India national futsal team

The Indian national futsal team represents India in international futsal competitions. The team is controlled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and is governed in Asia by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

India
Shirt badge/Association crest
AssociationAll India Football Federation
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
SAFF (South Asia)
Head coachJoshuah Vaz
Home stadiumK. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi
FIFA codeIND
FIFA ranking135 (6 May 2024)[1]
Highest FIFA ranking135[2] (6 May 2024)
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
First international
 Bahrain 3–0 India 
(Isa Town, Bahrain; 12 August 2023)
Biggest defeat
 Bahrain 4–0 India 
(Isa Town, Bahrain; 14 August 2023)
FIFA World Cup
Appearances0
AFC Futsal Asian Cup
Appearances0

India made its debut against Bahrain in an international friendly on 12 August 2023. The 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification was their first international competition which was held in October 2023.

History

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Formation, debut and first tournament

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On 10 December 2019, the then AIFF Executive Committee decided that a futsal club competition would be part of their calendar from 2020–21 season onwards.[3] The club championship, that was conceptualized in 2019, was held for the first time in November 2021 and followed by the second edition in February 2023.[4][5] Based on the performance of the players in Futsal Club Championship, AIFF scouts selected a 31 members squad for the national team camp for creating the India national futsal team.[6][7] Victor Hermans as futsal advisor in May 2023, and Joshuah Vaz as head coach in July 2023, were appointed to guide the team for India's first participation in major tournament, the qualification competition for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup.[8][9]

In August 2023, the AIFF announced that India would play two international friendlies against Bahrain as a preparation for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification. A fourteen members squad of the first ever India national team was announced.[10] The team made its debut in a 3–0 loss against Bahrain at Khalifa Sports City Hall in Isa Town on 12 August 2023.[11] In the second match on 14 August, India were defeated again by Bahrain with a bigger scoreline of 4–0.[12]

India were drawn in Group E of the Asian Cup qualification where they faced Tajikistan, Myanmar and Palestine, from 2 to 13 October 2023.[10] In the first match against Tajikistan, India lost 3–6 to the host. David Laltlansanga scored all the goals, thus becoming the first ever goalscorer, as well as scoring the first ever hat-trick for the national team.[13] India again suffered loss in the next two matches, 2–5 to Myanmar and 5–6 to Palestine, thus failing to qualify for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. K. Roluahpuia and Nikhil Mali scored twice each, while Laltlansanga scored six goals in this qualifying edition.[14][15]

Competitive record

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FIFA Futsal World Cup

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FIFA Futsal World Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W T L GF GA
19892020 Did not enter
  2024 Did not qualify
Total 0/1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

AFC Futsal Asian Cup

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AFC Futsal Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W T L GF GA Pld W T L GF GA
19992022 Did not enter
  2024 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 10 17
Total 0/1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 10 17

Results and fixtures

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12 August 2023 (2023-08-12) Friendly Bahrain   3–0   India Isa Town, Bahrain
20:30 UTC+5:30
Report Stadium: Khalifa Sports City Stadium
14 August 2023 (2023-08-14) Friendly Bahrain   4–0   India Isa Town, Bahrain
20:30 UTC+5:30
Report Stadium: Khalifa Sports City Stadium
7 October 2023 (2023-10-07) 2024 AFAC Q Tajikistan   6–3   India Dushanbe, Tajikistan
19:30 UTC+5:30
Report
Stadium: Dushanbe Indoor Hall
9 October 2023 (2023-10-09) 2024 AFAC Q India   2–5   Myanmar Dushanbe, Tajikistan
16:30 UTC+5:30
Report
Stadium: Dushanbe Indoor Hall
11 October 2023 (2023-10-11) 2024 AFAC Q Palestine   6–5   India Dushanbe, Tajikistan
16:30 UTC+5:30
Report
Stadium: Dushanbe Indoor Hall

Overall results

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As of 11 October 2023
Against M W D L GF GA GD
Total 5 0 0 5 10 24 –14

Players

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Caps and goals are correct as of 14 August 2023, after the match against   Palestine.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Augustine Savio D'Mello (Captain) 5 0   India
2 1GK Sayantan Chowdhury 3 0   Manchester Futsal Club
5 1GK Scott Moraes 3 0   Minerva

3 2DF Aman Shah 2 0   India
2DF George MS Dawngliana 3 0   India
21 2DF Jayesh Sutar 5 0   Minerva
11 2DF Kashinath Rathod 2 0   Delhi
2DF Lalsangkima 3 0   India
15 2DF Sachin Patil 5 0   Mohammedan
4 2DF Sandeep Oraw 5 0   Mohammedan

27 3MF Abhay Gurung 5 0   Minerva
12 3MF Bijoy Gusai 5 0   Goal Hunterz
10 3MF Nikhil Mali (1996-11-11) 11 November 1996 (age 28) 5 2   Minerva
17 3MF Shamshad Ali 2 0   Mohammedan

9 4FW David Laltlansanga 5 6   Delhi
16 4FW Sandesh Nivrutti Malpote 5 0   Minerva

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rankings change compared to the previous year's December ranking. "Futsal World Ranking" Archived 20 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ FIFA Men's Futsal Ranking
  3. ^ "Futsal club championship to kick-off from 2020 season". the-aiff.com. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Inaugural edition of Futsal Championship to kick-off in New Delhi on November 5". Asian News International. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Hero Futsal Club Championship 2022-23". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Federation names 31 probables for National Futsal camp". the-aiff.com. 30 April 2023. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  7. ^ Ghosh, Soumo (9 August 2023). "A new beginning: Coach Joshuah Vaz and boys look to 'punch above the weight' in international futsal". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Joshua appointed AIFF's Futsal head coach for AFC Asian Cup". Herald Goa. 8 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  9. ^ Rawat, Akhil (20 February 2023). "Boost for futsal in India as Dutch legend Vic Hermans joins as consultant". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Indian Futsal Team to make international debut against Bahrain". the-aiff.com. 6 August 2023. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  11. ^ "India go down to Bahrain on international futsal debut". the-aiff.com. 12 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  12. ^ "India lose second international futsal friendly against Bahrain". the-aiff.com. 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  13. ^ "India bow to experienced Tajikistan despite David's deliveries". www.the-aiff.com. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Fighting India beaten by Myanmar, suffer second successive AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers loss". www.the-aiff.com. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  15. ^ "India go down to Palestine in a futsal cliff-hanger". www.the-aiff.com. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2024.