COLOMBO, SRI LANKA: The India U17 men’s national team began their SAFF U17 Championship 2025 title defence in an emphatic fashion as they cruised to a 6-0 demolition of Maldives in their opening Group B encounter at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

The Blue Colts were clinical and commanding from the first whistle as they sliced through the Maldives defence at will and announced their championship intent with a fluid, attacking performance.

Dallalmuon Gangte struck twice, while Hrishikesh Charan Manavathi, Kamgouhao Doungel, Wangkheirakpam Gunleiba, and Aazim Parveez Najar joined the scoresheet in what was a complete performance at both ends of the pitch.

The match was barely settling when India seized control. Bibiano Fernandes’ side played with high press and kept possession with confident passing patterns. They also constantly switched flanks to pull the Maldives defence out of shape, with Wangkheirakpam Gunleiba in particular proving unplayable on the left wing. His pace and intelligent crossing repeatedly carved open spaces in the final third.

India took the lead in the 12th minute. Wangkheirakpam darted past his marker, cut inside and whipped in a delightful ball. Manavathi cleverly dummied the cross, deceiving the Maldives goalkeeper completely and leaving Gangte with a simple conversion into an empty net.

India doubled their advantage in the 29th minute. It was again Wangkheirakpam creating the havoc, blazing down the left and squaring a low ball for Manavathi, who muscled past Ibrahim Avsam Abdulla to steer in the second.

Maldives offered little in response. Aside from speculative attempts from Aakif Bin Mohammed and Aidh Mohammed Jaweez, the islanders were second best in every department.

The Blue Colts continued their rout in the second half too and extended their lead further in the 49th minute. After being teed up by Denny Singh Wangkhem, Wangkheirakpam provided his third assist of the match with a cross across the face of the Maldives goal and Doungel powered his shot into the roof of the net.

Wangkheirakpam then crowned his stellar performance with a goal of his own in the 58th minute. After Wangkhem stole the ball high up the pitch, he released Wangkheirakpam, who left his defender in the dust before unleashing a thunderous left-footed strike into the far corner.

Maldives’ composure disintegrated under constant waves of Indian attacks and, in the 68th minute, the harassed Avsam Abdulla brought down Rahan Ahmed in the box. Gangte stepped up from the spot and confidently slotted home his second of the match, making it 5-0.

But India weren’t done. With four minutes remaining, Azlaan Shah floated in a teasing cross from the right which substitute Aazim Parveez Najar met with a precise header, rounding off the rout in the 86th minute.

Credits: AIFF Media

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The Blue Colts finished with six points from their three matches, and had to wait a nerve-wracking end to the remaining Group H match between Qatar and Bahrain at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, which the hosts won 2-1, having come back from a goal down to score two injury-time goals.

Qatar finished top of the group with a perfect record (nine points from three matches), while India ended up second with six points. While the four best second-placed teams (from 11 groups) also qualified, India finished the campaign at number five amongst the group runner-ups.

Midfielder Vibin Mohanan (5’, 7’, 62’) scored a hat-trick, and Mohammed Aimen (87’, 90+7’) netted two, while Ayush Chhetri (41’) got one to his name.

India started with a bang when Muhammed Suhail weaved into the box and cut it back for Vibin, who rode a tackle, before finishing it from close range to give his side the lead in the fifth minute.

The midfielder scored again a couple of minutes later, when his attempted aerial through ball bounced over the Brunei goalkeeper’s head and looped into the net.

The Blue Colts kept plugging in at the Brunei defence, but were either thwarted or missed their chances. Moosa decided to introduce centre forward Parthib Gogoi into the fray in the 32nd minute itself, in order to give his side more of an attacking edge.

Midfielder Vibin Mohanan (5’, 7’, 62’) scored a hat-trick, and Mohammed Aimen (87’, 90+7’) netted two, while Ayush Chhetri (41’) got one to his name.

India started with a bang when Muhammed Suhail weaved into the box and cut it back for Vibin, who rode a tackle, before finishing it from close range to give his side the lead in the fifth minute.

The midfielder scored again a couple of minutes later, when his attempted aerial through ball bounced over the Brunei goalkeeper’s head and looped into the net.

