Tariq Kazi

Tariq Raihan Kazi (Bengali: তারিক কাজী; born 6 October 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bangladesh Premier League club Bashundhara Kings. Born in Finland, he represents the Bangladesh national team at international level.[1] During his youth career he was primarily used as a right wing-back, who could also be deployed as a right back or right midfielder, later on he was transitioned into a center back by coach Óscar Bruzón.

Tariq Kazi
Personal information
Full name Tariq Raihan Kazi
Date of birth (2000-10-06) 6 October 2000
Place of birth Tampere, Finland[1]
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Centre back, Right-back, Left-Back
Team information
Current team
 Bashundhara Kings
Number 40
Youth career
2012–17 Ilves
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–19 Ilves 15 (0)
2018–19 → HJS Akatemia (loan) 8 (0)
2019 Ilves II 12 (0)
2020– Bashundhara Kings 34 (0)
International career‡
2017 Finland U17 3 (0)
2017–18 Finland U18 4 (0)
2018 Finland U19 1 (0)
2021– Bangladesh 15 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 August 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 March 2023

Kazi is the second Bangladeshi descent footballer to represent Bangladesh internationally after Danish-born Jamal Bhuyan. He represented Finland at U17 and U19 levels internationally, before switching national sides. He also made an appearance in the UEFA Europa League qualifying stage for Ilves.[2]

Personal life

Kazi was born to a Finnish mother and a Bangladeshi father in Tampere. Kazi, who has represented Finland in the U17, U18, U19 national team,[3] also has a Bangladeshi passport due to his family roots. His father Sahidul Kazi is a teacher of Tampare University of applied science. Kazi is the grandson of the heroic freedom fighter and school teacher of naogaon, Abdul Jabber Kazi, who was martyred in the battlefield of 1971 liberation war. He has a brother and two sisters.

Club career

2017: Ilves

Kazi began his career with Ilves, making his Veikkausliiga debut for the club in June 2018 as a substitute in a 3–1 loss to KuPS. On 19 July 2018, Kazi became the first ever Bangladeshi to play in a Europa League match. He came on as a substitute in the 76th minute for Jani Tanska, as Ilves defeated Bulgarian club PFC Slavia Sofia 2–1.[4]

2018: HJS Akatemia

Tariq spent the 2018–19 season on loan at Swedish club HJS Akatemia who currently play in the Kakkonen which is the third level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams.[5] During the season Tariq managed to make 8 appearances for the club.

2020: Bashundhara Kings

In November 2019, Kazi joined Bangladesh Premier League side Bashundhara Kings on a three-year deal.[6][7][8]

International career

Having represented Finland at youth international level, in November 2020, Kazi was called up to the Bangladesh squad for their friendlies against Nepal but had to withdraw from the squad due to injury.[9]

On 3 June 2021, Kazi made his senior international debut for Bangladesh in a 1–1 draw against Afghanistan in the country's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier, playing full 90 minutes.[10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 20 September 2021[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ilves 2017 Veikkausliiga 0000—00
2018 Veikkausliiga 120101[lower-alpha 2]0140
2019 Veikkausliiga 3050—80
Total 1506010220
HJS Akatemia (loan) 2018 Kakkonen 80——80
Ilves II 2019 Kakkonen 120——120
Bashundhara Kings 2020 Bangladesh Premier League 20—0020
2021 Bangladesh Premier League 160—3[lower-alpha 3]0190
Total 1800030210
Career total 5306040630
  1. Includes Finnish Cup
  2. Appearance in UEFA Europa League qualifying round
  3. Appearances in AFC Cup

International
As of match played 28 March 2023
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bangladesh 202190
202240
202321
Total151

International goals
Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.25 March 2023Sylhet District Stadium, Sylhet Seychelles1–01–0Friendly

Honours

Ilves

Bashundhara Kings

References
  1. "Tariq Kazi". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  2. "তারিক কাজী বাংলাদেশ ফুটবলের নতুন হারকিউলিস". savebangladeshfootball.com (in Bengali). Daily Save Bangladesh Football. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  3. https://www.uefa.com/under19/teams/players/250106096--tariq-kazi/
  4. "Slavia Sofia-Ilves | UEFA Europa League 2018/19". UEFA.com.
  5. "Kakkonen 2020" (in Finnish). HJS. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. "I can keep my fitness up, says Tariq from Finland". dhakatribune.com. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. "Kings rope in Tariq Kazi | Daily Sun |".
  8. "Football fraternity welcomes Kingsley & co".
  9. "Kazi ruled out of Nepal friendlies". Daily Dhaka Tribune. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  10. "গোলশূন্য প্রথমার্ধে চমক তারিক কাজী (In Bengali)". Daily Prothom Alo. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  11. Tariq Kazi at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
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