Anwar Ali joins FC Goa after recovering from a rare heart condition

Margao (Goa) [India], January 1 (ANI): Highly-rated centre-back Anwar Ali has become FC Goa's fourth new signing of the season after the defender officially made a move from Delhi FC. He has been practising with the team since the beginning of the season.

"I am just happy that the worst part of my life is now over. This is a new chapter in my life and I want to welcome the opportunity to play football. It has been a long wait to get onto the field at the highest level." said Anwar Ali after joining FC Goa.
The 21-year-old former India youth international has put pen to paper on a contract with FC Goa after the AIFF cleared the talented youngster to resume his career in August earlier this year.

"I would like to thank FC Goa at this moment for having faith in me. I have been with the team since the beginning of the season and that has helped me understand the way we play the game. I was ecstatic when I got to know I was going to FC Goa. I didn't know about it till around three days before I had to pack my bags. There is a certain excitement in the air, which I can't put into words." said Anwar Ali

"We're very happy to bring Anwar into the fold at FC Goa. He's clearly one of the finest players of his generation and that has all the more apparent ever since we've had a closer look at him for the past month and a half, while he's been training with us." said Ravi Puskur FC Goa's Director of Football on signing Anwar Ali.

Ali started his career with Minerva Punjab and then went on to play for the India U17 team in the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup. After good performances, the youngster was loaned to Indian Arrows for the 2017/18 season before signing with Mumbai City FC.
Ali was barred from playing competitive football by the AIFF in 2019 after he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Apical Hyper Cardio Myopathy (HCM).

The youngster starred for Delhi FC in the Durand Cup and the I-League Qualifiers in 2021, scoring four goals in the latter, finishing as top scorer for his side. Sunday night's game against Kerala Blasters thus marks Anwar's long-awaited Indian Super League debut. (ANI)