ISL 2021-22: Top five foreign players in the league this season
Another exhilarating season of the Indian Super League will come to a close on March 20. Hyderabad FC will take on Kerala Blasters FC in the grand finale. It has been a topsy-turvy season in the Indian Super League.
The first big change came just before the start of the new season. The All-India Football Federation decided to decrease the number of foreign players a club can field in their starting lineup to 3+1 (three players from any nation and one from an AFC member association).
While the new regulations added responsibility on the teams to nurture more Indian talent, it also made the foreign slots incredibly valuable. Hence, most clubs went out of their way to secure some of the best foreign players in their position. The changes culminated in the ISL experiencing some of the finest performances from foreigners in the tournament's history.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best foreign players from the 2021-22 season in the Indian Super League.
#5 Ahmed Jahouh (Mumbai City FC)
'Cause we can't help but revisit this Ahmed Jahouh's stunning curler from outside the box! 🤩
#OFCMCFC #MumbaiCity #AamchiCity 🔵 https://t.co/9qMl78Rzr4
Former champions Mumbai City FC failed to make it into the ISL play-offs this season. However, irrespective of the team's performances, Ahmed Jahouh was an absolute tank in the Islanders midfield. What the Moroccan does on the field is incredibly important and his absence is felt everytime they have to play a match without him. Their match against Kerala Blasters was a prime example.
Jahouh has the natural talent to understand and control the progression of the game. Everything at Mumbai City passes through him. The 33-year-old has also shown his creative prowess from the deep with seven assists this season.