Indian Football Team midfielder Lallianzuala Chhangte was named the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year for 2022-23 on Tuesday while Manisha Kalyan won her second consecutive Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
The 26-year-old Lallianzuala Chhangte beat Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh of East Bengal to win the award.
Lallianzuala Chhangte bagged the award on the back of some stellar performances for the Indian national team and Mumbai City FC, his club. The winger made 12 appearances for the national team during the 2022-23 season, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
The Mizoram player was also the highest scorer among Indians in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season with 10 goals and six assists in 22 appearances. He helped Mumbai make the semi-finals after topping the league stage. He was eighth in the overall ISL scoring charts for the season.
Lallianzuala Chhangte became only the second player from Mizoram, after Jeje Lalpekhlua (2016), to win the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Manisha Kalyan pipped Dalima Chhibber and Ngangbam Sweety Devi to the AIFF Women’s Player of the Year 2022-23 award. It was her second Player of the Honour in two seasons.
The 21-year-old Manisha Kalyan, who won the 2020-21 AIFF Women’s Emerging Footballer of the Year, currently plays as a forward for Apollon, a first division football club in Cyprus.
Manisha Kalyan became only the third Indian female footballer to win the individual award two or more times after Bala Devi (three) and Bembem Devi (two).
Among the other awardees, Akash Mishra was named the AIFF Men’s Emerging Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season. Shilji Shaji was conferred the AIFF Men’s Emerging Player of the Year award.
The 21-year-old Akash Mishra, who hails from Mizoram, had an impressive season for Hyderabad FC and helped the club reach the ISL 2022-23 semi-finals. The left-back will don the Mumbai City FC jersey for the upcoming season.
Akash Mishra became only the third defender to receive this award after Sandesh Jhingan and Pritam Kotal.
Shilji Shaji, meanwhile, was rewarded for playing a key role for India during the 2023 SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship, where she emerged as the top scorer with eight goals in four matches.
Meanwhile, the AIFF’s Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year awards went to Clifford Miranda and Priya Parathi Valappil, respectively.
Clifford Miranda guided Odisha FC to their first-ever trophy – Indian Super Cup. The former Indian international also played a key role in the club’s AFC Cup qualification. Priya Parathi Valappil is currently the head coach of the India women’s U-17 team.
AIFF Player of the Year Award winners for 2022-23
AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year 2022-23: Lallianzuala Chhangte
AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year 2022-23: Manisha Kalyan
AIFF Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2022-23: Akash Mishra
AIFF Women’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2022-23: Shilji Shaji
