Surrey Stars players raise aloft the Jayden Memorial Cup, the team beat Rewa 3-0 in the final at the Bear Creek Park in Surrey
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Local Sports
FOOTBALLERS and managers of Fijian football have paid tribute to Riyaad Rasheed.
The 29-year old Fijian Allstar and Canada FANCA football team midfielder was gunned down on Sunday in Surrey.
Fijian prodigy Rylan Sangha who rubbed shoulders with Riyaad on the Nations Cup team rated the footballer as one of the best all-around Fijian players.
“He had the size but also the technical ability and vision, and that kind of skill-set is one that we will miss on the team”.
“Riyaad always had a good sense of humor and was fun to be around”.
Former Fijian Allstar’s Nations Cup manager Praveen Adrakar said Riyaad was arguably one of the best midfielders of the Fijian football with great vision and delivery.
Praveen told Sportone that he was shocked to learn the tragic death of the young man who loved football.
“Very shocking, I didn’t want to believe it at first”.
“Amazing talent who gave his best every-time he dressed up for the team”.
Aptly, he was Tanoa FC’s midfielder when they won the 2016 NAFSA, North American Fijian Soccer Association, tournament in Dublin, California.
“It is Riyaad who controlled the midfield for Tanoa FC’s championship run”, said Praveen.
The Tanoa FC manager added that the sport will never get to see another footballer who was good at the game and was just as inspiring.
Riyaad was on the championship winning Canada FANCA team that won the 2016 FANCA Muslim tournament in an epic 3-1 showdown against Australia at Prince Charles Park in Nadi.
Imtiaz Asin, who was the manager of the team took to the British Columbia Muslim Sports Association, Facebook to describe his feelings about the footballer as ‘exquisite and a highly rated athlete’.
“When the times were tough during the ‘Cinderella run in 2016, he lifted the team’s spirits with conversation and dialogue that can’t and won’t compare again”.