Nabib Newaj Jibon

Nabib Newaj Jibon (নাবিব নেওয়াজ জীবন; born 17 August 1990) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bangladesh Premier League club Abahani Limited Dhaka and the Bangladesh national team.

Early career
Jibon's career started in 2006, when he played the JFA Cup U-16 tournament. His performance during the competition earned him a place in the three-month-long Bangladesh U-17 national camp. However, he could not make it to the final squad. In 2007, he made his Pioneer League debut with Noakhali Football Academy and finished the season as top scorer with 11 goals. The following year he played in the second division with Ashulia-based Gazir Char Club, but his time there did not go well as the club didn't have enough players to compete for promotion. Jibon then roamed all over the country to display his skills at different district leagues, including Khulna, and also in Chittagong, with Chittagong Mohammedan SC in 2009.

In 2010, Jibon made his First Division debut with Uttar Baridhara Club. In 2012 the Bangladesh Championship League was introduced, as the country's professional second-tier league, and after finishing runners up in the league in 2013, Uttar Baridhara was promoted to the Bangladesh Premier League. Jibon was an integral part of the team, scoring 12 goals in just 13 matches. He attracted the interest of many topflight clubs after that season and ended up joining Team BJMC. On 25 June 2014, he scored his first Premier League goal coming in a 2–2 with Mohammedan SC. During his second year he managed to get 4 goals and 10 assists out of 18 matches. He also spent time on loan at Mohammedan SC in 2015, for the 2015 Sheikh Kamal International Cup, the same year he made his Bangladesh national team debut.

Abahani Limited Dhaka
On 1 January 2017, Jibon got his big move to Dhaka giants Abahani Limited Dhaka, under coach György Kottán. He won the league title during his second year at the club. His first two seasons at the club, Jibon managed to get limited game time, with foreign strikers occupying the forward line. However, after the appointment of Mário Lemos, during the 2018–19 season, Jibon was converted into a false nine, behind striking duo- Sunday Chizoba and Kervens Belfort. He thrived while playing in the new position, scoring 16 goals and attaining 6 assists during the league season. His best performance that season came against Rahmatganj MFS, when he managed to score a hattrick. The 2019 AFC Cup saw Abahani become the first Bangladeshi club to reach the knockouts of the competition. Jibon scored twice during the group stages, and his goals against Minerva Punjab also earned him AFC recognition. During the knockout match against North Korean side April 25 SC, Jibon also found the net as Abahani won the game 4–3.

International career
On 13 October 2015, Jibon made his senior debut against Kyrgyzstan during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. On 8 January 2018, he scored his first international goal against Sri Lanka during the 2016 Bangabandhu Cup.

Personal life
Jibon was born in Shibganj Upazila of Bogra District. His grandfather, Aftab Hossain Mondal, was a footballer who played for both Mohun Bagan and Kalighat Milan Sangha FC in the Calcutta Football League during the British regime. His uncle Shahinur Kabir Shimul represented the Bangladesh national football team during the 1986 Asian Games. In 2021, Jibon was stranded in India after undergoing surgery on his right knee during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was able to return to Bangladesh with the help of India national football team player Pritam Kotal and his wife, Sonel Paul.

Club

 * Notes

National Team

 * Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.

Honours
Abahani Limited Dhaka
 * Bangladesh Premier League: 2016, 2017–18
 * Federation Cup: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021
 * Independence Cup: 2021

Bangladesh U23
 * South Asian Games bronze medal: 2016, 2019