Topu Barman

Topu Barman (Bengali: তপু বর্মন; born 20 December 1994) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Bangladesh Premier League club Bashundhara Kings, which he captains and the Bangladesh national team.

Topu Barman
Topu with Bangladesh in 2021
Personal information
Full name Topu Barman
Date of birth (1994-12-20) 20 December 1994
Place of birth Narayanganj, Bangladesh
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre Back
Team information
Current team
 Bashundhara Kings
Number 4
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Wari Club
2011–2014 Mohammedan SC (2)
2014–2015 Sheikh Russel (0)
2015–16 Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi (0)
2016–17 Abahani Limited Dhaka (0)
2017–18 Saif Sporting Club 20 (2)
2018–19 Abahani Limited Dhaka 10 (1)
2019– Bashundhara Kings 37 (2)
International career‡
2014–2017 Bangladesh U23 13 (0)
2013– Bangladesh 53 (6)
Medal record
Representing  Bangladesh
South Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Guwahati
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Kathmandu
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 September 2023

Early career

Topu Barman was scouted in 2006 by Canary Wharf Group's talent search programme. After initial trails, he spent two years at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) under the supervision of local coaches Golam Sarwar Tipu and Rezaul Haq Jamal. In 2008, Topu along with a few U16 national team players, attend a three week training session at the David Beckham Academy in London. Topu who was initially selected for training by English coach Anthony Ferguson and England-born Bangladeshi footballer Anwar Uddin, was granted Tk 10,000 scholarship by the Canary Wharf Group, after completing its programme.[1][2]

In 2009, he joined Wari Club in the Dhaka Senior Division League.[3] In 2011, he joined Mohammedan SC in top-tier, the Bangladesh Premier League, which was also the country's sole professional league at the time.[4]

Club career

In 2014, Topu won the Super Cup with Mohammedan, defeating Sheikh Russel KC 4-2 on penalties. He won the 2016 Bangladesh Premier League with Abahani Limited Dhaka as undefeated champions. In 2017, he was one of the highest paid local players after joining the newly promoted Saif SC.[5]

In 2019, Topu joined Bashundhara Kings. He made his debut for Kings during a 2019 Federation Cup match against Chittagong Abahani, on 27 December 2019. His first goal for the club came against Police FC in the same competition, on 1 January 2020.[6] The tournament was his first title triumph with Kings.[7]

Before the start of the 2020 Federation Cup, Topu was named as the new club captain following the departure of Daniel Colindres. Topu played twice during the tournament as Kings lifted the trophy for the second year running.[8] He helped Kings keep a solid defense as they won the 2021 Bangladesh Premier League with 4 league games remaining.[9] He ended the league season with a first-half brace against his former club and title rival, Abahani Limited Dhaka. He scored an own goal 28 minutes into the match and then made amends with a headed goal into the Abahani net 10 minutes later.[10]

Interest from abroad

After the 2021 SAFF Championship Topu has had offers from NorthEast United FC who currently play in the Indian Super League, the topflight of Indian football and he also has attracted interest from an unknown club from the Qatari Second Division also known as the Qatar Stars League[11]

International career
Topu (standing furthest to the left) with the national team at the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives.

On 24 October 2014, at the age of 19 years, 11 months, and 5 days, Topu made his debut for Bangladesh national team in a friendly match against Sri Lanka. He entered the field as a substitute for defender Yeasin Khan in the 63rd minute of the match which ended as 1-1.[12][13]

On 28 December 2015, he scored his first goal in international football against Bhutan.[14] Topu was named in the squad for the SAFF Championship: 2018 and had an impressive tournament even though hosts Bangladesh were not able to reach the knockout stages once more.[15] He scored against both Bhutan and Pakistan during the group-stages.[16][17] Topu also scored a crucial goal against Afghanistan during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification round helping Bangladesh reach the final stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification round[18][19]

