The 20-year-old joined North East United FC in 2019 and made 24 appearances for them in two Indian Super League seasons.
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Indian Super League (ISL) side Chennaiyin FC have completed the signing of promising Indian midfielder Ninthoi Meetei from North East United FC. The 20-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the two-time ISL champions. He was part of the Indian team that played in the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup hosted by India. He started his professional career with Indian Arrows in 2017 before moving to ISL side North East United FC in 2019. Ninthoi is a product of the AIFF Elite Academy, after the U-17 World Cup he was signed by the AIFF developmental side, Indian Arrows which played in the I-League. He had a good two-year stint with the Arrows, making 25 I-League appearances and scoring 2 league goals.
“We are very happy to bring in someone like Ninthoi. He is young but already has 24 ISL appearances under his belt and should help the team for years to come,” CFC co-owner Vita Dani said.
He then moved to the Highlanders and made 24 appearances for them in two seasons. The 2020-21 ISL season was particularly good for him as he performed really well in the right wing for Khalid Jamil’s side.
“I am really feeling very happy to be a part of this club [CFC]. This team has that energy and spirit through all these years. I am looking forward to giving the team my best and I am very much excited to kick off with Chennaiyin FC,” the 20-year-old said.
The high point in the Imphal-born footballers short career so far has been winning the Best Player Award and guiding the Indian team to SAFF U-18 Championship title in 2019. And the good thing in his four seasons in the Indian top-flight football has been that he has already made 51 appearances.
The youngster has been climbing the ladder of Indian football and is hungry for more success. His confidence to take on defenders and willingness to come back and contribute to the team defensively has been the plus points. Because of his consistency and hardworking nature, he seems to earn the trust of the coaches quickly.
A contract with the two-time ISL champions will provide a great opportunity for the promising youngster to develop his skills as he will be playing along with some of the most experienced names from the Indian and international circuit.
“Ninthoi is a quality young player with space to improve. Our target is to build, work and improve young domestic players because they are the future,” CFC head coach Bozidar Bandovic commented on the club’s new signing.
Last ISL season wasn’t great for the Chennai-based team as they finished 8th in the 11-team tournament, therefore, this time around, they are building a team with a mixture of youth and experience.
The other big domestic players to join Chennaiyin this season are Jobby Justin and Narayan Das. Jobby is a proven Indian striker who has joined from ATK Mohun Bagan whereas left-back Narayan Das is an experienced Indian international who played for SC East Bengal last season.