The Blue Colts kept plugging in at the Brunei defence, but were either thwarted or missed their chances. Moosa decided to introduce centre forward Parthib Gogoi into the fray in the 32nd minute itself, in order to give his side more of an attacking edge.

Harijan had a couple of close chances when he made smart runs between the lines. On the first occasion, he had just the goalkeeper to beat, but was tackled by Brunei defender Irfan Abdullah, while on the second, his first-time shot off a Vibin cross went inches wide of an open goal.

Aimen was knocking at the Brunei goalmouth as well, and sent his powerful shot in the 83rd minute crashing into the upright. Harijan thought he had scored a minute later, when he tapped in an Aimen cross, but was flagged offside.

Aimen added two more superb goals to make it six, both long rangers in the dying embers of the game, to make it 6-0 for the Blue Colts.

India U23: Sahil (GK), Bikash Yumnam, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Muhammed Saheef, Vibin Mohanan, Mohammed Sanan (Parthib Gogoi 32′), Harsh Palande, Ayush Chhetri (Macarton Louis Nickson 58′), Muhammed Suhail (Mohammed Aimen 58′), Sreekuttan MS (Sahil Harijan 58′), Ricky Meetei Haobam (Soham Varshneya 76′).

Credits: AIFF Media

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After Udanta Singh Kumam’s 80th-minute goal cancelled out Jameel Al Yahmadi’s 55th-minute opener, it was all down to the dreaded penalty shootout, as the 30 minutes of extra time did not yield any result. Oman defender Ali Al Busaidi was sent off in the 96th minute.

Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, and Jithin MS scored for India in the penalties, while Anwar Ali’s spot-kick was saved and Udanta missed. Meanwhile, Thani Al Rushaidi, Muhsen Al Ghassani were the only two players to score their spot kicks for Oman. Harib Al Saadi and Ahmed Al Kaabi missed theirs, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, in dramatic fashion, produced a save off the last kick off the game from Jameel Al Yahmadi.

It was one of those matches where pure statistics would not be able to paint the entire picture. While Oman enjoyed majority of possession, both sides shared nearly equal number of chances. India began on the front foot, launching counter attacks through Vikram Partap Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte on the wings.

The Blue Tigers’ real chance came in the 16th minute, when a Muhammed Uvais long throw was headed on towards Anwar by Nikhil Prabhu. The defender’s powerful header was saved by Oman goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini.

Oman, however, began to grow into the game, and Sandhu was soon called into the action in the 25th minute, when Issam Al Sabhi’s shot from outside the box was palmed away by India’s skipper keeper.

Minutes later, Nasser Al Rawahi was slipped through between the Indian defensive lines, and only had Sandhu to beat. However, his angular shot rolled wide of the goal.

India had a good chance to take the lead just before half-time, when Chhangte found Irfan Yadwad with a low cut-back, but the latter scuffed his shot, which went wide.

Oman started off on the front foot in the second half, and scored within 10 minutes of the restart, when Abdullah Fawaz flicked the ball from inside the box with the outside of his boot towards Al Yahmadi, who tapped it in at the far post.

An even contest ensued after the goal, as India looked for a way back into the match. Blue Tigers head coach Khalid Jamil, with a little over 10 minutes of regulation time left, introduced Udanta and Suresh Singh Wangjam into the fray, and the substitutions immediately made an impact.

Rahul Bheke’s 80th-minute long throw was flicked on towards the far post by the head of Danish Farooq, as Udanta rushed in to produce an instinctive header that bounced into the net. There was a relatively long wait after the goal, as the video assistant referee checked for infringements in the box, but the goal was finally allowed.

Udanta created another opportunity in injury time, playing substitute Manvir Singh (jr) through with an aerial poke, but it was dealt with by the Oman defence as the match went into extra time.

Al Busaidi was given his marching orders after the commencement of extra time, and India now began to gain control of the proceedings with the man advantage. However, chances were few and far between in the additional 30 minutes, and the two sides soon had to line up for the dreaded penalties.

India shot into a 2-0 lead in the shootout after Al Saadi and Al Kaabi missed, but Oman goalkeeper Al Mukhaini’s save off of Anwar’s spot-kick, and Udanta’s miss brought them back into the contest. Sandhu stepped in when it mattered the most, producing a diving save off Al Yahmadi’s effort, to win the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 bronze medal for India.

