|
|
Best Of 2008: Indian Football
After an intensive look at what transpired throughout the year in 2008, Goal.com's Amoy Ghoshal rates his best performers of the year...
31-Dec-2008 8:42:30 PM
Best Team: Dempo Sports Club
The Goan club won the inaugural edition of the I-League, thus retaining their crown. It is considered by many as the most well run club in the country, having a perfect blend of Indian and foreign players. In Armando Colaco they have arguably the best Coach in the country and their policy of retaining the same group of players every season has produced excellent results. They created history this year by becoming the first Indian club to reach the semi finals of the AFC Cup (which is the equivalent of the UEFA Cup in Asia) and by virtue of their I-League win last season they will also play in the qualifying stage of the AFC Champions League where they will take on UAE’s Al Sharjah so they might make more history in the new year. They finished runners up in the Federation Cup and despite being at 4th spot in the I-League table, still remain one of the main contenders for the title.
Best Individual Performance: Sunil Chettri’s hat trick in the final of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Final against Tajikistan
He is expected by many to fill in the big shoes of Bhaichung Bhutia once the Indian captain retires and he lived up to his reputation this year by playing brilliantly in the AFC Challenge Cup. The tournament had been a challenging one for Sunil as he hadn’t scored in three group games despite having chances. Even though he was suffering from an injury to his head he bravely scored the winner in the semi final against Myanmar. But both Sunil and his fans knew very well that the he was due a big performance and in the final, and he didn’t disappoint.
The stage was set for Sunil as the final was relocated to his own city (Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium) due to poor ground conditions at Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium, and he rose the occasion with a hat trick thus becoming the first Indian to score a hat trick in the final of an international competition. India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 to guarantee themselves a spot in the final rounds of the 2011 Asian Cup which will be held at Qatar, and the star of the show on the final was Sunil Chettri.
Best Player (Indian): Bhaichung Bhutia- India & Mohun Bagan
He might be 32 now but the Indian skipper still remains the biggest name in Indian football. Many players are considered to be past their best once they reach 30 but that hasn’t happened to Bhaichung as he has used his talents intelligently. He follows a certain fitness regime and plays mostly in important tournaments like the I-League and Federation Cup and this policy has produced excellent results.
He was adjudged the player of the tournament after guiding team India to AFC Challenge Cup glory and also won the AIFF Player of the Year Award. He also rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in world football in the Goal4Africa game which was played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena Stadium. Earlier this year, Bhaichung was also honoured with the Padma Shri, which stands fourth in the civilian awards, bestowed by the Government of India.
Bhaichung has had many great years in his career but 2008 will go down as a special and important year of his career and all of his fans and fellow players would be hoping that he plays for another 10 years(!!!) or at least be around for the 2011 Asia Cup.
Best Player (Foreign): Odafa Onyeka Okolie- Churchill Brothers SC
The striker was the undisputed king in the goal scoring charts, scoring 22 goals in the last season and nearly taking Churchill to the I-League title. He has scored 11 goals already in the league this season and with seven goals he finished as the top scorer in the Federation Cup. It sometimes takes more than one player to stop Odafa and often even that’s not enough. Many experts consider him a player who is fit for playing at level higher than Indian football and his consistency is a testimony to that claim. He not only scores but also creates quite a few goals and for Churchill to win anything in 2009 Odafa has to stay injury free and score more goals.
Best Young Player: Gourmangi Singh- India & Churchill Brothers SC
He was in the national team last year during the Nehru Cup and after having an even better year in 2008 he is now one of the best defenders in the country. If Odafa scored the goals for Churchill, Gourmangi made sure that Churchill doesn’t concede. He was outstanding in both SAFF and the AFC Challenge Cup and also developed a nice habit of scoring important goals as he netted two in the SAFF Cup. With time on his side Gourmangi can only get better in the coming years.
Best Match: I-League: Churchill Brothers SC 3 Dempo SC 3
In India normally the Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is considered to be the best match. But in 2008 a Goan derby between Churchill and Dempo in the I-League was the mother of all matches. Churchill took the lead in the 15th minute when Felix coolly finished a cross from Paite. Four minutes later Felix doubled Churchill’s advantage and then in the 31st minute goal machine Odafa Okolie scored Churchill’s third. With three goals in 31 minutes Churchill were running away with the match but the game was far from over. Former Churchill player Mboyo Iyomi pulled one back for Dempo in the 37th minute and then in the first half injury time the score was 3-2 when Mboyo headed a Valeriano cross into the back of the net.
It was end to end stuff in the second half but Dempo were looking more dangerous. They deservedly completed their comeback once again thanks to Mboyo, who got his hat trick against his old club. But the excitement didn’t end there. Churchill’s Bineesh Balan had scored but the goal was ruled out due to offside. The match ended 3-3 but Churchill were left frustrated after throwing away a three goal lead and this frustration was led by their patron Churchill Alemao who with his gang of supporters marched on to the dressing room of the match officials and criticized them for being biased. This six goal thriller was easily the best match on Indian soil in 2008.
