In recent months, Indian football has descended into the dungeons of disappointment, marked by a loss to lower-ranked Afghanistan, an exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 race, and the retirement of its highest goalscorer, Sunil Chhetri.
The situation got worse when two Indian teams, the under-21 sides of East Bengal and Muthoot Football Academy, suffered damaging defeats in the Next Generation Cup 2024, conceding 32 goals and scoring only two across eight matches.
However, hope, like a phoenix, rose from the ashes of despair through the young players of Punjab FC. The under-21 side of the Indian Super League (ISL) outfit delivered a remarkable performance in the Next Generation Cup, defeating the academy teams of Aston Villa 2-0 and Everton 2-1 in consecutive games.
It finished above three of the four participating sides from England — Everton, Villa, and Crystal Palace — securing third place in the tournament, the highest achievement by an Indian team in five editions.
“I am very proud of these guys; they deserve it,” said Punjab’s head coach, Sankarlal Chakraborty, to Sportstar.” As an Indian side, we beat a European side, and I am very happy.”
What worked for Punjab FC?
Punjab entered the tournament as the winner of the Reliance Foundation Development League, defeating East Bengal 3-2 in the final.
In London, it stuck to its plan of practising through small-sided games, focusing on 1v1 challenges and absorbing pressure. While the team narrowly lost 2-3 to Villa in its opener and 0-3 to Tottenham Hotspur next, it pulled off a Houdini act against Everton in the third game.
On the charge: Muthoot FA’s Mohammed Enas in action against Everton. | Photo Credit: Premier League for India
Trailing 0-1 against Everton (coached by club legend Leighton Baines), at halftime, Manglenthang Kipgen started the comeback, beating goalkeeper George Pickford at the far post. Usham Thoungamba Singh completed the turnaround eight minutes from time.
“This is not just a (Punjab) team here; it is carrying India’s flag,” an emotional Sankarlal said, adding, “This win will be a reference point for the upcoming generations and clubs for development through academies.”
In its final match, it beat Villa 2-0 to conclude a historic campaign.
What set Punjab apart from the other two Indian teams, East Bengal and Muthoot Football Academy, was its strategy to continuously attack and try to regain possession as quickly as possible.
Though its speed in getting the ball was slower compared to the English teams, Punjab appeared quicker and more sure-footed in possession.
“At the youth level, we also have the potential to fight. But, in my experience, I have seen them (youth sides) play very defensively, celebrating losses by smaller margins or even conceding fewer goals,” said the coach, who idolises Pep Guardiola and Subhash Bhowmik.
“So, I took it as a challenge to go against it, remove the fear of losing and conceding, and to play more attacking football,” he added.
For East Bengal, the repetition of the same mistakes remained a consistent narrative, while for Muthoot, spending too much time on the ball left it second-best in most of its matches.
Ripple effect on Indian football
One of the first things that Punjab’s coach did on the team bus after securing third place was to ask his boys to keep their feet on the ground and maintain consistency.
Though the matches in England were huge confidence boosters for them, some players will have greater roles in the coming months.
EBFC’s Vanlalapeka Guite in action against Crystal Palace. | Photo Credit: Premier League for India
Two of them, Kipgen and Pramveer, will join the National Camp for the U-20 SAFF Championships, while two others, Karish Soram and Thoungamba Singh, will join the national camp for the U-17 edition of the tournament.
Kipgen, the star of India’s victorious SAFF U-19 Championships last year, was Punjab’s most reliable source of attack, scoring three goals and finishing the Next Gen Cup as India’s highest goal-scorer.
Usham, on the other hand, was omnipresent in the final third for his club during the tournament, netting the winner to complete the comeback against Everton.
As India enters the next edition of the U-17 and U-20 Championships as the defending champion, the international experience gained by these players could prove crucial for the national teams, both of which will play under new coaches — Ranjan Chaudhuri (U-20) and Ishfaq Ahmed (U-17).
Secondly, Punjab’s success could pave the way for a cultural shift in Indian football academies.
Under the guidance of its Director of Football, Nikolaos Topoliatis, Punjab has set up an academy in Mohali where players live, train, and play together, creating a camaraderie similar to that of Category 1 academies of Premier League sides like Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Crystal Palace.
Topoliatis, who was instrumental in building an astute youth infrastructure at Greek giant Olympiakos, has been with the Indian club since 2020 and has overseen youth development across the under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17 and reserve sides.
Stellenbosch completes redemption arc
Stellenbosch Football Club, the runner-up in the last edition of the tournament, ensured that another English team did not best it this time around.
Having lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-5 on penalties last year, the Stellies left nothing to chance, putting the game to bed in regulation time at the Loughborough University Stadium in Leicestershire.
All smiles: Stellenbosch FC celebrates its title victory after staving off a strong challenge from Tottenham Hotspur and Punjab FC. | Photo Credit: Premier League for India
Captain Shaakir Ahmed netted the opening goal before the 20-minute mark, leaving Spurs goalkeeper Samual Archer unmoved, and set up Kyle Bailey in the box just before halftime, prompting a huge cheer from a group of the club’s fans in the United Kingdom.
There was also a lesson here for Indian clubs: consistency in youth development is key to long-term success.
This was Stellenbosch’s third consecutive appearance in the tournament, and each time, it reached the final, winning the Midlands final in 2022 and the single knockout one this time.
Indian football might have seen a few silver linings in the successes of Stellenbosch and Punjab FC, but it is time to build on these achievements before it’s too late.
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