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK, C), Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Nikhil Prabhu (Suresh Singh Wangjam 78’), Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh (Jithin MS 46’), Irfan Yadwad (Udanta Singh Kumar 78’), Mahesh Singh Naorem (Manvir Singh jr 64’), Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvais (Roshan Singh Naorem 64’), Danish Farooq Bhat (Jeakson Singh Thounaojam 116’).

Credits: AIFF Media

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The Young Tigresses concluded the SAFF U17 Women’s Championship with five wins and one loss.

Purnima Marma opened the scoring for Bangladesh in the first minute. India’s Anushka Kumari equalised in the ninth minute. However, Bangladesh regained the lead in the 34th minute when Alpi Akter scored, and extended it in the 48th minute through Sauravi Prity.

India pulled one back in the 65th minute with a strike from Pritika Barman, and equalised in the 89th through skipper Julan. Prity scored again in injury time, to give Bangladesh the win.

Bangladesh took the lead within 30 seconds of the kick off through Purnima Marma, finding the back of the net, marking the first goal the Young Tigresses conceded in the entire tournament. The clean sheet streak ended, but as the head coach had remarked earlier, “It’s not the end of the world.”

India responded swiftly in the ninth minute when Anushka Kumari broke into the box, went past the advancing goalkeeper and two defenders, finishing calmly to level the scores.

Bangladesh, however, restored their lead again in the 34th minute amid chaos in the Indian penalty box. Alpi Akter scored from close range to make it 2-1.

India had more opportunities to equalise. In the 24th minute, Anushka again burst into the box from the right flank but dragged her shot narrowly wide off the left post. Right before the half-time, India skipper Julan was fouled by Bangladesh’s Kulsum, earning a free-kick. Anushka stepped up but was again denied when her powerful strike rattled the post, adding to her frustration.

In the second half, Bangladesh extended their lead early again. In the 48th minute, Sauravi Prity ran into the Indian box and struck past two defenders and keeper Munni to make it 3-1.

India continued to create multiple chances, and in the 59th minute, a cross from Pritika Barman found Valaina, whose header went wide.

India pulled one back in the 65th minute when Pritika struck from the right flank, reducing the gap to 3-2. Pritika created further opportunities in the 67th and 69th minutes, but the Bangladesh defence and keeper prevented a goal.

India finally equalised in the 89th through Julan, with a shot from outside the box. However, Bangladesh regained the lead in the added time, when Prity scored the winning goal.

For her eight goals in six games, Anushka Kumari picked up the Top Goalscorer of the tournament award, her second such accolade after being the joint top-scorer in the SAFF U16 Women’s Championship last year. With four goals and three assists, Abhista Basnett bagged the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament Award.

The team will now travel to Bengaluru to continue preparations for the upcoming AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in October in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.

India U17 Women: Munni (GK), Taniya Devi Tonambam (Valaina Jada Fernandes 46’), Elizabed Lakra, Divyani Linda, Julan Nongmaithem (C), Anushka Kumari, Pearl Fernandes (Thandamoni Baskey 13’), Shveta Rani (Pritika Barman 46’), Abhista Basnett, Nira Chanu Longjam (Bonifilia Shullai 77’), Alisha Lyngdoh (Alena Devi Sarangthem 56’)

Credits: AIFF Media

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Cuadrat has had a fairly long tryst with Indian football, having been associated with Bengaluru FC in the market including an ISL title winning season of 2018. He took over the helm of East Bengal FC ahead of this season and hence has a complete understanding of what the youth footballing structure beholds for the further development of the sport here.

According to the Spaniard, RFDL has allowed the players to not waste precious time of their developmental years on the bench, and instead engage in closely fought encounters with their peers from clubs across the country.