Best Goal: I-League: Odafa Onyeka Okolie vs Mahindra United
The 2008 Durand Cup finalists faced each other in the opening round of the 08-09 edition of the I-League. Mahindra had beaten Churchill 3-2 in the Durand Cup final so Churchill were looking for revenge in front of their home crowd at the Pandit Jawarhal Nehru Stadium in Goa. They took the lead in the 61st minute through Odafa but Mahindra looked to have secured a vital point away from home when Sushil Singh equalized in the 81st minute. But last season’s top scorer Odafa made sure Churchill started their campaign with three points. He dropped deep to pick up a pass had a look at the goal and unleashed an unstoppable strike from 30 yards giving Mahindra keeper Subhashish no chance. Churchill won the match and Odafa’s world class goal ensured that the new season of the I-League began with a bang.
Best Coach: Bob Houghton (Coach, India) & Armando Colaco (Coach, Dempo SC)
This accolade will be jointly shared by Houghton and Colaco. Bob Houghton has seen it all in world football but coaching India is probably one of the biggest challenges he has ever faced in his career. He took charge in 2006 and since then Indian football has always been on the rise. India’s defeat at the hands of Maldives in the SAFF Cup final raised quite a few eyebrows as many questioned Houghton’s tactics. But Houghton always had the support from AIFF and more importantly, the players. And this chemistry between the coach and the players perhaps was the most important factor in India winning the AFC Challenge Cup. India have qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup now but Houghton knows very well that the good work done in 2008 has be to continued or even bettered to continue India’s progress in football.
On the other hand Colaco has been like a role model for all young coaches in India. As accepted by many other I-League coaches, Colaco’s policy of retaining the same group of players year after year and his man management skills have been the main reasons for Dempo’ success in the last few years. If one had to choose the most professional club in India it has to be Dempo and Armando Colaco has been instrumental in making it so. Dempo have many big name players in their side and thanks to Armando Colaco they are able to play as a team as Colaco brings out the best in them. In all, Indian football can only improve if it has more coaches like Armando Colaco.
Best XI:
Subrata
Naoba Gourmangi Gawli Naik
Dias Beto Climax Clifford
Odafa Bhaichung
Amoy Ghoshal.
The Goan club won the inaugural edition of the I-League, thus retaining their crown. It is considered by many as the most well run club in the country, having a perfect blend of Indian and foreign players. In Armando Colaco they have arguably the best Coach in the country and their policy of retaining the same group of players every season has produced excellent results. They created history this year by becoming the first Indian club to reach the semi finals of the AFC Cup (which is the equivalent of the UEFA Cup in Asia) and by virtue of their I-League win last season they will also play in the qualifying stage of the AFC Champions League where they will take on UAE’s Al Sharjah so they might make more history in the new year. They finished runners up in the Federation Cup and despite being at 4th spot in the I-League table, still remain one of the main contenders for the title.
Best Individual Performance: Sunil Chettri’s hat trick in the final of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Final against Tajikistan
He is expected by many to fill in the big shoes of Bhaichung Bhutia once the Indian captain retires and he lived up to his reputation this year by playing brilliantly in the AFC Challenge Cup. The tournament had been a challenging one for Sunil as he hadn’t scored in three group games despite having chances. Even though he was suffering from an injury to his head he bravely scored the winner in the semi final against Myanmar. But both Sunil and his fans knew very well that the he was due a big performance and in the final, and he didn’t disappoint.
The stage was set for Sunil as the final was relocated to his own city (Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium) due to poor ground conditions at Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium, and he rose the occasion with a hat trick thus becoming the first Indian to score a hat trick in the final of an international competition. India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 to guarantee themselves a spot in the final rounds of the 2011 Asian Cup which will be held at Qatar, and the star of the show on the final was Sunil Chettri.
Best Player (Indian): Bhaichung Bhutia- India & Mohun Bagan
He might be 32 now but the Indian skipper still remains the biggest name in Indian football. Many players are considered to be past their best once they reach 30 but that hasn’t happened to Bhaichung as he has used his talents intelligently. He follows a certain fitness regime and plays mostly in important tournaments like the I-League and Federation Cup and this policy has produced excellent results.
He was adjudged the player of the tournament after guiding team India to AFC Challenge Cup glory and also won the AIFF Player of the Year Award. He also rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in world football in the Goal4Africa game which was played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena Stadium. Earlier this year, Bhaichung was also honoured with the Padma Shri, which stands fourth in the civilian awards, bestowed by the Government of India.
Bhaichung has had many great years in his career but 2008 will go down as a special and important year of his career and all of his fans and fellow players would be hoping that he plays for another 10 years(!!!) or at least be around for the 2011 Asia Cup.
Best Player (Foreign): Odafa Onyeka Okolie- Churchill Brothers SC
The striker was the undisputed king in the goal scoring charts, scoring 22 goals in the last season and nearly taking Churchill to the I-League title. He has scored 11 goals already in the league this season and with seven goals he finished as the top scorer in the Federation Cup. It sometimes takes more than one player to stop Odafa and often even that’s not enough. Many experts consider him a player who is fit for playing at level higher than Indian football and his consistency is a testimony to that claim. He not only scores but also creates quite a few goals and for Churchill to win anything in 2009 Odafa has to stay injury free and score more goals.
