# Motiur Rahman Munna

Motiur Rahman Munna (Bengali: মতিউর রহমান মুন্না; born 1 September 1979) is a retired Bangladeshi professional footballer who played as a central-midfielder. He played for the Bangladesh national team from 1998 to 2009. Munna began his 20-year club career in Dhaka with Sadharan Bima CSC in 1993. During his illustrious career he notably played for Mohammedan SC, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, Brothers Union and Abahani Limited Dhaka.

## Early career

Motiur Rahman Munna was born on 1 September 1979, in Chittagong, Bangladesh. He began his football career with Agrabad Naogaon in the Chittagong First Division League. In 1993, he earned a direct opportunity to play in the Dhaka Premier Division League for Sadharan Bima CSC

## Club career

Munna represented both Sadharan Bima CSC and Agrani Bank SC before getting his big move to Mohammedan SC. In 1999, he played an integral role in helping the Black and Whites win the Dhaka Premier Division League and India's All Airlines Gold Cup. In 2001, he transferred to Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, where he won the Federation Cup in both 2001 and 2003. He was appointed club captain in 2004 and represented the Freedom Fighters at the 2004 AFC Cup.
In 2005, he returned to Mohammedan and notably scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over Muktijoddha, in a season where Mohammedan finished league runners-up. Munna represented Muktijoddha during the 2007 B.League. He also spent a season with Brothers Union the following year. In 2009, he joined Abahani Limited Dhaka prior to the 2009–10 Bangladesh League, and helped Abahani defend the league while simultaneously winning his first professional league title. In 2010, he transferred to Muktijoddha, as the club finished runners-up in the 2010–11 Bangladesh League.
In 2012, Munna returned to Mohammedan for his third and final stint at the club and captained the team during the 2012–13 Bangladesh Premier League.

## International career

In 1998, he represented the Bangladesh U19 team during the 1998 AFC Youth Championship qualifiers held in Sri Lanka. In the same year, he made his debut for the Bangladesh national team against Qatar during an exhibition match held in Doha. He remained in the team during both the 1999 SAFF Gold Cup and 1999 South Asian Games, playing as a left-back and helping Bangladesh win their maiden gold medal during the latter. Munna's first senior international goal came during the 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Sri Lanka on 24 November 1999.
Munna also represented the team during both the 2002 Asian Games and 2006 Asian Games. For the senior national team, he was a regular figure during the Millennium Super Soccer Cup and 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Asutrian coach, György Kottán, kept him in the national squad for the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, despite Munna picking up a suspension after getting into a brawl during a league fixture. He played an integral role in Bangladesh's SAFF Gold Cup triumph, scoring a Golden Goal against India in the semi-final extra time which helped Bangladesh advance into the finals of the tournament.
Munna was also part of the national team during their runners-up finish in the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup. He eventually served as the national team captain in 2008 and led the country during both the 2008 Myanmar Grand Royal Challenge Cup and 2008 Merdeka Tournament. He announced his retirement from international football on 17 June 2011.

## Personal life

Following his retirement from football, Munna became a full-fledged businessmen.
In 2013, the same year as his retirement, he was arrested due to a domestic violence case filed against him by his wife.

## Career statistics
### International apps

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Bangladesh |
| Bangladesh | 1998 | 1 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 1999 | 12 | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 2000 | 3 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2001 | 7 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2003 | 8 | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 2005 | 7 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2006 | 6 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2008 | 3 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | Total | 48 | 2 |

### International goals
#### Youth

    Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 29 May 1998 | Bogambara Stadium, Sri Lanka | Kazakhstan | | 3–2 | 1998 AFC Youth Championship qualification |
| 2. | 29 May 1998 | Bogambara Stadium, Sri Lanka | Kazakhstan | | 3–2 | 1998 AFC Youth Championship qualification |
| 3. | 5 December 2006 | Al-Gharrafa Stadium, Saudi Arabia | Vietnam | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2006 Asian Games |

#### Senior

    Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 24 November 1999 | Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium, UAE | Sri Lanka | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 2. | 18 January 2003 | Bangabandhu National Stadium, Bangladesh | India | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2003 SAFF Gold Cup |

## Honours

Mohammedan SC
* Dhaka Premier Division League: 1999
* All Airlines Gold Cup: 1999
* National League: 2005–06
Muktijoddha Sangsad KC
* National League: 2003
* Federation Cup: 2001, 2003
Abahani Limited Dhaka
* Bangladesh Premier League: 2009–10
Bangladesh
* South Asian Games Gold medal: 1999
* SAFF Championship: 2003

### Awards and accolades

* 2003 − Sports Writers Association's Best Footballer Award