Indian U-20 players have mixed reactions to the inclusion of foreign talent in youth teams

Three weeks ago, India lost 3-4 on penalties to Bangladesh in the final of the 2026 SAFF Under-20 Championship in the Maldives, a result that raised questions about the country’s youth system and how it is managed.

On the other side of the border, the topic of discussion was the presence of the Sullivan brothers – Ronnie and Declan, teenagers from the US who have Bangladeshi roots through their grandmother – in the team. The move to include foreign players in the ranks of Bangladesh’s national teams gained momentum last year when Premier League veteran Hamza Choudhary made his debut for the Bangladesh Tigers.

For the Blue Tigers, Australian-born Ryan Williams became the first foreign player to represent India after gaining citizenship since Arata Izumi. Williams recently made his debut during the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong.

In this context, two of the Indian U-20 players – Vishal Yadav and Omang Dodum – were asked if they would adopt a similar strategy towards the country’s youth teams to improve quality. And they had mixed reactions.

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«I think we are much better at the youth level. Technically, we are good. That’s because when we are younger, we have that hunger. As we get older, we tend to get comfortable and have the attitude of ‘It’s okay’. For the youth teams, we don’t need them (foreign players),» opined Vishal, who scored two goals at the SAFF tournament.

However, his teammate Omang saw both the good and bad aspects of the prospect of foreign players.

«Honestly, it would be better if we get players of Indian origin from other countries. They can bring changes in the development of our youth. But if we don’t have OCI players, that means the players from India, which is also a good thing,» weighed Omang, who became joint top scorer with three goals at SAFF.

Future ambitions

Although their beginnings in the sport were drastically different, their career paths have taken Vishal and Omang to the Punjab FC Academy. Their most recent exploits with the Cubs came at the 2026 edition of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL), where Punjab finished third after beating Kerala Blasters 6-0 in the third-place play-offs.

Vishal scored 15 goals, the most in this RFDL season. His introduction to the sport began when he entered his teenage years in Varanasi, when he would simply kick the ball around on the nearest ground. His father runs a small dairy factory, while his mother manages the household.

The UP boy was also part of the Punjab FC team that defeated Everton U-18 in the 2024 Next Generation Cup in England. Moreover, Vishal also became the third youngest debutant in the Indian Super League last season when he featured against FC Goa.

“I want to play in the ISL more regularly,” he said, a clear goal in his mind.

Omang, who scored eight goals in the RFDL, said he “got it from his father”, a former footballer. He would be a ball boy during friendlies. His father, Kage Dodum, played with his friends on Sunday.

The Itanagar resident also got the special opportunity to play for the national team in front of his family when India participated in the SAFF U-19 Championships in Arunachal Pradesh last year.

When asked about his future ambitions, he had an interesting answer.

“I want to change the narrative here in India that smaller players cannot be a good No. 9,” the small forward said.

“Many people have told me that I need to change my position.”

A certain Sunil Chhetri wasn’t the most towering marksman when he found the net 95 times in India’s colours, so Omang does have the perfect person to emulate as he tries to flip the script.

Published on April 25, 2026