The spectators\u2019 patience was eventually rewarded deep into the add-on time of the second half. In the 95th minute, substitute Manglenthang Kipgen stole the ball from Adam Shiyaan and placed it in the bottom corner with a brilliant left-footer to hand India a 1-0 victory and send them into the semi-finals of the SAFF U20 Championship 2024 with an all-win record in the group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was certainly not something that the football lovers of Kathmandu hadn\u2019t seen before. Just about a year ago, in the SAFF U19 Championships, Kipgen would not have struck most as a player who would get many minutes on the pitch. In fact, he did not start in any match and clocked only 82 minutes on the pitch in the entire tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The lack of game-time could hardly deter Kipgen from proving his mettle. The youngster maximised whatever time he had on the pitch, even scoring a brace in the final, a 3-0 victory against Pakistan. In the end, he was adjudged the tournament's Most Valuable Player.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kipgen\u2019s fortunes have not changed much, it seems, when it comes to getting a spot in the starting eleven. However, the 19-year-old carries on with his remarkable Sisyphean attitude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI just want to play. Every time I see that I\u2019m not in the starting XI, it just makes me more hungry to perform and make it there (first eleven),\u201d said Kipgen to AIFF. \u201cI just want to play as much as possible, and I want to play good football. It\u2019s never about getting awards like the MVP.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The teenager, who hails from the Zalenphai village in the Kangpokpi district in Manipur, once shared his family\u2019s dream of becoming an IAS officer as a kid, but soon found himself seduced by the beautiful game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMy parents wanted me to be an IAS officer, and I also had that dream, but when I got a little older, I started playing football, and after a point, that was all I wanted to do,\u201d he laughed. \u201cI used to daydream of a life where I would not have to go to school and just play football all day, no matter what.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We used to play barefoot back then, even on grounds that had stones, but none of that mattered. It did not matter, be it sun or rain,\u201d Kipgen recalled. \u201cBarefoot football in the rain was emancipating. I miss it these days.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With India now in the SAFF U20 Championship semifinals, where they will face Bangladesh, Kipgen hopes to make it to the starting XI. However, even if things do not go as he has hoped for, the playmaker is prepared to put in his effort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOf course, I want to play full matches, but again, it\u2019s the decision of the coaches. I just want to make the best of whatever opportunity I get,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With India now in the SAFF U20 Championship semifinals, where they will face Bangladesh, Kipgen hopes to make it to the starting XI. However, even if things do not go as he has hoped for, the playmaker is prepared to put in his effort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> Paris Olympics News<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n