Ashfaq wins AFC Cup Bracket Challenge
32 nominees were paired in the AFC Cup Bracket Challenge, to find the best goal of the past decade
(File photo) Ali Ashfaq
Maldives’ most celebrated athlete, Ali “Dhagandey” Ashfaq has won the AFC Cup Bracket Challenge.
The football legend competed against Hong Kong’s Chan Siu Ki in the final, and won 89 percent of the votes.
32 nominees were paired in the AFC Cup Bracket Challenge, to find the best goal of the past decade. Winner of each group proceeded to the next round based on votes.
Ashfaq’s wonder goal in 2013, scored in Indonesia, was one of the 32 nominations and emerged on top of the challenge with AFC describing that “Maldives got fully behind one of their footballing heroes”.
In the early rounds of the bracket challenge, Ashfaq defeated Kuwait SC's Rogerinho and Abahani “Limited Dhaka's Sohel Rana to reach the quarter-finals before gaining an incredible six-figure number in the voting to see off Hanoi FC duo Nguyen Van Quyet and Nguyen Quang Hai.
The local footballer thanked those who voted for him, noting that he would not be the man he is today “without their love and support”.
He added that “it is such a huge moment in [his] long career to be recognised by fans and colleagues”.
He described the 2013 goal as one of the best of his career.
Ashfaq, top goal scorer of all time for the Maldives national football team, began his international career in 2004, three years after he made his debut with Club Valencia.
