After a tumultuous 2022, 2023 had a lot of like a promising year for Indian football. On the field, and off it too, things turned out different.
On the domestic front, ATK Mohun Bagan won the 2022-23 Indian Super League title, with Mumbai City FC clinching the ISL League Winner’s Shield. After the win, the Kolkata-based side changed their official name to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In the I-League, RoundGlass Punjab FC pipped Srinidi Deccan to the title and a chance to get a promotion.
The Indian men’s football team got on the field in March at the Tri-Nation Series, which India won unbeaten, beating Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan.
Then came the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar and India dominated on the field yet again against Mongolia Vanuatu and Lebanon.
The SAFF Championship followed. The first opponent was the returning Pakistan, as Sunil Chhetri netted a hat-trick assuring a memorable victory. Another routine win over Nepal and a draw against invited Kuwait assured India a spot in the semis, where they faced Lebanon again. The Blue Tigers prevailed on penalties to set up a rematch with Kuwait in the summit clash.
The final at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru as 26,380 fans belted out ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’ to lift India to a famous shootout victory and their record ninth SAFF Championship.
The 2023-24 domestic season began with the 132nd edition of the Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia. Manipur, which was also set to host the tournament, along with West Bengal and Assam, was dropped after local ethnic clashes. Apart from clubs across the Indian football pyramid, teams from India, Nepal and Bangladesh also entered the fray, as International teams took part for the first time in 27 years.
East Bengal, Mumbai City FC, Gokulam Kerala, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC and the Indian Army were group winners, as NorthEast United and Mohun Bagan SG also qualified for the knockout as the two best second-placed sides.
NEUFC, East Bengal, FC Goa and Mohun Bagan got through to the semis to set up a Kolkata derby between the city’s two big teams in the summit clash. The ‘Green and Maroon’ won their second title of the year beating the ‘Red and Gold’ brigade 1-0 in the final.
India’s 11-game unbeaten streak at home was interrupted as soon as the Blue Tigers went abroad. Losing to Iraq on penalties and then to Lebanon at the King’s Cup, followed by a loss to hosts Malaysia at the Merdeka Cup.
The 10th season of the Indian Super League kicked off as Punjab FC became the first club to be promoted into ISL, owing to their title-winning the previous I-League campaign.
Mohun Bagan SG qualified for the AFC Cup group stage after going past Hyderabad FC in a play-off and then beat Nepal’s Machhindra and Bangladesh’s Abahani Dhaka. Odisha FC finished top in the South Asian region as Mohun Bagan finished third.
Mumbai City FC defeated Jamshedpur FC in the play-off, to secure their spot in the AFC Champions League group stage, where they finished bottom after losing all their matches.
Over in the I-League, two new teams joined the competition, Namdhari FC and Inter Kashi, after five bids were declared winners. Delhi FC and Shillong Lajong are two promoted sides from I-League 2, replacing the relegated Mumbai Kenkre and Sudeva Delhi.
Indian men’s team head coach Igor Stimac became the centre of a storm after he was show-caused by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for making comments construed as a breach of the agreement.
The Croatian had been growing increasingly vocal about ISL clubs for their unwillingness to release players for the national camp in preparation for the Asian Games, World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup.
For the delayed quadrennial continental multi-sport meet, Stimac could assemble a bare rag-tag Indian team with just Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan as notable names, that too in the eleventh hour. Indian Super League clubs had refused to release their players, who were earlier named, due to the competition not coming under FIFA’s international window, when they were obligated.
India reached Hangzhou mere hours before their first group game, with team meetings being held mid-air and en route. India scrapped through to the knock-outs, where they were outclassed by a strong Saudi Arabia team.
The national side teamed up again in November for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. A commendable away win to Kuwait was followed by a humbling from Qatar at home.
Stimac’s contract was renewed in the interim and will stay on as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team for at least until.
The Indian women’s football did not have much to write home about as they played their first match this year in September at the Asian Games. A young side suffered two losses in the group stage and crashed out. In the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, India suffered three more crushing losses and crashed out.
After failing to take part last year, owing to India’s FIFA ban, Gokulam Kerala played the 2023 AFC Women’s Club Championship, getting only one draw and losing the two other games.
Looking ahead to next year, the Indian men’s football team will travel to Qatar in January to take part in the AFC Asian Cup, with Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in the same group.
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