressing from the first round. He is the first Bangladeshi player to score a goal in FIFA World Cup qualification round.

International goals

Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.
Key
‡ = Unofficial Fixture
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.5 March 1979Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh  Afghanistan1–13–21980 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2.10 September 1979Seoul Stadium, Seoul, South Korea  Sudan1–31–41979 President's Cup
3.14 September 1979Cheongju Stadium, Cheongju, South Korea  Sri Lanka3–1
4.16 September 1980Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait  North Korea2–32–31980 AFC Asian Cup
5.19 February 1982National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan  Oman1–31–31982 Quaid-e-Azam International Cup
6.5 September 1983Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh    Nepal4–21983 President's Gold Cup
7.
8.
-16 September 1983Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia Primera B Metropolitana XI2–51983 Merdeka Tournament
-26 September 1983Perak Stadium, Ipoh, Indonesia South Korea XI1–3
9.18 September 1984Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal  Bhutan2–01984 South Asian Games
10.19 September 1984  Maldives5–0
11.
12.23 September 1984    Nepal1–12–4
13.2–4
14.30 March 1985Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh  India1–11–21986 FIFA World Cup qualification
15.2 April 1985  Indonesia2–12–1
16.28 April 1985Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar, Pakistan1–11985 Quaid-E-Azam International Cup
-30 April 1985 Pakistan B3–0
-
17.2 May 1985  Pakistan3–1

Awards & achievements

In 1991 he contested in the Bangladesh general elections from Narayanganj-4 under the Awami League banner. Chunnu won the National Sports Award as a national footballer in 1996. In 2003, he served as the Abahani director[7] and football secretary. In 2005, he was made the manager (team leader) of the Bangladesh national team.[8][9] He also served as the joint secretary of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).[10][11] He is the chairman of the football committee[12] of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

See also

References