Manglenthang Kipgen

Last updated

Manglenthang Kipgen
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-06-03) 3 June 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Singngat, Manipur, India
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Punjab
Number 17
Youth career
2020–21 FC Madras
2021–24 Punjab
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022– Punjab 12 (0)
International career
2023–24 India U20 8 (5)
2025– India U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:30, 24 May 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:30, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Manglenthang Kipgen (born 3 June 2005) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Indian Super League club Punjab. [1]

Contents

Club career

Kipgen started playing football at a very young age of six. He used to play barefoot in his school. In 2020, he joined FC Madras at the age of 15. He remained there for one season before joining Punjab's youth team. In 2022, he played his first competitive league matches in the 2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup. However, he played 3 matches for the senior team of Punjab at the 2022–23 I-League, then second tier of Indian football league system. He won this edition of I-League with Punjab, his first senior championship title. For the next season, he played for both youth as well as senior team. He played six matches for the youth team at the 2023 Development League and scored 2 goals. [1] [2] [3]

Following the championship of 2022–23 I-League, Punjab was promoted to the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier league of India. He made his ISL debut against Chennaiyin on 29 October 2023. He also represented the club in Super Cup and Durand Cup. In 2024, he played in the Next Gen Cup and scored highest number of goals for the youth team. [4] [3] [5] He also won the 2024 Development League with the youth team, his first youth championship title. [6]

International career

Kipgen was part of the India under-19 squad that won the 2023 SAFF U-19 Championship. In the final against Pakistan, he scored a brace to help India to win the championship. [7] [8]

In May 2025, India under-23 head coach Naushad Moosa listed Kipgen in the 29-members probable squad for two friendlies that will be held in Tajikistan in June 2025. [9]

Career statistics

Club

As of 23 May 2025 [4]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Super Cup Durand Cup ContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoal
Punjab 2022–23 I-League 3030
Total3030
2023–24 Indian Super League 4010100060
2024–25 5010000060
Total90201000120
Career total120201000150

Honours

Club

Punjab FC youth team

Punjab FC

National Team

India under-19

References

  1. 1 2 "Manglenthang Kipgen profile". All India Football Federation . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 "RoundGlass Punjab FC wins I-League title, gains ISL promotion". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. 4 March 2023. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Bhattacharjee, Neeladri (16 August 2024). "Manglenthang Kipgen, the Next Gen star looking to turn more heads in Indian football at SAFF U20 Championship 2024". Sportstar . The Hindu . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 Manglenthang Kipgen at Soccerway
  5. "Manglenthang Kipgen profile". Indian Super League . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  6. "Punjab FC beats East Bengal to lift maiden RFDL National Youth Championship 2023-24". Sportstar . The Hindu. 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  7. Ghosh, Soumo (24 August 2024). "Manglenthang Kipgen: A valuable addition to limited game time". Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 "SAFF U-19 Championship 2023 match report Pakistan vs India" (PDF). South Asian Football Federation. 30 September 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  9. "Naushad Moosa names 29-member probable squad for India U23s". All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.