You can download the video and watch him speak here:  https://we.tl/t-hfuykIIVCO  (Courtesy: RFDL)

“RFDL allows players to play competitive games against their peers”

“It gives them an opportunity to play games. It’s one of the things that are difficult in India in the formation of players. I remember watching a lot of games with the Bengaluru B teams, with the sides winning by 6-0, 8-0, and these results don’t put you in a competitive situation. It’s too easy for teams to be winners in that kind of games and then the jump to the ISL is too high. So, the RFDL gives players that opportunity to be competitive with players of your age, who can give you trouble on the field. I have been watching the games, they have been close like 2-0, 1-0, and 2. It means that it’s a challenging tournament,” Cuadrat said during a recent interaction with the league.

He added, “Players have to give their everything and for sure they will learn a lot from that. Some players are in the first-team, but it’s better for them to get minutes playing in the RFDL. For example, Sayan Ghosh, was playing for East Bengal in the RFDL, and he even comes in the first-team. The tournament gives them a huge opportunity to express the way they play the game and get an opportunity get in the first-team.”

Cuadrat drew example from the time he spent with the Blues, saying that the level of competitiveness in youth games has increased reasonably since then. It has thus helped head coaches of Indian Super League (ISL) clubs to deploy their squad players into the RFDL, ensuring that they get some good game-time under their belt before progressing to representing their outfits in the top-tier.

“RFDL helps us gauge potential of players over a long period of time”

Cuadrat dived deep into his overall coaching philosophy to explain the importance of the RFDL and the way it has helped his players grow considerably in this campaign. He mentioned that a lot of uncapped players first earn their stripes by being introduced as fresh legs to keep up the intensity of the game during the final few minutes of ISL matches. That might be beneficial to them, but Cuadrat quipped that such infrequent playing time does not allow them a proper chance to give a testament to their overall talent and calibre. Instead, when they play 90-odd minutes in the RFDL regularly, it gives coaches like him a far greater sample size to assess and induct a player permanently into the first-team.

“It allows you to see the games real-time, some players who you weren’t able to give chances in the first-team, we get to see them in a real competitive game. This season, we have been giving opportunities to play to many young players. They have gotten some minutes for the first-team, but it’s different when they get to play for 90 minutes. It’s what’s happening in the RFDL. You can see players playing for long periods of a game, and then we can see if they can be of help to us for the next season,” he said.

Cuadrat’s insights have thrown light upon the significance of the league in not only harnessing the skillsets of a particular player, but also the comprehensive assessment of the players’ potential over a reasonable period. With the RFDL continues to march forward and thrive, it serves as a testament to enduring growth of the sport in India.’

East Bengal FC has had a phenomenal run in RFDL so far. They have also qualified for the National Group Stage topping the table of the East Region.

The ongoing season has already witnessed some exciting results where lesser known teams have showcased their talent against the best clubs in the country, which testament to the vision of RFDL.

The third season of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) got underway across eight zones in February 2024. The three-stage tournament has seen a lot of surprises and emergence of new clubs competing against their more seasoned counterparts in the Regional Qualifiers being held currently. 20 teams will progress from here to make it to the National Group Stage, from which four sides will qualify to the National Championships.

Punjab FC and Delhi FC from the North Zone have already booked their place in the next round of the competition, whereas Bengaluru FC, Roots FC, and Chennaiyin FC have progressed further from the South Zone. FC Goa, Dempo SC, and Pax of Nagoa SC have qualified from the Regional Qualifiers in Goa, whereas NorthEast United FC have moved forward from the Meghalaya-Assam Region. From the East Zone East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Adamas United SA and Muthoot FA, Kerala Blasters FC and Parappur FC from Kerala region have qualified for the National Group Stage.

The Regional Qualifiers in Mizoram has seen the progress of Home Missions FC so far, whilst the race for the National Group Stage is still on in Mumbai, and Kerala groups.

About Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL): 

RFDL is part of Reliance Foundation’s continued commitment towards supporting young footballers in India to evolve their skills by providing them more opportunities, world-class infrastructure, sports science expertise and coaching, contributing to the growth of Indian football. Now in its third season, (RFDL) is designed to be a platform for the top U-21 football players to showcase their talent in a highly competitive environment. The tournament is India’s largest and most inclusive U-21 youth tournament comprising of over 50 teams across 9 regions in India from Hero Indian Super League, I-League division I&II and Independent Academies / Clubs nominated by the State Football Associations. With the eyes of academy coaches and scouts from both within the country and abroad, RFDL serves as the ideal platform that they can thrive upon to give wings to their fledging careers moving forward. 