On 1 October 2021, Topu kicked off the 2021 SAFF Championship with a calmly converted penalty against Sri Lanka earning the team a 1-0 victory and a winning start to the tournament.[20][21] He also played the full 90 minutes against Nepal in the final group match of the competition for both sides where Bangladesh needed a win to reach the finals, the match concluded as 1-1, after a controversial late penalty call from the referee which ended Bangladesh's hopes of reaching the finals once again.[22]

On 13 November 2021, during the second matchday of the 2021 Four Nations Football Tournament, Topu scored an 86th-minute penalty to give Bangladesh a memorable win against Maldives for the first time in 18 years.[23] However,during the last group match against Sri Lanka with Bangladesh only needing a draw, Topu missed a first half penalty and after conceding late into the game Bangladesh suffered a 2-1 defeat, denying the country a place in an international tournament final again.[24]

Career statistics

International apps
As of 7 September 2023.
Bangladesh
YearAppsGoals
201420
2015121
201660
201872
201910
202050
2021123
202380
Total536

International goals
Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.28 December 2015Trivandrum International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram Bhutan1–03–02015 SAFF Championship
2.4 September 2018Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka Bhutan1–02–02018 SAFF Championship
3.6 September 2018Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka Pakistan1–01–02018 SAFF Championship
4.3 June 2021Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha Afghanistan1–11–12022 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.1 October 2021National Football Stadium, Malé Sri Lanka1–01–02021 SAFF Championship
6.13 November 2021Racecourse Ground, Colombo Maldives2–12–12021 Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy

Personal life

Topu is dating Swarnali Krishna, a medical student, since 2015.

From religious views, Topu is a follower of Hindu religion.

Honours

Mohammedan SC

Abahani Limited Dhaka

Bashundhara Kings

References
  1. "Under-16 booters to go for training in London in August". bdnews24.com.
  2. "ফুটবল জগতে না.গঞ্জের সর্বশেষ মুখ তপু বর্মণ". Press Narayanganj24.com.
  3. "তপু বর্মন 'বাংলার রামোস'". Bangladesh Journal Online.
  4. "Mohammedan complete underdog fairytale". The Daily Star. June 26, 2013.
  5. "BPL 2016–17 season players' transfer: Saif Sporting announce grand ambition". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  6. "Topu scores as Kings beat Police".
  7. Report, Star Online (January 5, 2020). "Colindres drives Kings to Fed Cup title". The Daily Star.
  8. "Bashundhara Kings retain Federation Cup title". New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh.
  9. বাংলাদেশ, Daily Bangladesh :: ডেইলি. "Bashundhara Kings becomes champion by breaking 'own record'". Daily Bangladesh.
  10. "Curtain falls on BPL with Kings-Abahani stalemate". New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh.
  11. Male, Anisur Rahman from (October 17, 2021). "ISL offer for Tapu Barman". The Daily Star.
  12. "BD play 1-1 draw with SL". www.observerbd.com.
  13. "Bangladesh frustrates fans". www.observerbd.com.
  14. "Bangladesh earn consolation win over Bhutan in SAFF Championship". bdnews24.com.
  15. "Hosts Bangladesh knocked out of SAFF". jagonews24.com.
  16. "Impressive Bangladesh dominate Bhutan in opener". Dhaka Tribune. September 4, 2018.
  17. Reporter, Sports (September 7, 2018). "Hosts march toward semis". The Daily Star.
  18. "Topu strike earns draw against Afghanistan". New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh.
  19. "Topu Barman's late goal helps Bangladesh draw 1-1 against Afghanistan". The Business Standard. June 3, 2021.
  20. "Topu Barman leads Bangladesh to victory in Saff opener against Sri Lanka". The Business Standard. October 1, 2021.
  21. "Topu feels satisfied with winning goal". Dhaka Tribune. October 1, 2021.
  22. "Late penalty heartbreak for 10-man Bangladesh as Nepal reach SAFF Championship final". bdnews24.com.
  23. "Bangladesh beat Maldives for the first time in 18 years". The Business Standard. November 13, 2021.
  24. "Bangladesh knocked out of Four Nations tournament after conceding a late penalty against Sri Lanka". The Business Standard. November 17, 2021.
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