India vs UAE: 10 things to know about Lallianzuala Chhangte
As Indian football team takes on UAE , one of the key players to watch remain Lallianzuala Chhangte
Lallianzuala Chhangte (Source: ISL)
As Indian football team takes on UAE in their second friendly match, following a draw against Oman, one of the key players to watch remain Lallianzuala Chhangte. Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the winger from Mizoram.
- 1
- Chhangte who is making his 13th appearance for the national side plays as a winger
2
- The 23-year-old started his professional football career in 2014 when he was picked up by DSK Shivajians's Liverpool International Football Academy to play for their under-18 team's debut season in the 2014-15 I-League U19. He finished the season as the top scorer in the league with 16 goals and helped his team qualify for the final round where they finished 7th.
3
- He represented India at the 2015 Asia U-18 Champions Trophy, where the team reached the semi-finals.
4
- Chhangte made his Indian Super League debut in 2016, where he made just one appearance as a substitute for Northeast United FC.
5
- In 2017-18, he joined Delhi Dynamos, and became the only player to play all 18 matches for the side. He scored three goals that season.
6
- In February 2019, Chhangte attended a trial with Norwegia's Eliteserien club Viking FK. However, it failed to materialise after a second extended trial.
7
Lallianzuala Chhangte with Chennaiyin Fc (Source: Twitter/Chennaiyin FC)
- The same year Chhangte was picked up by ISL franchise Chennaiyin FC. He scored seven goals for Chennaiyin FC in ISL 2019-20 becoming the second highest Indian goalscorer during the season. His 23 shots on target were the most by an Indian in the sixth season of the Hero ISL.
8
- In the 2020-21 season, Chhangte was the joint top scorer for Chennaiyin with four goals.
9
- The Mizoram-lad was called up for Indian senior team during the for 2015 SAFF Championship, where he debuted against Sri Lanka as a substitute. In the same tournament, Chhangte scored a brace for India in their 4–1 win over Nepal. He is India's third-youngest goalscorer after Jerry Zirsanga and Baichung Bhutia.
10
- In this friendly tour, Chhangte is one of the nine members in the Indian team are from Northeast states – Manipur, Mizoram and Assam. Known for his swiftness, Lallianzuala Chhangte is the proverbial speedster that every team wants but very few have.
Stay connected with The Bridge on #socials.