India’s SAFF Championship All-Time Best XI

Sportskeeda continues the buildup for next month’s SAFF Championship by selecting an all-star India XI. We select India’s best performers in this competition along with the best coach.

Formation: 4-2-4

Goalkeeper: Arindam Bhattacharya

Arindam has only played in one tournament but makes this team because his performance in that edition was perhaps the best by any goalkeeper in SAFF Championship history. The edition in question is the 2009 tournament where India sent their U-23 team.

Arindam played in four games, keeping a clean sheet in each and saved two spot-kicks to help India beat Maldives 3-1 on penalties in the final. He was deservedly adjudged player of the tournament and is the only goalkeeper to have won that accolade.

Right Back: Mahesh Gawli

He featured in three editions, winning two of them playing in central defence but for this team we have Gawli at right back, a position where he regularly played under Bob Houghton.

Gawli was instrumental in the 2005 triumph in Pakistan where he also scored his only international goal against Bhutan. The defender announced his international retirement after winning the 2011 edition.

Center Back: Gouramangi Singh

The Manipuri has played in two editions, playing every minute of those two campaigns. Although 2011 is the edition that he won, the 2008 championship was Gouramangi’s best tournament individually. Besides establishing his place in central defence, the 2010 AIFF Player of the Year scored two vital goals in that edition including an extra time winner against Bhutan in the semi-final.

Center Back: VP Sathyan

The legendary central defender captained India in the first two editions of the SAFF Championship in 1993 and 1995. With Sathyan playing at the heart of defence, India conceded only three goals in six matches over two editions. Sathyan led the nation to glory in 1993 and was adjudged AIFF’s best player that year but finished runners-up in the 1995 edition after losing to hosts Sri Lanka in the final.

Left Back: Syed Rahim Nabi

Indi’s Mr Versatile has played in two editions – 2005 & 2011- and won both. Nabi was included as a striker for the 2005 edition by then coach Syed Nayeemuddin and only featured as a substitute. But Nabi was one of India’s best players during the 2011 edition, which was held in New Delhi, as he was consistent in every game and scored two brilliant headed goals.

Central Midfielder: Climax Lawrence

Photo Credit: AIFF Media

The midfielder has featured in four editions, winning two of them with the 2011 being as captain. After finishing third in 2003, Climax inspired India to success two years later in 2005, where he also scored against Bangladesh in a group game. After the disappointment in 2008, Climax led India to a record sixth South Asian title in 2011 and it turned out to be his last international tournament.

Central Midfielder: Carlton Chapman

Chapman played in three editions, winning two of them including the 1997 edition, where he was the captain. IM Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia made the headlines because of their goals but it would have been impossible without the service and creativity of Chapman. He was a regular during the 1997 tournament and consistently made an impact as a substitute in the 1999 edition.

Right Forward: Bruno Coutinho

Like Chapman, Coutinho too won two out of the three editions that he featured in. He led India to the title in the 1999 edition and individually also that was his best campaign. The tournament was held in his home state, Goa, and Coutinho scored some important goals like the late winner against Maldives in the semi-final and the opening goal in the 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the final.

Centre Forward: Bhaichung Bhutia

A winner of three SAFF Championship titles, the Indian football icon also has the distinction of scoring in three different finals. In 1997, Bhaichung complemented top scorer Vijayan with three goals and two years later he was joint top scorer with three. In 2005, Bhaichung was the skipper and lead by example with a goal against Bangladesh in the final and was adjudged the player of the tournament.

Centre Forward: Sunil Chhetri

The current India captain broke IM Vijayan’s 14-year-old record of most goals in one edition by scoring seven in 2011, which India won by beating Afghanistan 4-0 in the final. After finishing runners-up in 2008 where he scored twice, Sunil was under pressure in 2011 following the retirement of Bhaichung and the Delhite produced the goods to eventually win the player of the tournament accolade also.

Left Forward: IM Vijayan

The legendary forward is the all-time highest scorer of the SAFF Championship with ten goals and has won the tournament three out of four attempts. Vijayan netted in each of India’s three games in the inaugural edition in 1993 but 1997 was his best tournament as he scored six including a brace in the 5-1 thrashing of Maldives in the final in Kathmandu and became a favourite among the locals there also.

Coach: Sukhwinder Singh

Both Syed Nayeemuddin and Sukhwinder Singh have won two titles each but our vote goes for the latter especially for his role in guiding the U-23 team to the trophy in 2009. Sukhwinder first won the tournament in 1999 when India were the hosts and favourites to retain the title they had won two years ago. But it’s the 2009 triumph that stands out as Sukhwinder got a young group of players to play with discipline.

India U-23 managed only 3 goals in five matches so it wasn’t pleasing on the eye but by winning that tournament which had seven senior national teams, Sukhwinder cemented India’s dominance in the sub-continent and enhanced his coaching credentials.