Sportskeeda Indian Football Awards: Top 10 Indian forwards of 2016
After the goalkeepers, the defenders and the midfielders, it is now time to look at the top Indian marksmen of 2016 – the men who made themselves prominent in front of goal either scoring them or being directly involved in creating it.
It was a good year in front of goal, at least for the national team as the strikers flourished when they were most needed. Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua in the SAFF Cup final, and Jeje over the two legs of the preliminary Asian Cup qualifier against Laos, which India won 7-1 on aggregate.
The winner on this list would be rather predictable, but there are some new exciting talents on the list, who could be stalwarts of Indian football in the upcoming years.
The voting by fans
We sent out a poll for fans to vote on which Indian midfielder had the best year, and Sportskeeda experts also weighed in on the matter.
The one with the highest vote received 10 points, and the one with the lowest got 1 point. The scores from Sportskeeda’s list and the Reader’s choice are then added together, with an average score being taken. In the situation of two players tied, Sportskeeda’s ranking takes preference.
Here’s how our readers voted:
Here are the rankings after Sportskeeda experts’ choices were also taken into consideration:
#10 Romeo Fernandes
After the strong ISL that Romeo had in 2015, his form deserted him throughout this year. He did score one goal in the ISL. While playing for his home club, Dempo, in the second division I-League, he didn’t score a single goal as the Goan club won promotion, only for them to pull out along with Salgaocar and Sporting Clube De Goa for the upcoming I-League season.
Romeo was then part of a disappointing season for FC Goa in the ISL, where his best game was in helping Goa to a rare win – against NorthEast United at Fatorda. Romeo scored one and set up the other as the Gaurs ran out 2-1 winners against Nelo Vingada’s side.
He did have some bright games through the course of the season, but much like the entire Goa team, there was something missing – that X-Factor which Romeo was renowned for.
That being said, he is only 24 and has a huge scope for improvement, especially with the kind of potential that he does have. So when he starts off the 2017 I-League with East Bengal, the man from Goa will look to put 2016 behind him and get back to the form that saw him become a superstar in Goa through the course of the 2015 ISL.