Tariq Kazi

Tariq Kazi
Tariq with Bangladesh in 2023
Personal information
Full name Tariq Raihan Kazi
Date of birth (2000-10-06) 6 October 2000 (age 24)
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
2012–2017 Ilves
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Ilves 15 (0)
2018–2019 → HJS (loan) 8 (0)
2019 → Ilves II 12 (0)
2020– Bashundhara Kings 54 (0)
International career‡
2017 Finland U17 3 (0)
2017–18 Finland U18 4 (0)
2018 Finland U19 1 (0)
2021– Bangladesh 27 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2024

Tariq Raihan Kazi (Bengali: তারিক কাজী; born 6 October 2000) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bangladesh Premier League club Bashundhara Kings.[2] Born in Finland, he plays for 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, later on he was transitioned into a center back by coach Óscar Bruzón.

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.[3]

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, 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 a freedom fighter and school teacher of Naogaon, Abdul Jabber Kazi, who was martyred in the battlefield of 1971 liberation war. He is one of four siblings, with a brother and two sisters.[4]

Club career

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.[5]

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. During the season Tariq managed to make 8 appearances for the club.

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 against Afghanistan in the country's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier, playing full 90 minutes.[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 May 2024.[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ilves 2017 Veikkausliiga 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2018 Veikkausliiga 12 0 1[a] 0 1[b] 0 14 0
2019 Veikkausliiga 3 0 5 0 — 8 0
Total 15 0 6 0 1 0 22 0
HJS (loan) 2018 Kakkonen 8 0 — — 8 0
Ilves II 2019 Kakkonen 12 0 — — 12 0
Bashundhara Kings 2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2020–21 Bangladesh Premier League 16 0 0 0 3[c] 0 19 0
2021–22 Bangladesh Premier League 16 0 0 0 2 0 18 0
2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League 14 0 3[d] 0 0 0 17 0
2023–24 Bangladesh Premier League 6 0 0 0 6[c] 0 12 0
Total 54 0 3 0 11 0 68 0
Career total 89 0 9 0 12 0 98 0
  1. ^ Includes Finnish Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in UEFA Europa League qualifying round
  3. ^ a b Appearances in AFC Cup
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in Bangladesh Federation Cup

International

As of 11 June 2024.
National team Year Apps Goals
Bangladesh 2021 9 0
2022 4 0
2023 12 2
2024 2 0
Total 27 2

International goals

Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
List of international goals scored by Tariq Kazi
1. 25 March 2023 Sylhet District Stadium, Sylhet, Bangladesh  Seychelles 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2. 25 June 2023 Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore, India  Maldives 2–1 3–1 2023 SAFF Championship

Honours

Ilves

Bashundhara Kings

References

  1. ^ a b "Tariq Kazi". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  2. ^ Hadi, Adnan; AA. "Finnish-born Tariq Kazi named in Bangladesh preliminary camp". The Asian Age. Bangladesh. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  3. ^ তারিক কাজী বাংলাদেশ ফুটবলের নতুন হারকিউলিস. savebangladeshfootball.com (in Bengali). Daily Save Bangladesh Football. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ ফিনল্যান্ড থেকে পিতৃভূমিতে স্বপ্নমাখা তারিক. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali).
  5. ^ "Slavia Sofia-Ilves | UEFA Europa League 2018/19". UEFA.com.
  6. ^ "I can keep my fitness up, says Tariq from Finland". Dhaka Tribune. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Kings rope in Tariq Kazi". Daily Sun. 14 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Football fraternity welcomes Kingsley & co". New Age.
  9. ^ "Kazi ruled out of Nepal friendlies". Dhaka Tribune. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  10. ^ গোলশূন্য প্রথমার্ধে চমক তারিক কাজী. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  11. ^ Tariq Kazi at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 September 2021.