#6 Stephen Constantine
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The manager of the senior national side has had a decent year. It started in the best way possible, with India winning the SAFF Cup with a 2-1 extra-time win over Afghanistan.
But, having already been knocked out of contention, India lost their last two games in the World Cup qualifiers – 3-0 to Iran and 2-1 against Turkmenistan. That was followed by the national team playing four more games in 2016, and they won all four.
India beat Laos over two legs in an AFC Asian Cup preliminary qualifier, winning 1-0 away before a thumping 6-1 win in Guwahati. They beat Bhutan 3-0 in an unofficial friendly before they played Puerto Rico in a FIFA-recognized friendly.
That was a big game since it was one of those rare occasions when India got to face non-Asian opponents. And they delivered a fabulous performance in the first-ever international match at the Mumbai Football Arena. Indian won with goals from Narayan Das, Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Jackichand Singh that helped the Blue Tigers come from behind to beat the North American side 4-1.
Constantine would also be pleased with the fact that many youngsters made their bows for the country and did reasonably well. Chinglensana Singh, Germanpreet Singh and Vinit Rai were all given their debuts while others like Holicharan Narzary and Rowllin Borges firmly established themselves as regulars in the national side.
