This article lists all the captains of the India national football team .
The first India captain in their maiden international tour was Gostha Pal, [1] organised under the control of Indian Football Association (Bengal) before the formation of All India Football Federation in 1937. The first captain to lead India in their first AIFF organised international tour was Karuna Bhattacharya, [2] [3] who captained India in their first international match against Australia on 3 September 1938.
The following table includes players who have captained the India national football team, along with the vice-captains and the international tournaments they led in. [4] [5]
Sailendra Nath Manna, known popularly as Sailen Manna, was an Indian football player who represented the India national team between 1948 and 1956. Predominantly played as a left-back, Manna is considered as one of the best defenders the country has ever produced. He has represented and captained India in different international competitions, including the Olympics and Asian Games. In 1971 Manna was awarded with Padma Shri by Government of India.
Subimal "Chuni" Goswami was an Indian professional footballer and first-class cricketer. As footballer, he played as a striker or winger, captained both the Mohun Bagan club and the India national team. He also served as the Sheriff of Kolkata. Goswami scored 12 goals in 37 international appearances. He was an Olympian, represented India national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He also led the team to achieve the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games, and earn the runners-up position at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.
Magan Singh Rajvi is a former Indian football player. He hails from Indian state of Rajasthan. He was part of the Indian football team which won bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games. He also captained the Indian team in 1973 and 1974. He is one of the few and 6th hat trick scorer of India which he scored against Thailand on 23 July 1974 at 1974 Merdeka Cup.
Syed Nayeemuddin, known as Nayeem, is an Indian football coach and former player. He played for and captained the India national team. He later managed Mahindra United, Brothers Union, Dhaka Mohammedan, and Bangladesh national team.
Indian Bank Recreational Club is an Indian professional football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club formerly participated in the National Football League, and the I-League Second Division. They are currently competing in Chennai Football League, under license from Tamil Nadu Football Association (TNFA).
Inder Singh is an Indian former football player and captain, manager and administrator. He played for Leaders Club of Jalandhar, JCT Mills, and the India national team, predominantly as a forward. He began his senior professional career with Leaders Club in 1962 and moved to JCT Mills in 1974. Playing for Punjab in the Santosh Trophy, he finished the 1974–75 tournament with 23 goals, a record that still stands. He was included in the AFC Asian All Stars team in 1968. He retired as a player in 1985.
Sukhwinder Singh is an Indian football manager and a former international footballer. He was the manager of the Cuttack based Indian Women's League side, Rising Students for the 2013–14 season and was also the coach of the India U-23 side and formerly of the Pailan Arrows of the I-League.
Mariappa Kempaiah was an Indian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for the India national team at two Olympic Games. Known for his "fitness, work rate and commitment", he was considered one of India's best midfielders.
The history of the India national football team dates back to the 1920s. They have never played in the World Cup although they qualified in 1950. They have had no entries in the tournament from 1950 onwards. Indian football team won the Asian Games in 1962 in Jakarta, against S Korea. They have only made three appearances since then.
Shabbir Ali is an Indian football manager and former player. He was awarded the Dhyan Chand Award, the highest award in Indian sports for lifetime achievement, given by Government of India in 2011. He is the first footballer to be named for the Dhyan Chand Award.
Kuppuswami Sampath was an Indian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for the India national team squad that won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok. He played for the MEG club in Bangalore.
Jarnail Singh Dhillon was a former Indian football player, who played as a centre-back. He was the captain of the India national football team from 1965 to 1967. He was given the Arjuna Award in 1964 for his achievements as a football player. He also competed in the men's tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Considered as one of Asia's best defenders in the 1960s, he spent most of his career in Mohun Bagan.
Mohammed Habib was an Indian footballer who played as a forward for the India national team which he also captained. He is also considered by many Indians as one of the best footballers the country has ever produced. He was popularly known as Bade Mia in the Indian football world.
Sheikh Abdul Latif was an Indian footballer. He participated at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Summer Olympics, with Syed Abdul Rahim managed India. In 1959–60, he captained the national team.
Sayed Khwaja Aziz-ud-Din, known simply as S. K. Azizuddin, was an Indian footballer. He competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics and the 1956 Summer Olympics. He also captained the national team.
Fortunato Franco was an Indian international footballer who played as a half back.
Arun Ghosh is a former Indian football player who represented India internationally. He also played club football for both the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal Club. He later managed the India national team.
Mohammad Rahmatullah was an Indian footballer who played as a forward for the India national team and spent most of his career with Calcutta Football League giant Mohammedan Sporting.
Amar Bahadur Gurung was a former Indian association football player who was part of the squad that secured the bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games hosted at Bangkok. He scored the winning goal against Japan which secured the medal.
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