Doubtful, criticized yet unwavering: Ayush Chhetri anchors FC Goa’s midfield in gritty Super Cup win

The year 2025 has been a rollercoaster for young Ayush Dev Chhetri.

He has enjoyed the highs of establishing himself as a key first-team player for FC Goa, making his debut in the AFC Champions League Two and earning his first international cap for the senior team.

He has also seen the lows. He was used as a scapegoat to criticize his FC Goa head coach, Manolo Marquez, in the fallout from his disastrous stint as national coach. He was recently sent off 34 minutes after making his first start in Champions League Two.

Ayush has also seen some reactions. “I’m aware of what people say, but I try not to let it define me,” he says, promising to put his head down and work hard.

According to Marquez, this is the man who receives the most unfair criticism in Indian football. The Spaniard continued to have confidence in him. «Don’t ask me (about him), ask his teammates what their opinion is about Ayush. For me, he is the only player (in India) who thinks faster than the others and you always want this player in your team.»

On Sunday, Ayush showed why Marquez has invested his shares in the 22-year-old in the win over East Bengal in the Super Cup final. An all-overseas midfield trio of Saul Crespo, Mohammad Rashid and Miguel Ferreira are said to have suggested that East Bengal could enjoy supremacy in the middle of the park. But that’s not how Marquez’s FC Goa likes to work.

READ ALSO | FC Goa beats East Bengal on penalties to defend the title

After his red card in Baghdad, Marquez could have opted for the eldest of his domestic midfielders, Sahil Tavora, but instead he entrusted Ayush to carry out his plans. In a match where the stakes were high, the youngest player on the field fielded a mature side against experienced campaigners to help Goa darken the midfield battle in what was a tactical slugfest.

“I like playing against foreign players because it motivates me to do well,” he said after the final.

Goa’s midfield lynchpins, Ayush and David Timor, had two different roles. Ayush’s job was to direct possession around the pitch and keep his passing simple, while Timor took on the more adventurous play choice.

But in the second half, after a sedate start for the home side, the youngster started to push himself more to take the team forward. He’s not the most physically intimidating player, but he understands his role well and is never shy about demanding the ball. Defensively he also has the ability to read the game well by using his pace to make timely interceptions.

Although wiry, he uses his slender frame and quick feet to get out of tight spaces and resist opponents’ pressure. Every time Rashid and Crespo tried to close him down with the ball, he would lure them in before lowering his shoulder to ring past them.

In one passage of the game, Palestinian international Rashid experienced something that no professional footballer wants to be on the receiving end of. Ayush drove forward from his own half, playing a one-two with Dejan Drazic on the left before finding Herrera in an acre of space by picking out Rashid with a deft nutmeg.

Ayush enjoys watching videos of Pedri, and the move seemed like something out of the Barcelona and Spain midfielder’s playbook. “The parts of his game that I’m trying to implement on my own are mainly his composure and the way he positions himself to always provide a passing option,” he says.

He is also reaping the benefits of playing on the continental stage against the likes of Al Nassr, Al Zawraa and Istikol. “The pace of the game is fast (in Asia),” he says, adding: “The key is adjusting my decision-making, playing simple, releasing the ball early and assessing situations faster.”

Marquez also highlighted Ayush’s ability to adapt to the pace of the game. «People who don’t understand the game say he’s not strong or maybe he’s not very good in the air, but he’s very fast. He doesn’t lose a single ball in a match,» the Spaniard said.

As the match progressed, his confidence continued to grow. He put Borja Herrera on edge with a pointed cross, which the Spaniard headed wide. In another instance, out of nowhere, he created space for himself with a brilliant turn and charged onto the pitch to play the ball into the feet of Brison Fernandes, whose touch failed him in the box.

After more than 100 minutes, on top of the pulsating 85 from just two days earlier in the semi-final, Marquez brought him to the applause of the home crowd. If this finale was anything, Ayush showed he has the mettle for the big stage.

“If it doesn’t happen now, he will be one of the best midfielders in India,” Herrera proclaims. «He has the personality to play in these types of matches, like the final and against Al Nassr. He understands the game very differently from other players.»

But there are doubts about whether his profile fits the picture of current national coach Khalid Jamil, who prefers physicality in midfield. Ayush has not been mentioned in any Jamil camp since his appointment in August.

Ayush, who currently captains the Indian Under-23 side, remains confident that he can grab attention if he continues to impress. «Look, I have only played three matches (for India). Maybe I didn’t play well enough, but I have to show the national coach that I can do the job,» he said.

The road back to the top will certainly not be easy for him and will have more and more ups and downs. But the year 2025 has shown that Ayush is not deterred by setbacks and that he belongs on the big stage.

Published on December 9, 2025