Lallianzuala Chhangte grabbing the spotlight has become a regular feature. A top-notch season with Mumbai City FC saw him win the League Winners Shield and the Golden Ball. Now, the ‘Mizo Flash’ has carried his sterling form to the national side and is an important cog in the set-up of head coach Igor Stimac.
India has already booked a semifinal berth in the 2023 SAFF Championships after wins against Pakistan and Nepal. But it will play its final Group A match against the in-form Kuwait on Tuesday, with the clash deciding the group topper.
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“We are going to play against a very good side [Kuwait], and the team is well aware of that. But like the coach always tells us, we need to approach every game with a positive mentality and look for a win. We will take the same approach against Kuwait tomorrow,” Chhangte said ahead of the match.
Chhangte has been explosive for the Blue Tigers on the right flank. He bagged a goal and an assist against Lebanon in the Intercontinental Cup final and won a deserved Man of the Match award for his performance.
The first goal India scored in that match was a perfect example of a team effort, with Chhangte playing a crucial part in it. Not only did the goal become a major talking point, but highlights of it dominated social media in the days that followed.
The move started with Sandesh Jhingan passing the ball to Chhangte. Finding Nikhil Poojary in support, Chhangte sent the ball to him, and the full-back returned the favour with a stunning backheel nutmeg. Making his way into the box, Chhangte used his lightning-fast pace to beat his marker and square the ball into the six-yard box. Once the ball was played, Chhetri timed his run to perfection to arrive at the near-post and tap the ball in with a poacher’s finish.
“It feels amazing to assist your captain. This is what we have been working really hard on for the last few weeks – coming from the flanks and giving good low crosses. To be able to do that was amazing, and it is a result of what we worked on during training.”
It is not just the goals or assists, however, but his overall movement and output that makes the winger such an asset for the Blue Tigers. His impact was accentuated against Nepal, where the team was visibly better in the attacking third after Chhangte came on as a substitute.
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“The coach instructed us to give our best, even when we come on from the substitute bench. I was doing that after coming on [against Nepal]... In the first half, we were not able to play in the way we wanted. But in the second half, we were more aggressive.”
Chhangte was always a player with immense potential, waiting to burst onto the scene. He did that in the 2022-23 Indian Super League season, bagging 10 goals and six assists for the Islanders.
Crediting head coach Des Buckingham, he said, “Since I came to Mumbai City FC, he had massive trust in me and encouraged me to play to my strengths – like 1v1 and being confident on the ball. When you have a coach who trusts you, you just want to give more effort for him and the team.
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