I–League 2017: 5 league debutants to look out for this season
The 10th Hero I-league is set to kick-off this weekend accompanied by murmurs that this could be its final season. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is pushing for a merger of Indian Super League (SL) franchises with I-league clubs and this may be the last hurrah for the storied competition.
Also read: I-League 2017: 5 Indian strikers to look for this season
Though the ISL has captured a lot of attention, the I-league has long served as the bread-and-butter for Indian football. In that spirit, let us look at 5 I-league debutants who may be experiencing the league for the first and last time:
#1 Eduardo Ferreira
The 33-year old Equatoguinean central defender has signed for Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan. He represented FC Pune City in the 2016 Indian Super League (ISL), notching up 11 appearances and scoring one goal during the campaign. The defender has a reputation for being a no-nonsense centre back and is a threat from set-pieces.
Brazilian-born Ferreira began his career as a youth player for Fluminense and is a self-professed fan of the club. Subsequently turning out for Flamengo and then Corinthians, the defender revealed he faced the likes of Neymar and Thiago Silva while playing in Brazil. Ferreira plied his trade in Colombia, South Africa, Thailand and Iran before landing on Indian shores.