Sahal Abdul Samad
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Sahal Abdul Samad (born 1 April 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
or winger for
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
club
Kerala Blasters Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established i ...
and the India national team.


Club career


Early life and youth career

Sahal was born in Al Ain, UAE, to
Malayali The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomin ...
parents from
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and completed his 14 years of schooling at New Indian Model School in Al Ain. He started to play football at the age of eight. In 2010, Sahal joined the Al Ethihad Sports Academy to train in professional football. After completing his studies in UAE, he moved to Payyannur in
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, India, to complete his degree and to play university football. A few months after starting his degree, he was spotted by a coach of SN College in Kannur, who persuaded him to switch colleges. After good performances at university-level tournaments, he joined the district Under-21 side, and then the Kerala team, to compete in the Santosh Trophy.


Kerala Blasters


2017–2018: Kerala Blasters B and senior team debut

Sahal's performance in the 2017 Santosh Trophy was noted by scouts of
Kerala Blasters Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established i ...
, who signed him to his first ever professional contract and put him on the reserve side for the 2017–18 I-League 2nd Division. In the fourth match against FC Kerala, he was appointed as captain for the rest of the season. He scored seven goals from ten games and became third top-scorer in the league. As the senior team was struggling with points in the 2017–18 Season of ISL, manager René Meulensteen decided to promote some youth players, including Sahal, to the senior team. Due to the team's poor performance, Rene was sacked after the match and David James took over for the rest of season. Sahal was not included in the squad for the next five matches but he was called up to side and remained as an unused substitute in next two matches. Sahal debuted for the senior side as a substitute for the former Manchester United player
Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov ( bg, Димитър Иванов Бербатов; born 30 January 1981) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer. A striker, he captained the Bulgaria national team from 2006 to 2010, and is the country's all-ti ...
in the 80th minute of a match against ATK on 8 February 2018, which ended in a draw. He was given another chance in the 90th minute of the match against Bengaluru.


2018–2019: Breakthrough season

In the 2018–19 season, Sahal was included in the starting 11 of the season opener against ATK on 29 September 2018, which the Blasters won by 2–0. He played in 17 league games during the season, scored his first goal for the club against Chennaiyin on 15 February 2019. Sahal improved his passing capability and made 688 touches during the season. He was one among the top Indian players with most key passes in the season. Despite club's poor campaign in the 2018–19, Sahal enjoyed his breakthrough season and went on to win ''ISL Emerging Player of the Season''. He was also announced as the "AIFF Emerging Player of the Year". On 11 May 2019, Sahal signed a contract extension with Kerala Blasters, which tied him to the club until 2022.


2019–2021: Becoming the club's poster boy

Blasters appointed Eelco Schattorie as the manager in the 2019–20 ISL season. As the season progressed, the team's injury problem became so concerning, Sahal was mostly used as a winger and sometimes as a secondary striker. He started most matches at right-side of the
midfield Midfield is the part of a sports field that lies approximately in the center. In American football, association football (soccer) and field hockey, it is the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region. In ...
and provided two assists during the season. Following Sandesh Jhingan's exit from Kerala Blasters in May 2020, Sahal replaced him as the club's poster boy. On 12 August 2020, despite the circulation of rumours about him leaving the club, Sahal committed himself to the Blasters, signing a contract until 2025. On 20 December 2020, Sahal made his comeback from the quads injury, that had sidelined him for a month since his first match on November 20 in the
2020–21 Indian Super League season The 2020–21 Indian Super League season was the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL) since its formation and the 25th season of the top division of the Indian football league system. The season started on 20 November 2020 and ended ...
. He came back as a substitute in the 46th minute and provided an important assist to
Jeakson Singh Jeakson Singh Thounaojam (born 21 June 2001) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team. Club career Youth and early career: 2012–2018 Bo ...
who equalized in a 1–1 draw against
East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...
during the stoppage time. Since that match, Sahal was deployed as a winger by the new manager for the season Kibu Vicuña. On 15 January 2021, Sahal won the Hero of the match award in the match against
East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...
which ended in a 1–1 draw. Sahal was once again awarded with the Hero of the match on 27 January 2021 in a 0–0 draw against Jamshedpur. Sahal created 28 chances in his 14 appearances and was second in the list among the Indian players to create most number of chances during the season.