Courtesy :- Reliance Foundation Sports Media.

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Skipper Sunil Chhetri, playing his 150^th International, kept his date with history by giving the Blue Tigers the lead off a penalty kick in the 38^th minute in front of jam-packed stands at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. The joy, however, was turned into complete misery when Rahmat Akbari’s shot deflected off a defender to find its way past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the 70^th minute for the equaliser, and then Sharif Mukhammad dealt the deathly blow by converting a penalty in the 88^th minute.

India, who drew the away match against Afghanistan goalless in Saudi Arabia, desperately needed full points from this encounter to keep alive their hopes of a long and arduous journey to the third round. But like it was in Abha, Saudi Arabia, the Indians did everything to stretch the rival defence time and again but fell short of converting them into goals. They did create a few chances, including a second-minute shot by Chhetri that hit the post before Manvir blew it over the bar, but faltered at crucial moments in the second half to leave the turf empty-handed.

India took the lead in the 38^th minute. Haroon Amiri, the captain and towering figure in the Afghanistan defence, made the cardinal mistake of handling the ball inside the box as he found the inviting cross from the right by Manvir Singh, added with a fast-approaching Sunil Chhetri, hard to negotiate with and the Saudi Arabian referee pointed to the spot without hesitation.

As the packed stands waited with bated breath, Chhetri stepped in to slam the ball into the right of the goalkeeper Ovays Azizi, with a low but confident shot. He seemed unaffected by the riotous celebrations in the stadium and the sheer delight displayed by his teammates and he walked back to his position calmly.

It was Chhetri’s 94^th international goal and the first after a seven-match drought. He now holds the unique record of scoring at least one goal in his first, 25^th, 50^th, 75^th, 100th, and 125^th matches. But in the end, this unique achievement took the back seat as India surrendered all the points on the pitch.

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Subhasish Bose, Jeakson Singh (Vikram Partap Singh 85’), Nikhil Poojary, Manvir Singh, Brandon Fernandes (Anirudh Thapa 68’), Lalengmawia Ratle, Liston Colaco (Mahesh Singh Naorem 68’), Sunil Chhetri (Lallianzuala Chhangte 68’).

COURTESY :- AIFF Media Team.

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A capacity crowd is expected to fill the stands with fans set to travel from neighbouring northeastern states hoping to witness the Blue Tigers take a big step towards qualifying for Round 3 for the first time in history.

For what will be the first India match in Guwahati since a World Cup Qualifier in 2019 against Oman, the place has been buzzing for weeks, with posters and advertisements spread across the city. A large number of fans also turned up for India’s training sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

In their previous meeting just four days ago, the Blue Tigers were held to a goalless draw by Afghanistan on Saudi Arabian soil. Despite not gaining all the three points Igor Stimac and his side were desperately in the hunt for, they moved up to second place in the four-team Group A as Qatar beat Kuwait 3-0 on the same day.

After three matches played each, the double Asian champions lead the table with nine points, followed by India with four, Kuwait with three and Afghanistan with one. The top two teams in the group will qualify for Round 3 of the World Cup Qualifiers and book their berth at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup as well.

“It’s really nice to feel the atmosphere and the buzz here,” said head coach Igor Stimac at the pre-match press conference. “We were disappointed with the end result in the first game against Afghanistan. We need to make things right here. I hope there will be a good crowd here in Assam tomorrow.”

Almost 23,000 people watched India’s clash against Oman five years ago where the visitors came from a goal down to win 2-1, cancelling out Sunil Chhetri’s opening strike. Despite the defeat, it was one of India’s positive performances in the first few months of Stimac’s reign.

“We remember how well we played against Oman here the last time we were here, but that was a long time ago. We are positive and looking forward to tomorrow’s game where we’ll try to do our best. A draw is the same as a loss for us. We need to make things easier for the June game against Kuwait,” said the Croatian.

Stimac continued to lay emphasis on the home game against Kuwait in June,  and that Tuesday’s result against Afghanistan will take them one step closer to the ultimate goal of making the next round.

“What I say to my players is that nothing ends with tomorrow’s game. We are in a good position, holding the second spot in the group. We are on the verge of making history in Indian football.”

