10/07/2025
🇱🇰⚽ Sri Lankan Legends in Bangladesh Football 🇧🇩💫
Did you know? Long before modern-day international transfers, several Sri Lankan footballers made their mark in the Bangladesh football scene, leaving behind a legacy that’s still remembered.
From as early as the 1960s, pioneers like P.D. Sirisena (Dhaka Wanderers, 1963–1965), T. Noor, and Lionel Pieris carried the Sri Lankan flag with pride. This legacy was further cemented in the 1980s when a wave of talented players made their way into Dhaka’s competitive football leagues.
Notable names from the golden era include:
🟢 Hassimdeem GK
🟢 Upul Premlal
🟢 Mahinda Pala
🟢 Ashoka Ravindra
🟢 Mohamed Zahir
🟢 Chandra Siri
🟢 Shaabdeen
🟢 Shantha Kumara (Rasa)
… and few more but no official record..
Among them all, Packeer Ally stood out as a fan favorite during his 8-year stint with Dhaka Abahani. A stylish and solid defender, he won the hearts of thousands of Bangladeshi fans and even received an invitation to represent the Bangladesh national team—a rare honor for a foreign player at the time.
🏆 He helped Abahani lift three back-to-back league titles (1983, 1984, 1985)—a historic hat-trick—and continued his legacy by transitioning into coaching. He led five top-tier teams in Bangladesh, including Sheikh Jamal DC, with whom he clinched the Bangladesh Premier League title in 2010–11 and the Federation Cup in 1999.
🧤 Fast forward to today, after decades, our very own national team captain Sujan Perera has brought back that hope by signing with Fortis FC in the Bangladesh Premier League. His move may pave the way for a new generation of Sri Lankan footballers to dream bigger and go further.
🙏 A big thank you to all those who contributed these valuable pieces of history and helped us preserve the legacy of Sri Lankan football abroad. Let’s continue to celebrate our footballing heroes—past and present. 🇱🇰💚🇧🇩