2021–2022

During the 2021 summer transfer window, ATK Mohun Bagan offered three senior players in exchange for Sahal. But the offer was rejected by Kerala Blasters. He was then included in the Kerala Blasters squad for the 2021 Durand Cup, and played his first match in the tournament against Delhi FC on 21 September 2021, which they lost 1–0. Sahal scored his second goal for the club against ATK Mohun Bagan on 19 November in the 2021–22 season opener, which ended in a 4–2 defeat for Kerala Blasters. On 19 December, he scored against defending champions
Mumbai City Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded in August 2014, during the inaugural season of ...
, which the Blasters 0–3 after Sahal opened the score-sheet in the 27th minute. Sahal scored again in the next match against
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
Chennaiyin on 22 December, where the Blasters won the game 0–3. He scored his fourth goal as well as his third consecutive goal in the season against Jamshedpur on 26 December, which they ended in 1–1 draw. He thus became the second Indian player after
Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer of all time, h ...
to score in three consecutive Indian Super League matches. Sahal scored his fifth goal of the season on 2 March 2022 against Mumbai City and helped the Blasters to defeat them 3–1. He scored the only goal for the Blasters in the first leg of the semi-final against Jamshedpur on 11 March, which they won 0–1. After the match, Sahal suffered an hamstring injury, which had him missed out from the Blasters' squad in the second leg of the semi-final and the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
against
Hyderabad FC Hyderabad Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Hyderabad, Telangana. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Founded on 27 August 2019, the club replaced Pune City after t ...
. At the end of the season, Sahal became the joint-second highest Indian goalscorer in the league with six goals, sharing the record with Mumbai City’s Bipin Singh. He was the leading Indian goalscorer for the Blasters in the season. He was appreciated by the media and pundits for his performance in the season.


2022–present

In June 2022, Kerala Blasters sporting director Karolis Skinkys revealed that IBV Westmannaejar, that plays in the
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
ic top tier league Besta-deild karla, were keen on signing Sahal on a short term loan deal until the end of August. But the deal did not work out in the end due to difficult visa and work permit issues. "We also had an option to loan out Sahal to a Slovakian club until the end of August. But the changes at that club did not allow this to happen"; said Skinkys. On 5 November, Sahal surpassed Jhingan's record to reach a club record of 79 appearances, in which he also scored a brace in a 3–0 away win against NorthEast United FC. On 13 November, Sahal assisted Adrian Luna's opening goal against FC Goa helping in a 3–1 win, which was the first victory for the club against Goa since 2016. He scored his third goal of the season against the southern rivals Chennaiyin on 19 December, where he scored the opening goal of the night but the match ended in a 1–1 draw for both sides.


International career


Youth

Sahal was named in India U23's squad for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers. He made his debut with the under-23 team on 11 March 2019 against Qatar U23 in a friendly prior to the tournament.


Senior

Sahal was included in the preliminary squad of the Indian senior team in the
2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup was the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in the United Arab Emirates from 5 January to 1 F ...
but did not make it into the final squad. In May 2019, he was named in the squad for 2019 King's Cup. Sahal made his debut for the Indian senior team on 5 June 2019 in a 3–1 loss against Curaçao in the 2019 King's Cup. Sahal was named in the 23-men Indian squad for the
2021 SAFF Championship The 2021 SAFF Championship, known as Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 for sponsorship reasons, was the thirteenth edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organised by South Asian Foo ...
in
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. He scored his first international goal against
Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
on 16 October 2021 in a 3–0 victory in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the tournament after coming as a substitute in the 86th minute. After an impressive 2021–22 season, Sahal made it to the squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He scored his second international goal on 11 June 2022 against
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, where he came in as a substitute for
Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer of all time, h ...
in the last moments of the regular time and scored the winning goal in the added time and helped India win the match 1–2 at full-time.


Style of play

During his early days at the Blasters, Sahal mainly played as an
attacking midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
or
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
and was noted for his
dribbling In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. A ...
ability and creativity. Although Sahal initially played as an attacking midfielder, he was later moved to a winger role in the midfield. He has also been occasionally used as a
defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...
and even as a
centre-forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
. Sahal is considered as one of the best players in the Kerala Blasters' history. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders in India by many football pundits and fans.


Personal life

Sahal was born on 1 April 1997, in Al Ain,
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
into a
Malayali The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomin ...
family which originally hails from Kavvayi,
Payyanur Payyanur, , is a municipal town and a taluk, a sub-district administrative unit, in the Kannur district of Kerala, India. On 10 March 2018, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Payyanur as the fifth taluk in the district. Payyan ...
in
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
. He attended the New Indian Model School, Al Ain until 2015 and is an alumnus of the school. He pursued
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
from S. N. College, Kannur. On 10 June 2020, Sahal signed a deal with German multinational sportwear company, Puma, as its new ambassador. In June 2020, Sahal auctioned his national team jersey, which he wore during the World Cup qualifiers. He donated the proceeds of the auction to Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund to help prevention activities during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. On 3 July 2022, Sahal got engaged to
badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
player Reza Farhath. In September 2022, Sahal became the Indian ambassador of the global energy drink company, Predator Energy.


Career statistics


Club


International

List of international goals scored by Sahal Abdul Samad


Honours

Kerala Blasters *
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
runner up: 2021–22. India * SAFF Championship:
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
* King's Cup third place:
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Individual * ISL Emerging Player of the Season: 2018–19 * AIFF Emerging Player of the Year: 2018–19


See also

* List of India international footballers born outside India


References


External links

* * * *
Sahal Abdul Samad
at Indian Super League * {{DEFAULTSORT:Samad, Sahal Abdul Living people People from Kannur People from Al Ain Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Indian footballers Kerala Blasters FC players Footballers from Kerala Indian Super League players 1997 births Association football midfielders India international footballers India youth international footballers I-League 2nd Division players Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy players