Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham once again emphasised what he sees as a key component of his role at the team in explaining why he chose to name an all-Indian squad for the Super Cup: “We want to develop the best Indian players if we don’t already have them in this club,” the club stated.
The Englishman believes the current Super Cup gives the team a significant platform for that process, and as a result, he will field an entirely domestic lineup in every Mumbai City game, which is unusual for an Indian Super League (ISL) team.
Of course, the fact that they have completed the majority of what they set out to do at the beginning of the season helps. Mumbai City, finalists in the Durand Cup, won the ISL League Shield in impressive fashion before defeating Jamshedpur FC 3-1 in the one-match playoff earlier this week to secure a spot in the AFC Champions League group stage for a second consecutive year. The Super Cup, which offers an AFC Cup spot, provides Buckingham with the opportunity to slightly alter the goalposts and allow the club’s homegrown talent to benefit from it.
Prior to Mumbai City’s season-opening match against Churchill Brothers on Tuesday, Buckingham stated on Sunday, “It’s different for us because the foreign players do make a difference.” “We’ve been working with the majority of our Indian players for two years now. They comprehend our methods and actions. Despite the fact that these players have contributed to our success, we haven’t yet seen if we can do it without them. With more opportunities to grow, these players can now produce more, and I’m looking forward to some of the younger players getting more playing time.
The international flavour of Mumbai City, which included players like Greg Stewart, Jorge Diaz, and Ahmed Jahouh, contributed to the team’s outstanding ISL season, which saw them win the Shield and lose the semi-finals on penalties. However, their Indian presence was equally productive, accounting for 27 of the league-high 54 goals scored by Mumbai City. Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, and keeper Phurba Lachenpa, who also received his first national call-up, were three of the standouts.
Although the core will start—”we want to field the strongest side and then feed game time to the younger players,” the coach said—Vikram Singh is one player for whom the all-Indian call could make a difference. The 21-year-old spent 314 minutes over the course of 19 games this season “waiting patiently” behind Chhangte, according to Buckingham. Vikram’s time is constrained by that. But every time he has entered the field of play, he has had an impact. He will now have a fantastic opportunity to spend more time and make a bigger impact. For the majority of other young Indian players, too,” said Buckingham.
The Super Cup presents an ideal platform in the domestic pool development plan for the 38-year-old coach, who has worked with New Zealand’s U-20 and U-23 national teams while leading the former to the Round of 16 of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. And while doing so will undoubtedly benefit Indian football as a whole, Buckingham acknowledges that not every club will have the same luxury.
Teams can and will approach the Super Cup with a variety of goals, he said. “This competition provides us with a few extra games. I had heard rumours that the league would last for just two to three months before I moved to India. However, the season has now lasted for ten months and there are still some games left. The beauty of that is that it gives you the chance to not only evaluate the players you have but also to allow the players to demonstrate their skills. You can train all you want, but competing in a competition against your peers is where your skills are really put to the test. That’s what I’m most excited about.