The sub-plot of the fixture will be Sunil Chhetri’s expected 150th appearance for the national team, a feat no player has ever achieved for India and only 40 players have for their country in the history of the sport. However, the captain was quick to point out that Tuesday should only be about the the Indian team and the job in hand.

“I’m honoured and privileged. After this, let’s not make tomorrow about this, and only about India versus Afghanistan,” said Chhetri.

The captain shared his thoughts on the draw four days ago. “As the game progressed, we became more desperate. When you start a game dominating and you miss chances, you have the idea that you’re chasing the game because you want to win. I think no matter who you play against, if the chances come, send them.”

That’s exactly what the Blue Tigers need to do the most after going five matches in a row without scoring. On home soil, India have netted 16 goals in the last 12 matches, and Stimac and his boys will be eager to treat the Guwahati crowd with more of them tomorrow.

The match between India and Afghanistan will be broadcast on Sports18 1, Sports18 1 HD and Sports18 3, and streamed on JioCinema.

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The Dwarka based team recently lifted the first-ever AIFF organized Futsal League and the Delhi Senior Division League. Delhi FC were also the frontrunners in this year’s I-League qualification and had a decent outing in the Durand Cup.

In this team, Karandeep Singh has been one of the chief architects in defence. In an exclusive chat with FootballCounter, he opened about his personal development, the year that went by and adjusting to the new normal.

EXCERPTS:

Q: Delhi FC has been in good form lately; what is the next step from here?

A: We have done well in the last season, winning the Futsal League and Delhi League. We also reached the finals of I-League qualifiers and had a decent pre-season in Durand Cup. Hopefully, we will continue the rich form in the coming seasons.

Q: How are you feeling at a personal level about your preparation?

A: I feel I’m settling here. Our defence is getting stronger and has stayed robust. I also feel confident about my game.

Q: Football action has been reduced due to the COVID pandemic. How are you dealing with it?

A: I am trying my best to stay fit and be match ready. I am participating in all practice sessions.

Q: Do you draw inspiration from other footballers?

A: Yes, I watch positional football of late. I follow players like Jordi Alba, Lucas Hernandez and learn from them.

Q: Do you have any personal aim for the rest of the season?

A: I want to put my best foot forward. I am closely analyzing my attributes and working on enhancing them. The motive is to improve my game and keep proving my mettle.

The 22-year-old defender is gearing up for the upcoming season in full vigour.

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Also Read: Nikhil Mali: ‘The journey has just begun and I still have a lot to achieve’

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Football in India has always been one of the favourite sports in terms of player participation and viewership.

Despite our rich history of association with football, we are nowhere near qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. We are currently ranked 106th country and not even among the top teams in the Asian continent. But at one point we were among the best in Asia. The 1950s and 60s saw us conquer Asian Games twice, finish runner up in AFC Asian cup and also bag 4th place in the Melbourne Olympics.

So the question arises, at what point in history did it go wrong for us?

Despite us being the second most populated country in the world, producing fifteen quality football players is still a challenge.

Do we lack the playing skills, do we lack the stamina that the game demands or is it that we cannot strategize and implement. Ranjit Bajaj, the owner of Delhi FC believes that none of the reasons listed above makes it to the football pitch. It is just that we as a country lack the vision.

“World cups after world cups we just envision the next world Cup. These short term visions are nothing but pain relief. We need a long term vision.”

– Ranjit Bajaj, Owner Delhi FC

In the capacity of a club owner, Ranjit has tailored and closely monitored the glorious success for Minerva Punjab and is repeating it now with Delhi FC. Be it Under 8, under 12, under 16 or senior teams, they have won cups and trophies at all stages. Minerva so etched their name as the club known to create future superstars with their focus on building a proper Youth setup.

From Jeakson Singh, who scored India’s first-ever goal in the U17 FIFA World Cup to Nongdamba Naorem, who at the age of 17 beat a slew of senior team players of Churchill brothers to score a wonder goal. Minerva also helped in the comeback of talented defender Anwar Ali who was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Anwar Ali was also a Minerva product.

“World cups after world cups we just envision the next world Cup,” Ranjit says. “These short term visions are nothing but pain relief. We need a long term vision.”