Best Young Player: Gourmangi Singh- India & Churchill Brothers SC
He was in the national team last year during the Nehru Cup and after having an even better year in 2008 he is now one of the best defenders in the country. If Odafa scored the goals for Churchill, Gourmangi made sure that Churchill doesn’t concede. He was outstanding in both SAFF and the AFC Challenge Cup and also developed a nice habit of scoring important goals as he netted two in the SAFF Cup. With time on his side Gourmangi can only get better in the coming years.
Best Match: I-League: Churchill Brothers SC 3 Dempo SC 3
In India normally the Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is considered to be the best match. But in 2008 a Goan derby between Churchill and Dempo in the I-League was the mother of all matches. Churchill took the lead in the 15th minute when Felix coolly finished a cross from Paite. Four minutes later Felix doubled Churchill’s advantage and then in the 31st minute goal machine Odafa Okolie scored Churchill’s third. With three goals in 31 minutes Churchill were running away with the match but the game was far from over. Former Churchill player Mboyo Iyomi pulled one back for Dempo in the 37th minute and then in the first half injury time the score was 3-2 when Mboyo headed a Valeriano cross into the back of the net.
It was end to end stuff in the second half but Dempo were looking more dangerous. They deservedly completed their comeback once again thanks to Mboyo, who got his hat trick against his old club. But the excitement didn’t end there. Churchill’s Bineesh Balan had scored but the goal was ruled out due to offside. The match ended 3-3 but Churchill were left frustrated after throwing away a three goal lead and this frustration was led by their patron Churchill Alemao who with his gang of supporters marched on to the dressing room of the match officials and criticized them for being biased. This six goal thriller was easily the best match on Indian soil in 2008.
Best Goal: I-League: Odafa Onyeka Okolie vs Mahindra United
The 2008 Durand Cup finalists faced each other in the opening round of the 08-09 edition of the I-League. Mahindra had beaten Churchill 3-2 in the Durand Cup final so Churchill were looking for revenge in front of their home crowd at the Pandit Jawarhal Nehru Stadium in Goa. They took the lead in the 61st minute through Odafa but Mahindra looked to have secured a vital point away from home when Sushil Singh equalized in the 81st minute. But last season’s top scorer Odafa made sure Churchill started their campaign with three points. He dropped deep to pick up a pass had a look at the goal and unleashed an unstoppable strike from 30 yards giving Mahindra keeper Subhashish no chance. Churchill won the match and Odafa’s world class goal ensured that the new season of the I-League began with a bang.
Best Coach: Bob Houghton (Coach, India) & Armando Colaco (Coach, Dempo SC)
This accolade will be jointly shared by Houghton and Colaco. Bob Houghton has seen it all in world football but coaching India is probably one of the biggest challenges he has ever faced in his career. He took charge in 2006 and since then Indian football has always been on the rise. India’s defeat at the hands of Maldives in the SAFF Cup final raised quite a few eyebrows as many questioned Houghton’s tactics. But Houghton always had the support from AIFF and more importantly, the players. And this chemistry between the coach and the players perhaps was the most important factor in India winning the AFC Challenge Cup. India have qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup now but Houghton knows very well that the good work done in 2008 has be to continued or even bettered to continue India’s progress in football.
On the other hand Colaco has been like a role model for all young coaches in India. As accepted by many other I-League coaches, Colaco’s policy of retaining the same group of players year after year and his man management skills have been the main reasons for Dempo’ success in the last few years. If one had to choose the most professional club in India it has to be Dempo and Armando Colaco has been instrumental in making it so. Dempo have many big name players in their side and thanks to Armando Colaco they are able to play as a team as Colaco brings out the best in them. In all, Indian football can only improve if it has more coaches like Armando Colaco.
Best XI:
Subrata
Naoba Gourmangi Gawli Naik
Dias Beto Climax Clifford
Odafa Bhaichung
Amoy Ghoshal.
Inside Goal.Com
-
Vote for your Goal.com World Player of the Week
Have your say on who you think should win Goal.com's weekly honour
-
Euro 2012 a timely respite for depressed Spain
With 24 per cent unemployment, wage cuts and little hope for improvement in the short term, the continental competition will at least take people's minds off their sad situation
-
Welbeck impresses but it's a bad day for Johnson
Ashley Young has also all but secured his place in the starting line up against France while Steven Gerrard put a good shift in. Here's how the Belgium friendly affected the England player's chances of featuring in Euro 2012
-
Five players Rodgers could sign for Liverpool
The new Reds boss was unveiled to the press on Friday and must immediately begin work on revitalising a thin squad with some additions in the transfer market
-
Lambert the latest in EPL manager merry-go-round
The Scot officially left Norwich City on Saturday to become the second new boss in June, following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool on Friday