ATK Mohun Bagan crushed a below-par SC East Bengal 3-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at Fatorda on Saturday, with young midfielder Kiyan Nassiri scoring a remarkable hat-trick. This young las created a lot of buzz in the media. And we at SportsLite brings to you Who is Kiyan Nassiri? The Hat-trick Hero of the Kolkata Derby.
Early Career
The new darling of ATK Mohun Bagan was born on November 17, 2000 in Kolkata to an Irani-Indian parent. His father Jamshid Nassiri hailed from Iran and had played professionally in Kolkata. His mother Suzanne was born in the City of Joy. Always interested in football he was selected up for the Bengal U14 camp in Kalyani in 2014. He made five appearances and scored six goals during the U14 camp in Kalyani. Kiyan later joined the Mohammedan Sporting U16 I-league team. He joined Calcutta Football Club during the 2017–18 season, and was the league’s top scorer, propelling the team win promotion.
In 2019, he joined Mohun Bagan’s U-19 team in the Zee Bangla Football League and was invited to try out for the senior team.
Journey to the Senior Team
Kiyan Nassiri quickly promoted to the main squad of Mohun Bagan. After his exploits with the Mariners’ junior team drew the attention of then-coach Kibu Vicuna during the 2019/20 season. Nassiri’s ability highlighted at a junior event in Kolkata. Kiyan then promoted to the senior team after winning the Zee Bangla Football League, an U19 competition. He made a big impression there and drew Vicuna’s attention. The kid then promoted to the senior squad by the Spaniard.
Also see: Top 10 Players with Most Goals in Indian Super League
Professional Debut and I-League win
Kibu Vicuna chose to take him to Goa for the pre-season tour after impressing him in Kolkata with the main Mohun Bagan squad. He scored against Salgaocar in a friendly and put his best foot forward to earn a spot in the I-League squad. The talented kid made his professional debut for the Green and Maroons in a 3-1 win over TRAU FC in an I-League match. Bagan went on to win the I-League that season, giving young Kiyan a first taste of senior silverware. He continued with the team even after Bagan’s merger with ATK and was amongst the three youngsters ATK Mohun Bagan decided to retain from the Bagan’s I-League squad – Sk Sahil, Kiyan and Shubho Ghosh. He played his first match for ATK Mohun Bagan during the 2021 AFC Cup against Nasaf which the Mariners lost 6-0.
The Hat-trick Hero
On January 29, 2022, ATK Mohun Bagan’s Kiyan Nassiri stole the show with a hat-trick against East Bengal. Coach Juan Ferrando brought on Nassiri as a substitute with the Mariners trailing by a goal to nil. The 21-year-old forward then went on to seize the moment by the collar. With three magnificent swings of his boots, the lad with the famous surname had scored a hat-trick, dramatically turning the game in ATK Mohun Bagan’s favour.
It’s not every day that you score a hat-trick, and it’s certainly not in India’s most spectacular domestic football match. Kiyan Nassiri’s name was well-known in Kolkata, but it was his surname that reverberated the most.