Talking to footballcounter, Ranjit stated, “If we start comparing our footballers in the National team against Europeans or American players, prima facie we find the difference is huge. There is a difference in speed, the way we receive the ball, pass it, the way we defend or attack. This difference is a result of multiple factors. For example- other countries have a structured league system at all levels which are missing in India.”

Ranjit also mentioned that till six-seven years of age there is no difference between Indian athletes and athletes from any other part of the world. “It’s just the right age of learning. You build most of the muscle memory at this age. To put the numbers into perspective, if it takes 5000 touches to learn the passing at six years of age, it takes 20000 touches to learn at nine years, and 50000 touches at fifteen years of age.”

“If we compare ourselves to the countries like Iran, Japan, Egypt they qualify for World cups because they have at least 7-8 of their players playing for the finest leagues in the world. Whereas for us this number is null,” added Ranjit.

The biggest clubs in our country are not focusing on the junior level, instead, they want to win big with their senior teams. This leads to a situation where the “best coaches are with the senior players who can not learn much at the age of 25 years and the players who can learn at the age of 6 years don’t have the best coaches around”.

While ISL clubs are now showing initiative to build their own academies and youth teams. The hope is it will be continued and transformed into a long term vision. Clubs need to invest and revolutionize football at the junior level first, then look to provide international exposure at this very stage. “When these players compete against the best in the world and we have a decent player representation in the EPLs and La Ligas of the world, that’s when we start qualifying for the world cups,” Ranjit concludes.

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Priyangka Devi scored the match-winner in the 66th minute.

India Head Coach Alex Ambrose made two changes to his starting XI from their last game against Bangladesh — Nitu Linda and Lynda Kom coming in place of Kritina Devi and Santosh, respectively.

It was India, who seized the initiative early, but they failed to capitalise on their chances. Captain Shilky Devi floated a ball from the left in the 19th minute, passed it to Sumati who missed an open chance to find the back of the net.

India’s combination play threatened the Nepal backline since the start. A ball was played over the top and Lynda Kom chased it down in the 25’ minute. She put in a cross towards Sumati which was directed towards the goal but Nepal goalie Anjana saved it perfectly.

Nepal looked to strike back, but were struggling to create chances and keep possession in dangerous areas as the Indian team stood firm and forced them to go for long-range efforts, which were easily dealt with by Indian keeper Anshika.

On the 36th minute, Amisha Baxla went for a first-time shot but failed to connect it properly, as the ball went over the bar.

The best opportunity India had in the game was on the 42nd minute when Priyangka Devi worked a free-kick from the edge of the box to move the ball towards the centre as Shilky Devi layed it off for Priyangka Devi, who pulled the trigger, but was way off target.

The first half of the game was a rather quiet affair, with both teams creating many chances but failed to disturb the scorers.

Over 10 minutes into the second half, a corner was played in from the left by Mariyammal, which fell straight to Lynda Kom in the 6-yard box, but she failed to connect with her header and the ball rolled into the arms of Anjana again.

Coach Alex made three changes on the 61st minute as Santosh, Apurna Narzary and Santhiya replaced Nitu Linda, Lynda Kom and Amisha Baxla respetively.

The goal for India finally came on the 66th minute, when Sumati Kumari entered the Nepal box from the left, and cut it back for Priyangka, whose shot brushed off a defender, before nestling into the back of the net.

Another great chance for India came when Sumati Kumari was played in behind the Nepal defence, and she tried to chip the opposition keeper on the bounce, but her effort went over the crossbar.

Alex Ambrose made another change on the 79th minute, when Karen Estrocio replaced Mariyammal. In the remaining five minutes of the game, Kritina Devi also replaced Santhiya.

The final will be played on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, with the match kicking off at 6.30 PM IST.

INDIA XI: Anshika (GK), Nirmala Devi, Shilky Devi (C), Astam Oraon, Nitu Linda (Santosh 61’),M. Balamurugan (Karen 79’), Lynda Kom (Apurna Narzary 61’), Priyangka Devi Naroem, Sumati Kumari,Purnima Kumari, Amisha Baxla (Santhiya 61’) (Kritina Devi 90+2’)

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