We are almost at the end of another year, and we all love looking back at all the good things that have happened to us in that year. All of us will have ups and downs, but in the end, the good moments are what stay with us.
Like people, Indian football also has had sweet and bitter moments throughout all these years, but 2016 was a bit special. The football lovers in India saw their country make huge steps in the world of the beautiful game this year. They will be hoping that this is the beginning of good times and the coming years will be even better.
Here are five things that happened in Indian football this year.
#5 Talented youngsters picked up by foreign academies
Two talented Indian youngsters were signed by foreign clubs this year. 18-year-old Ishan Pandita and 19-year-old Ashique Kuruniyan are the two players who have made India proud by getting into the European football frame.
Ishan Pandita became the first Indian to sign a professional junior La Liga contract after joining Spanish club CD Leganes in October. Ishan will be playing for the team's U-19 side in the Division Honour de Juvenil, which is the top division for under-19 players. The youngster is confident of making at least one senior team appearance by the end of the another. It will be another big milestone for him and Indian football if that happens.
Another Indian starlet moved to a European club in the same month. It is Ashique Kuruniyan of Indian Super League side Pune City FC who made the big move by joining another La Liga side Villareal CF on loan. He will be playing for the club's third team and is keen on making a mark in Spain before returning to India.
#4 The U16 team's performances in the AFC Championship and BRICS tournament
Though the results were not good enough, India's U-16 side proved that the future is bright for the country with their performances in the AFC U-16 Championship and BRICS U-17 football tournament. The young team made the whole nation proud with their excellent displays in both the competitions.
Despite being the host of the AFC Championship (host team has automatic qualification), India took part in the qualifiers for the tournament and managed to be the third best runners-up. The team was pitted in group A along with Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The youngsters could only manage a single point, which they got after a draw against Saudi Arabia. However, India gave a tough challenge to UAE before losing 3-2 to them. Only Iran managed to defeat the team with ease.
India was also the host of the BRICS U-17 football tournament but still failed to win a match. However, the young guns didn't give up without giving a fight. The team lost to Russia, China and South Africa by only a single goal (all of them 1-0 losses). They were also one of the teams who scored a goal against champions Brazil and the only to do so in the group stage. India's U-16 side even received a lot of praise from the opposition teams for their performances in the tournament. Dheeraj Singh, Boris Singh, Aniket Jadhav and Aman Chetri were some of the impressive stars.
#3 Indian national team beats Puerto Rico, who were 38 ranks above them
One of the best achievements in years for India's senior national team came in September when they defeated Puerto Rico; a team placed 38 places above them in the FIFA world ranking. It was considered to be a very tough game for India, and a victory would mean great news for Indian football. In the end, the team not only defeated the CONCACAF rivals but also thrashed them with a 4-1 win.
The match was Mumbai's first international football match in over sixty years, which added to the importance of the game. For the same reason, a lot of passionate Indian football fans turned for the match and were rewarded with an entertainer. It was the away team who took the lead in just 8 minutes into the game, but goals from Narayan Das, Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Jackichand Singh sealed a comeback for the Blues.
With that spectacular display, India had registered their ninth win in eleven games. It was one of the most memorable games for the Indian football fans in recent times. Currently, India is placed 137th on the rankings table, which is their best in six years, and Puerto Rico sits 151st. The fact that India, who were 38 ranks below the El Huracán Azul in September, is now 14 places above them shows the progress the team has made in this year.
#2 Mohun Bagan becomes the first Indian team to reach the AFC Champions League second round
Mohun Bagan, the 2014-15 champions of the I-League, created history by becoming the first Indian club to make it to the second round of the AFC Champions League earlier this year. The Mariners defeated Singapore club Tampines Rovers in the first preliminary round to qualify for the second round.
As India was placed eleventh in the AFC East Zone ranking table out of the twelve positions, Mohun Bagan had to take part in the preliminary round 1. Their opponents were Tampines Rovers, who were the representatives of twelfth placed Singapore. Goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua, Cornell Glen and Katsumi Yusa helped the team to a 3-1 win.
The win was a historic one for the Bengali club and also Indian football. However, the Mariners faced a heavy defeat at the hands of Chinese club Shandong Luneng in the second preliminary round. A 6-0 loss to the Chinese club ended their run in the tournament, but they returned home only after making history.
#1 Bengaluru FC reaches the 2016 AFC Cup finals
This is one of the biggest achievements of Indian football in many years. Bengaluru FC qualified for the 2016 AFC Cup after winning the 2014-15 Indian Federation Cup. Mohun Bagan who got knocked out from the AFC Champions League also had represented India in the cup. Both the clubs got direct entry to the group stages due to unused slots.
Bengaluru were in group H along with last year's AFC Cup champions Johor Darul Ta'zim, Ayeyawady United and Lao Toyota FC. The Blues managed the runners-up spot in the group and qualify for the next round. The team overcame Hong Kong club Kitchee SC in the round-of-16 to face Tampines Rovers in the quarter-finals. Tampines Rovers had qualified to the round-of-8 after defeating Mohun Bagan, but couldn;t get the better of Bengaluru.
Bengaluru FC faced the biggest challenge in the semi-finals of the tournament, where they had to face defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim. The Blues went into the game as the underdogs. The Indian club managed to clinch a 1-1 draw in the away leg of the fixture. However, the team made whole India proud by beating the reigning champions by 3-1 in the home game and qualifying for the finals of the AFC Cup.
The entire nation was proud of Bengaluru FC for their achievement and backed them in the finals against Iraqi team Air Force Club. Unfortunately, the Blues lost the game 1-0 and were left heartbroken. However, the players of the team will be given a heroes welcome when they return to India from Qatar.
