Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 20 January 2003 | ||
Place of birth | Lakshadweep, India | ||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
Position(s) | Central midfielder, defensive midfielder, right-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Kerala Blasters | ||
Number | 32 | ||
Youth career | |||
Don Bosco FA | |||
2018–2022 | Kerala Blasters | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022–2023 | Kerala Blasters B | 7 | (0) |
2022– | Kerala Blasters | 7 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:30, 27 December 2023 (UTC) |
Mohammed Azhar (born 20 January 2003) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. He is the twin brother of Mohammed Aimen. [1]
Azhar joined the Kerala Blasters Academy in 2018 at the age of fifteen, along with his twin brother Aimen, after a short spell in the Don Bosco football academy. The twins had moved to Kerala from Lakshadweep for their schooling and attended the Kerala Blasters U-15 trials, getting selected in the process. Azhar came up through the ranks along with his brother and played for the under-15 and under-18 teams of Kerala Blasters. [2] He eventually played for the Kerala Blasters in the 2022 RFDL. He played 3 games in the tournament, which was held from 2022 April to May, where the team emerged as the runners-up and qualified for the Next Gen Cup. Azhar then played for the side in the Next Gen Cup held in United Kingdom in July 2022. [3]
In August 2022, with the first team preparing for the 2022–23 Indian Super League season in UAE, Kerala Blasters fielded their reserves for the 2022 Durand Cup, where Azhar was included in the squad. [4] He played the entire 90 minutes in all the five games and made two assists, which includes one to his own brother in the competition. [5] Azhar was then promoted to the club's senior team ahead of the 2022–23 season along with Aimen, to train with the first team on a developmental role during the 2022–23 Indian Super League season. During the season, he played for the reserve team in the 2022–23 Kerala Premier League and the 2023 RFDL. In November 2022, the twins were sent to Poland for a three week training stint with the Polish top tier club Rakow Czestochowa. [6]
In April 2023, Azhar was included in the Kerala Blasters squad for the 2023 Super Cup. [7] He was in the match-day squad for the group stage match against Bengaluru FC on 16 April, where he remained in the bench as an unused substitute. [8]
On 9 May 2026, Kerala Blasters announced that Azhar has signed a three-year contract extension with the club, that would keep him with them until 2026. [9] He finally made his official debut for the Blasters senior team on 13 August 2023 in the first group match of 2023 Durand Cup against Gokulam Kerala, which the Blasters lost 3–4, where he played for the entire 90 minutes in the central midfield position. [10] [11] Azhar played one more game in the tournament on 21 August against Indian Air Force, where he played majority of the time as a right back. [12]
On 27 October, Azhar made his debut for the club in the Indian Super League against Odisha FC in a 2–1 win at home, by coming as a substitute in the 79th minute. [13] He was included in the Blasters' starting eleven during a league game for the first time against Punjab FC on 14 December, which the Blasters won 1–0, where he played for the entire 90 minutes. [14]
Azhar's twin brother Aimen is also a professional footballer; both twins joined Kerala Blasters academy at the same time in 2018. Born in Lakshadweep, the twins later grew up in Kochi, Kerala, as their father worked at the Lakshadweep Communication in Kochi. [15]
Adrián Nicolás Luna Retamar is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters, which he captains.
Abdul Hakku Nediyodath often called as Hakku, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for I-League club Gokulam Kerala.
Gokulam Kerala Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kozhikode, Kerala. Founded in 2017, the club competes in I-League, the second tier of Indian football league system. They won 2020–21 I-League to become the first ever club from Kerala to do so, and became the first team to defend the league title in 2021–22. Gokulam is also the first and so far the only club from the state to qualify for a continental competition, AFC Cup, in 2022.
Jeakson Singh Thounaojam is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team.
Rahul Kannoly Praveen, known as Rahul KP is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team.
Danish Farooq Bhat is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
Naocha Singh Huidrom an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters, on loan from Mumbai City.
Hormipam Ruivah is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
Vibin Mohanan is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
Vincy Barretto, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Chennaiyin.
The 2021–22 season was the eighth season in Kerala Blasters FC's existence, as well as their eighth season in Indian Super League. The 2021–22 Indian Super League season began on 19 November 2021, and it end on 20 March 2022 with all the matches held in Goa across three venues, same like the previous season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
Bijoy Varghese is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for I-League club Inter Kashi, on loan from Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
The 2022–23 season was the ninth season in Kerala Blasters FC's existence, as well as their ninth season in the Indian Super League. This season of the ISL witnessed the return of the home-away format of the matches similar to that of the 2019–20 Indian Super League season after a break of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Sreekuttan Viruthiyil Santhosh is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for I-League club Gokulam Kerala.
Sachin Suresh is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
The 2023–24 season is the tenth season in Kerala Blasters FC's existence, as well as their tenth season in the Indian Super League. It began in April 2023 with the 2023 Durand Cup. Ahead of the season, the Blasters ended their six-year association with their then most-capped player at the time, Sahal Abdul Samad, swapping him with Pritam Kotal from Mohun Bagan and also received a reported transfer fee of ₹90 lakhs. The club also made the most expensive signing its history by paying FC Goa a reported fee of ₹1.45 crores for the transfer of Aibanbha Dohling. The Blasters started their Indian Super League campaign with consecutive victories in their first two games of the season, an accomplishment unprecedented in the club's history.
Mohammed Aimen is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Aimen is the twin brother of Mohammed Azhar.
Muhammed Saheef AP is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for I-League club Gokulam Kerala, on loan from Kerala Blasters.
Sukham Yoihenba Meitei is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC.