About:
The Indian football team is a national football team that represents the Indian nation in the game of football. The team works under the auspices of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) headed by politician Praful Patel.India National Football Team
AIFF was founded in 1937 and was affiliated to FIFA in 1948. Stephen Constantine is the current coach of the men’s national football team and Rocky Mamule is the coach of the women’s national football team.
Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the men’s team while Ngangom Bala Devi is the women’s counterpart.
| FULL NAME | Indian football team |
| NICK NAME | The Blue Tigers |
| FOUNDED | 1937 |
| PROMINENT PLAYERS | Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, Jackichand Singh |
| Blue Tigers | Nickname |
SQUAD Of Indian Football Team
| FORWARDS | NATIONALITY | FOOT | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Chhetri | India | – | 38 |
| Udanta Singh | India | – | 26 |
| Rahim Ali | India | – | – |
| Manvir Singh | India | – | 27 |
| Liston Colaco | India | – | – |
| Balwant Singh | India | – | 36 |
| Ishan Pandita | India | Right | 24 |
| Seiminlen Doungel | India | – | 29 |
| GOALKEEPERS | NATIONALITY | FOOT | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gurpreet Singh Sandhu | India | Right | 31 |
| Laxmikant Kattimani | India | – | 33 |
| Amrinder Singh | India | – | 29 |
| Prabhsukhan Singh | India | Left | 22 |
| DEFENDERS | NATIONALITY | FOOT | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahul Bheke | India | – | 32 |
| Subashish Bose | India | Right | 27 |
| Pritam Kotal | India | – | 29 |
| Narayan Das | India | – | 29 |
| Chinglensana Singh | India | – | 26 |
| Seriton Fernandes | India | – | 30 |
| Sandesh Jhingan | India | – | 29 |
| Anwar Ali | India | – | 22 |
| Anas Edathodika | India | – | 36 |
| Akash Mishra | India | – | 21 |
| Ruivah Hormipam | India | – | – |
| MIDFIELDERS | NATIONALITY | FOOT | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anirudh Thapa | India | – | 25 |
| Rai Vinit | India | – | 25 |
| Pronay Halder | India | – | 30 |
| Brandon Fernandes | India | – | 28 |
| Mohammad Yasir | India | – | – |
| Ashique Kuruniyan | India | – | 25 |
| Jackichand Singh | India | – | 31 |
| Sahal Abdul Samad | India | – | – |
| Halicharan Narzary | India | – | 28 |
| Rowllin Borges | India | – | 30 |
| Suresh Singh Wangjam | India | Right | 22 |
| Aniket Jadhav | India | Right | 22 |
| Lalengmawia | India | Right | 22 |
| Jeakson Singh | India | Right | 21 |
| Naorem Roshan Singh | India | – | 24 |
| Suhair VP | India | – | 30 |
| Glan Martins | India | – | 28 |
| Danish Farooq | India | – | 26 |
Early Beginnings Of Indian Football Team
The British introduced football to many of the countries they ruled in history. India was one of the earliest places where the British introduced football. British soldiers played football matches with the natives in the late 1850s and the earliest recorded football match is in 1854 between the Calcutta Club of Civilians and the Gentlemen of Barrackpore.
The Durand Cup, which was inaugurated in 1888, is the fourth oldest football tournament in the world. An early example of Indians showing their prowess in football was in 1911 when Mohun Bagan defeated East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 to win the IFA Shield.
Independent India played its first football match at the 1948 Olympics in London. They faced France in the preliminary round. The European scored the opening goal in the contest. But the Indian players who were playing barefoot and cheered by the crowd soon equalized. However, India missed two penalties and suffered a blow when René Purcellin grabbed a winner in the dying embers of the game.
Domination Of Indian Football Team
India was invited to be a part of the 1950 FIFA World Cup after several countries withdrew from the qualifiers. Notably, India refused to participate in the tournament after qualifying. The AIFF cited travel expenses and the importance of the Olympics to the World Cup as reasons for its refusal. But it is widely believed that India refused to participate because FIFA did not consider their request to allow their players to play barefoot. So,then, India have not come close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup early.
Despite this setback, India enjoyed one of the most glorious years in its football history over the next 15 years. India won gold medals in the 1951 &1962 in Asian Games. He also finished fourth in the 1956 Olympics. Coach Syed Abdul Rahim was the architect of this success.
Rahim led India to its first victory in the 1951 Asian Games hosted in India. India beat Iran 1-0 in the final with a goal scored by Sahu Mewal.
The following year, India failed to progress to the Olympics after losing 10–1 to Yugoslavia in the first round. After that, AIFF made it mandatory for players to wear shoes during the game.
India returned to the 1954 Asian Games as defending champions but failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Two years later, India ended its best ever performance at the Olympics when it finished fourth. They lost 0–3 to Bulgaria in the third place playoff. Neville D’Souza is best remembered for his hat-trick against Australia in the quarter-finals of the tournament. It was the first hat-trick by an Asian at the Olympics.
India then participated in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo where they again finished fourth. India participated in the qualifiers for the 1960 AFC Asian Cup but failed to qualify for the main tournament to win the trophy. Despite this setback, the team won their second Asian Games gold medal, defeating South Korea 2–1 in the 1962 final.
In 1964, India qualified for the AFC Asian Cup after other countries refused to participate. They finished runners-up in the tournament, losing to hosts Israel by two points. This is India’s highest win in the tournament.
Indian Football Team Ranking
India’s men’s national team is currently ranked 97th in the FIFA rankings. The women’s team is ranked 60th according to the latest rankings.
Indian Football Team Jersey
The Indian national football team has always had a distinctive jersey, and the current one is no different. The traditional blue colour is compliment by a red and white stripe down the centre, and the badge on the chest features the tricolour of the Indian flag. The jersey is simple but stylish, and it is sure to make the team stand out on the pitch.
Indian Football Team Coaches
The Indian football team has seen a lot of ups and downs in recent years. The team is currently coach by Stephen Constantine. Constantine took over the coaching duties in 2015, and has since then led the team to some impressive results.
Under Constantine’s guidance, the Indian team has won the SAFF Championship twice, in 2015 and 2018. They have also clinched the AFC Asian Cup qualifier in 2019. These achievements show that the team is moving in the right direction under Constantine’s tutelage.