| Rafayel Tudu | |
| Full Name: | Rafayel Tudu |
| Birth Date: | 7 May 2001 |
| Birth Place: | Godagari, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh |
| Height: | 1.76m |
| Position: | Striker |
| Currentclub: | Fakirerpool YMC |
| Clubnumber: | 77 |
| Years1: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs1: | Victoria SC |
| Caps1: | 8 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2023– |
| Clubs2: | Fakirerpool YMC |
| Caps2: | 11 |
| Goals2: | 10 |
| Pcupdate: | 9 April 2024 |
Rafayel Tudu (Bengali: রাফায়েল টুডু; Santali: ᱨᱟᱯᱷᱟᱭᱮᱞ ᱴᱩᱰᱩ; born 7 May 2001) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bangladesh Championship League club Fakirerpool YMC.
Born in Godagari Upazila of Rajshahi District, Tudu hails from the ethnic Santal community. He began his football journey as a goalkeeper while training at the Kishore Football Academy in Rajshahi.[1]
In 2020, Tudu began his professional league career as the third-choice goalkeeper for Victoria Sporting Club in the Bangladesh Championship League.[1] He made 8 appearances, 4 of which were as a substitute during the 2020–21 league season as his club suffered relegation. He notably started as goalkeeper during the club's 0–6 and 2–8 defeats to NoFeL SC and Fortis FC, respectively. Eventually, he departed the club following his debut season.[2] [3]
During both the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons of the Bangladesh Championship League, Tudu missed out, instead regularly training at the Kishore Football Academy. However, during a local tournament, Tudu showcased his skills as a striker, even scoring against his own academy team. Impressed by his performance, his academy coaches began utilizing him as an attacking player. This led to Fakirerpool Young Men's Club signing him for the 2023–24 Bangladesh Championship League, where Tudu would register as a striker, making his position change official.[1]
On 19 February 2024, Tudu made his debut for Fakirerpool and scored in a 2–3 defeat to BFF Elite Academy during the league's opening game.[4] On 16 April 2024, Tudu scored a brace as Fakirerpool defeated league leaders PWD Sports Club 4–1.[5] On 7 April 2024, Tudu was man of the match, scoring all four goals as Fakirerpool defeated Uttara FC 4–1. His super hat-trick saw him overtake teammate Dalim Barman in the league's top scorer charts with 10 goals, with three games remaining.[6]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | Other | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Victoria SC | 2020–21 | Bangladesh Championship League | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Fakirerpool YMC | 2023–24 | Bangladesh Championship League | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | 11 | 10 | ||||
| Career total | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 10 | |||