Chennaiyin FC announced the signing of experienced Indian defender Mandar Rao Dessai to its squad ahead of the 2024-25 season on Sunday.
Dessai won the league title in 2021 with Mumbai City FC and three League Shields — one with FC Goa (2020) and two with Mumbai City (2021 and 2023), making him on of the most successful players in the Indian Super League (ISL).
The 32-year-old from Goa became Chennaiyin’s seventh signing of the summer with a two-year contract that will keep him at the club till 2026.
Dessai began his professional career with Dempo SC in the I-League in 2013 before joining the Gaurs for the inaugural season of ISL in 2014.
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He has made 155 appearances in the league, including 14 playoffs, and has also registered six goals and 12 assists. In 2020, Dessai became the first player to make 100 ISL appearances.
He has also represented the Blue Tigers in various tournaments and was part of the Indian team that won the SAFF Championship in 2021.
Commenting on the signing of Dessai, head coach Owen Coyle said: “In Mandar Rao Dessai we have got bags of experience coming in at left back. He’s a wonderful defender who can honestly say he knows the Indian football scene better than most, having made more appearances than nearly any other player in the history of the league.”
“Chennaiyin is a champion club. They’ve been champion two times and have been to playoffs so many times. I’ve played against them before and they always tried to have a good team,” Dessai said.
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