South Asians in Football Weekly: Wealdstone’s Tarryn Allarakhia could face Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah before Tanzania AFCON 2023 adventure

The latest edition of South Asians in Football Weekly is out after an exciting turn of the year for the players…

Wealdstone attacking midfielder Tarryn Allarakhia could line up for a dream international debut and a clash with Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah this weekend, ahead of jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Tanzania.

National League sensation Allarakhia has been included in Tanzania’s 25-player AFCON squad, and arrived in Cairo with his international team-mates on Wednesday for a pre-tournament training camp which culminates in a friendly against Salah’s Egypt.

The East Londoner, who has mixed Indian and East African heritage, is now poised to make his international debut ahead of a potential first AFCON appearance at this year’s tournament in the Ivory Coast, which kicks off next week.

If Allarakhia – who counts counts Woking, Aveley and Colchester United among his former clubs – gets on the pitch, he will become the first Wealdstone player ever to feature at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Tanzania have a tough group where they will come up against Zambia, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, and two-time AFCON champions DR Congo.

Iqbal trains in Abu Dhabi ahead of Asian Cup

Manchester-born Zidane Iqbal has trained in Abu Dhabi ahead of travelling to Qatar, where he is expected to make his AFC Asian Cup debut.

Sky Sports News exclusively revealed last month the FC Utrecht midfielder, whose mother is Iraqi and father is Pakistani, was set to be recalled by Iraq for the 24-team tournament in Qatar, kicking off on January 12.

Iraq play South Korea in a friendly on Saturday ahead of departing for the tournament, where they play Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam in the Asian Cup group stages.

Sky Sports News revealed last year Iqbal was due to be called up for the first time by Iraq and handed a testing international debut away at Iran.

Sky Sports News also broke the story that Iqbal had made history in December 2021, when he appeared in Manchester United’s Champions League game against Young Boys to become the first British South Asian ever to play for the club.

Singh Thandi completes Cyprus move

Simranjit Singh Thandi says he feels honoured to join Doxa Katokopias after completing a move to the club until the end of the season.

Sky Sports News revealed in the last edition of South Asians in Football Weekly the former England U17 international had resisted other offers from across Europe to put pen to paper on a contract with the Cypriot top division side.

“It’s an honour to join this fantastic club,” Singh Thandi told Sky Sports News after his unveiling.

“I cannot wait to get started and help my team-mates and the club move forward.”

Singh Thandi is a product of the Leicester City academy where he played alongside Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury and Luke Thomas, before going on to turn professional at Stoke City.

The Leicester-born wing-back is well known in Cyprus, having spent four years contracted at AEK Larnaca.

Sky Sports News revealed last year that West Brom academy graduate and fellow British South Asian Adil Nabi was joining Doxa too, having previously played in England, Scotland, India and Greece.

Former England youth international Nabi scored for the club in their last game, smashing into the top left corner from the penalty spot against Singh Thandi’s former side AEK Larnaca.

Choudhury captains record-chasing Foxes

Hamza Choudhury has enjoyed a memorable turn of the year after captaining Championship leaders Leicester for their trip to South Wales to take on Cardiff City.

Starting once again at right-back, the British-Bangladeshi baller put in a commanding display as Leicester ran out 2-0 winners to consolidate their relentless march at the top of the table.

Leicester followed that up with a resounding 4-1 victory at home to Huddersfield to make it 21 wins from 26 matches as the Foxes continue to hunt down Reading’s record Championship points total of 106, set in the 2005/06 season.

Dhanda scores another Ross County stunner

Yan Dhanda offered a timely reminder of his credentials with a sensational strike to score Ross County’s last goal of 2023.

Birmingham-born Dhanda put Ross County 2-0 up away at Hearts, with a sumptuous free-kick which drifted in from wide and into the top right corner, beating motionless Hearts goalkeeper Zander Clark all ends up.

It was a strike which would have made Dhanda’s former Liverpool youth team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold proud – although Hearts’ blushes were spared by late goals from substitute Kenneth Vargas and in-form striker Lawrence Shankland as they claimed a point in a 2-2 draw.

The free-kick capped a fine performance from former Swansea attacking midfielder Dhanda, who was given a rating of 8.0 by WhoScored and named player of the match.

Dhanda, who was named as the County Corner’s player of the season last term, has entered the final six months of his Staggies contract.

The British-Indian is now free to talk to clubs outside of Scotland about a free transfer move in the summer.

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