Soumo Ghosh

AIFF Media Team

KATHMANDU, NEPAL: On Friday, August 23, 2024, the sparse crowd at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal, waited and waited and finally got to watch what a fan generally wants to in a game of football. A goal!

The spectators’ patience was eventually rewarded deep into the add-on time of the second half. In the 95^th minute, substitute Manglenthang Kipgen stole the ball from Adam Shiyaan and placed it in the bottom corner with a brilliant left-footer to hand India a 1-0 victory and send them into the semi-finals of the SAFF U20 Championship 2024 with an all-win record in the group.

It was certainly not something that the football lovers of Kathmandu hadn’t seen before. Just about a year ago, in the SAFF U19 Championships, Kipgen would not have struck most as a player who would get many minutes on the pitch. In fact, he did not start in any match and clocked only 82 minutes on the pitch in the entire tournament.

The lack of game time could hardly deter Kipgen from proving his mettle. The youngster maximised whatever time he had on the pitch, even scoring a brace in the final, a 3-0 victory against Pakistan. In the end, he was adjudged the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Kipgen’s fortunes have not changed much, it seems, when it comes to getting a spot in the starting eleven. However, the 19-year-old carries on with his remarkable Sisyphean attitude.

“I just want to play. Every time I see that I’m not in the starting XI, it just makes me more hungry to perform and make it there,” said Kipgen. “I just want to play as much as possible, and I want to play good football. It’s never about getting awards like the MVP.”

The teenager, who hails from the Zalenphai village in the Kangpokpi district in Manipur, once shared his family’s dream of becoming an IAS officer as a kid, but soon found himself seduced by the beautiful game.

“My parents wanted me to be an IAS officer, and I also had that dream, but when I got a little older, I started playing football, and after a point, that was all I wanted to do,” he laughed. “I used to daydream of a life where I would not have to go to school and just play football all day, no matter what.

“We used to play barefoot back then, even on grounds that had stones, but none of that mattered. It did not matter, be it sun or rain,” Kipgen recalled. “Barefoot football in the rain was emancipating. I miss it these days.”

With India now in the SAFF U20 Championship semi-finals, where they will face Bangladesh, Kipgen hopes to make it to the starting XI. However, even if things do not go as he has hoped for, the playmaker is prepared to put in his effort.

“Of course, I want to play full matches, but again, it’s the decision of the coaches. I just want to make the best of whatever opportunity I get,” he said.

India are set to play Bangladesh in the semi-final on Monday, August 26, 2024, at the ANFA Complex, with the kick-off scheduled at 2.45 pm IST; the match will be streamed live on Sportzworkz YouTube channel.