Muhammed Sagar Ali
{{short description|Indian footballer (born 1993)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Muhammed Sagar Ali
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Muhammed Sagar Ali
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|04|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kothamangalam, Kerala, India
| height = 1.82 m
| currentclub = FC Takin
| clubnumber = 3
| position = Centre-back
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Sports Authority of India
| years1 = 2015–2016
| clubs1 = Air India FC
| caps1 = 22
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2016–2017
| clubs2 = Delhi United FC
| caps2 = 13
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2017–2018
| clubs3 = Madhya Bharat SC
| caps3 = 7
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2018–2019
| clubs4 = ARA FC
| caps4 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2019–2020
| clubs5 = Druk Stars FC
| caps5 = 16
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2020–2022
| clubs6 = ARA FC
| caps6 = 9
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2022–
| clubs7 = FC Takin
| caps7 = 0
| goals7 = 0
| club-update =
| ntupdate =
}}
Muhammed Sagar Ali (born 13 April 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back.{{cite web|url=https://everythingforfootball.in/player/muhammed-sagar-ali/|title=Player information – Transfer history: Muhammed Sagar Ali|website=everythingforfootball.in|publisher=Everything For Football|access-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409162832/https://everythingforfootball.in/player/muhammed-sagar-ali/|archive-date=9 April 2022}}{{cite web | last=Online | first=Kerala Kaumudi | title=Kerala's Mohammad Sagar led Gujarat in the Santosh Trophy | website=Kerala Kaumudi Online | date=2022-01-14 | url=https://keralakaumudi.com/news/news-amp.php?id=729211&u=sports | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=15 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315185500/https://keralakaumudi.com/news/news-amp.php?id=729211&u=sports }} He is currently co-owner of Kerala Primier League club Inter Kerala FC
Playing career
Sagar Ali began his youth career when he was a ninth standard student. He attended the sub-junior state football championship for Idukki in 2007. He spent majority of his youth career at Sports Authority of India, Kollam.{{cite web | last=Rajan | first=Adwaidh | title=City-based Footballer Gets a Pass to Chennai | website=The New Indian Express | date=2014-08-04 | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2014/aug/04/city-based-footballer-gets-a-pass-to-chennai-643615.html | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=14 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814052747/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2014/aug/04/City-based-Footballer-Gets-a-Pass-to-Chennai-643615.html | url-status=live }} Sagar Ali started his professional career by playing for Air India FC 2015. A year later, Sagar Ali signed with Delhi United FC.{{cite web|url=https://fanport.in/football/transfer/rashid-nalakath-bhutan/|title=റാഷിദ് നാലകത്ത് ഇനി ഭൂട്ടാൻ ക്ലബിൽ|trans-title=Rashid Nalakath now at Bhutan Club|date=20 June 2019|access-date=19 September 2021|website=fanport.in|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126143259/https://fanport.in/football/transfer/rashid-nalakath-bhutan/|archive-date=26 November 2020|language=ml}} His next stint was with Madhya Bharat FC where he played for the club in the I League second division.{{cite web | title=Sagar Ali from Kochi will now play for Bhutan Club | website=Fanport Malayalam Sports News | date=2019-05-25 | url=https://fanport.in/football/transfer/sagar-ali-bhutan/ | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=26 November 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126080006/https://fanport.in/football/transfer/sagar-ali-bhutan/ | url-status=live }}
In 2018 he was signed by United SC to represent them in the Calcutta Football League. Later he signed with ARA FC and played in the 2018–19 I league second division.{{cite web | last=Joseph | first=Martin | title=Gujarat's Malayali leadership | website=The New Indian Express | date=2022-04-27 | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/football/2022/apr/27/gujarats-malayali-leadership-2446823.html | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=14 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814052749/https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/football/2022/apr/27/gujarats-malayali-leadership-2446823.html | url-status=live }} In 2019, Sagar Ali signed a short-term contract with the Bhutan Premier League club Druk Stars FC.{{cite web | title=This Kothamangalam man's ball is now rolling for Bhutan - malayalee - bhutan club | website=East Coast Daily Malayalam | date=2019-05-27 | url=https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/2019/05/27/malayalee-in-butan-club.html | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=14 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814052749/https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/2019/05/27/malayalee-in-butan-club.html | url-status=live }} In 2020, he returned to ARA FC after his contract expired with the Bhutanese club.{{cite web | title=Malayali presence in Bhutan Club | website=ZilliZ Sports & Games | date=2022-08-19 | url=https://www.zillizsng.in/football/mallu-footballer-sagar-ali/ | access-date=2022-08-22 | archive-date=15 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315190140/https://www.zillizsng.in/football/mallu-footballer-sagar-ali/ | url-status=live }} He played for the ARA FC in the I league qualifiers. During this time he was spotted by Gujarat and received an invitation to represent them in the 2021-22 Santosh Trophy.{{cite web | last=George | first=Arun | title=How Gujarat relied on Malayalam to spring a surprise in Santosh Trophy | website=OnManorama | date=2021-12-02 | url=https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2021/12/02/malayali-players-help-gujarat-qualify-santosh-trophy-final-round-after-37-years.html | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=14 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814052746/https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2021/12/02/malayali-players-help-gujarat-qualify-santosh-trophy-final-round-after-37-years.html | url-status=live }} He was appointed as the team's captain and helped the side to qualify for the final round of the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 37 years.{{cite web | title=A native of Kothamangalam; Muhammad Sagar Ali is leading Gujarat in Santosh Trophy. | website=Kothamangalam News | date=2022-01-14 | url=https://kothamangalamnews.com/kothamangalam-nellikkuzhi-eramalloor-muhammed-sagar-ali-santhosh-trophy-player.html | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=14 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814052749/https://kothamangalamnews.com/kothamangalam-nellikkuzhi-eramalloor-muhammed-sagar-ali-santhosh-trophy-player.html | url-status=live }} In 2022, Sagar Ali made his second move to Bhutan. He signed a one-year contract with FC Takin, the new entrants in the Bhutan Super League.{{cite web | last=Madhukumar | first=Sreenadh | title=Gujarat Santosh Trophy captain Sagar Ali now playing in Bhutan Premier League | website=IFTWC – Indian Football Team for World Cup | date=2022-07-24 | url=https://iftwc.com/sagar-ali-joins-fc-takin-for-bpl/ | access-date=2022-08-14 | archive-date=15 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815093942/https://iftwc.com/sagar-ali-joins-fc-takin-for-bpl/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://ni.todoporelfutbol.com/club/fc-takin/|title=FC Takin – Jugadores Destacados – Información 2022/23|language=es|website=ni.todoporelfutbol.com|archive-date=23 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223100950/https://ni.todoporelfutbol.com/club/fc-takin/}}
Career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2" |Club
! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |Cup ! colspan="2" |Continental ! colspan="2" |Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="1" |Air India F.C.
| 2015–2016 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| rowspan="1" |Delhi United FC
| 2016-2017 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| rowspan="1" |Madhya Bharat SC
| 2017-2018 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| rowspan="1" |ARA FC
| 2018-2019 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| rowspan="1" |Druk Stars FC
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| rowspan="1" |ARA FC
| 2020-2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| colspan="3" |Total
!93 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 0 |