Bangladesh U-19 women’s team midfielder Monika Chakma promised that she will try to score more stellar goals in the future after her stunning strike against Mongolia was selected for FIFA’s five fan favourite moments of the week on Saturday.

“I’m really feeling very happy after hearing that my goal was adjudged one of FIFA’s fan favourites and it is a big recognition for me because FIFA is the highest body of world football,” Monika told reporters at the Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday.

During the Bangamata U-19 Women’s International Gold Cup semifinal encounter with Mongolia last Tuesday which Bangladesh won 3-0, the girls in red and green struggled to damage Mongolia’s backline until Monika controlled a chip from Sajeda Akther on the edge of the danger zone before unleashing a dipping left-footer to give Bangladesh the lead just before the break.

Monika also scored similarly stunning goals at age-group international tournaments. She once scored a goal directly from the corner kick and is a proven scorer even long range, therefore, that goal against Mongolia was not truly a miracle for Monika, who has honed her skills through individual practice.

“After the national team’s regular practice session, we are given 10 extra minutes for individual practice where we hone our individual skills by mustering freekicks, corner-kicks and long rage shots and that’s the way we have been learning to score,” said Monica, who started playing competitive football in 2011 through the Bangamata Primary School Gold Cup before being picked for the U-14 women’s national team in 2015.

“Although I scored some goals this way before, I don’t think those are better than this goal. From now, I will keep trying to score such goals in the future if I get opportunity,” promised Monika, adding that so far she scored 10 goals at the international level.

The girl from Khagrachari is also happy to play in the midfield despite having good goal scoring skills but also enjoys playing as a forward.

“I am playing in midfield and with exchanging positions with Maria Manda. When Maria goes up, I stay back in midfield. It is vice versa. When I go up, Maria takes my position. So I can’t always get opportunity to score the goal,” Monika said. “Anything is good for me, sirs [coaches] select my playing position. I don’t have any grief over not playing as a forward. Rather I am happy with my current position.”