Shaijumon earns his maiden call

Jun 20, 2012 |

Kochi

Tags:

football

It has been a fairytale rise for Kerala boy Shaijumon, who first found his place in the playing XI of a disoriented Chirag United Kerala and to the surprise of many has been named in the 23-member Indian squad for the AFC under-22 qualifiers.

The 21-year-old from Thiruvananthapuram, a midfielder, was not sure of making the final list, but he did enough in a friendly win against DNATA Club on Tuesday to impress national coach Arthur Papas and earn his maiden call.

Shaiju scored a goal in the 4-1 win and in the process was assured a place in the squad that will play the qualifiers in Muscat starting June 23. Pune FC striker Jeje Lalpekhlua, who struck a brace in the second friendly, will lead the Indian challenge.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been named the vice-captain of the team that has been practising at Al Wasl training ground in Dubai for the last few days. India is clubbed with hosts Oman, Lebanon, Iraq, UAE and Turkmenistan in the qualifiers. The opening match of the qualifiers is between Turkmenistan and Lebanon.

Getting back to Shaijumon, one has to say he is a lucky lad, who has climbed the stairs of success at a steady pace.

He was not a regular starter for Chirag, but was used as a second half substitute towards the second half of the season. Though he did not have any outstanding performances in Chirag’s colours, Shaiju was impressive with his speed and fake runs.

Before leaving for Muscat, the 20-year-old said he knew how big the opportunity was and was eager to make a solid impression.

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