As he faced the difficulty of choosing a club from the seven I-League offers he received, Wahid Sali remembered that afternoon many, many moons ago when his coach Olympian Rahman took him to an open space and introduced him to the beautiful game.
The defender opted for Mohun Bagan, his coach's favourite club, rejecting other offers. It was after about 10 years of professional football that Wahid struck a purple patch in his career thanks to the major break he had while playing for ONGC in the last season.
“It was one of the major breakthroughs in my career. I played 13 games last season, and it was a gruelling task to be fit and committed for the club throughout the league. But I was able to showcase a decent performance,“ says Wahid.
Wahid, who was once a prominent sevens player in Kozhikode, had to adapt a lot during his stint with ONGC. “When I joined, it was doubtful whether I will feature in first eleven. However, a stopper got injured and I was able to play against East Bengal. After the match, the then coach Santosh Kashyap was pleased and played me in every game. It was a different atmosphere, where we were up against the best of Indian footballers, and with God's grace I was able to withstand the tough conditions,“ Wahid explained.
The player, who has spent most of his career with Universal Soccer School in Kozhikode, thinks that playing for Bagan will be a major boost for his career. “Everyone tells me that Mohun Bagan is the best club and chances for me there will be least. But when I joined ONGC, it was the same atmosphere. I was just a miniscule sevens player from Malabar but I was able to become a first team regular,“ pointed out the 27-year-old footballer.
Wahid's career has seen ups and downs and he was often seen shut tling between different clubs. He has played for Josco FC, State Bank of Travancore and Mumbai FC.
“I would say his recognition at national level came very late. With his abilities, he should have played in I-league about three or four years before. But he was not a lucky player and had to wait for his opportunity,“ says CM Deepak, Wahid's coach for the past 10 years.
“He is powerful and plays robust football. Moreover, his commitment is always 100 per cent on the field. He is the kind of player a team usually counts on for defensive play,“ Deepak pointed out.
Though Wahid is a traditional stopper, he is also well-versed as right wing back. “It was actually the decision of Deepak sir that I play as right back. However, I am purely a defensive player and I rarely go for an attack,“ he explains.
A player who has made a livelihood by playing in sevens football, he is enthusiastic to see a club from Kerala in I-League. “As every Kerala player, I also like to play for a Kerala club in Ileague. But I feel there is only a remote possibility because no one is ready to help each other and everyone has a self-centric approach in the state. I think the government has also the responsibility to make sure the game is live in the state,“ opines Wahid.
Wahid is optimistic about his future and hopes his isolation in national league will be over and believes that, “there is always something left to love' as Gabriel Garcí-a Márquez penned in his famous book One Hundred Years Of Solitude."
 
"He is powerful and plays robust football. Moreover, his commitment is always 100 per cent on the field.He is the kind of player a team usually counts on for defensive play." - CM Deepak, Wahid's coach