Top 5 Goalkeepers of the 2023 Super Cup

The long-awaited edition of the Indian top-flight competition, the 2023 Super Cup finally marks its consummation after delivering 24 days of intense footballing action. Odisha has outclassed each and every competitor to grace the champions podium and lift the prestigious trophy as their first-ever club honor. 

The composition of this tournament brought the clubs from India’s two top-division leagues on the same platform to battle for the same prestige. Many unknown commodities from the I-League got the golden opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger stage and impress the scouts of ISL outfits. 

The goalkeepers are considered the most key member of the roster whenever a club participates in a tournament where the elimination threat is always on. Hence, the ‘Parimatch News‘ brings you the list of five goalkeepers who had the most impressive campaign in the 2023 edition of the Super Cup.  

#5 Arshdeep Singh (Goa)

The Goan gaffer Carlos Pena surprised everyone with his decision of going on to the Super Cup challenge with him as a frontline goalkeeper despite the availability of first-choice option Dheeraj Singh. Arshdeep who got only a single opportunity to appear guard the goal in his maiden ISL season with the Gaurs. 

The Super Cup campaign commenced with a nightmare for the former Odisha goalie who went on to concede five goals against Jamshedpur in the opening fixture. However, the 25-year-old AIFF Elite Academy product staged a quick bounce-back and did not concede a single goal over the course of the next 180 minutes. 

Arshdeep played a pivotal role in the Orangers’ nail-biting triumph over the home team Gokulam Kerala to keep the Goan hopes alive for the silverware. He then replicated the same feat against the reigning ISL champions ATK Mohun Bagan and remained invincible against the high-profile Mariners attack for the entire 90 minutes. 

#4 Samik Mitra (Chennaiyin)

After enjoying his breakthrough campaign with the Tamizhan Blues and earning the first-choice goalkeeper status, Samik is keen on making it a long one. Mitra warmed the Chennaiyin bench for the initial two seasons to finally get the nod ahead of Debjit Majumdar in the recently concluded ISL season and sustained it further as well. 

Chennaiyin clashed with the Highlanders on his Super Cup debut, where he conceded two but managed to daunt an in-form NorthEast attack to fetch three crucial points. It was followed by an incredible performance from the 20-year-old as he stood like an impervious wall against Churchill Brothers in a goalless draw. 

The Bengal-based youngster also made diligent efforts in CFC’s final group fixture with Mumbai City but couldn’t stop the 33rd-minute strike from Ayush Chhikara which turned out to be decisive in Chennaiyin’s elimination. The Marina Machans have groomed the talent of Samik under the likes of Debjit and are looking at him as a long-term prospect for the club. 

#3 Aryan Lamba (Sreenidi Deccan)

Aryan Lamba set to attract huge deals from ISL heavyweights

Aryan Niraj Lamba is the youngster who had a career-defining campaign at the Super Cup and truly utilized the opportunity to play on such a big stage. The 20-year-old goalkeeping sensation received high praises for his robust guard at the Sreenidi Deccan goal throughout the group stages. 

Aryan earlier played an instrumental role in the Deccan Warriors’ heroics of finishing runners-up in their very second I-League appearance. The product of the now-defunct ATK youth academy has continued his purple patch onto the Super Cup and emerged as the protagonist of SDFC’s 1-1 settlement with the reigning Durand Cup champions Bengaluru in the opening group fixture. 

Lamba then stunned another ISL heavyweight Kerala Blasters in front of their home crowd and stayed unbeaten against the Tuskers’ attack throughout the play. The Gujarat-born youngster is the new hot commodity in the Indian transfer market as we can already see him being linked with many high-profile outfits.  

#2 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Bengaluru)

Bengaluru fell short of their dream of winning two major titles of Indian football in a single season however, their vice-captain played his heart out to go closer to it. He turned up for the Grand Finale at EMS Stadium with an aim to conquest his second Super Cup triumph however the Odisha attack had totally different plans on a rainy Tuesday night. 

After conceding a 21st-minute goal in a frustrating 1-1 draw with the second-division outfit Sreenidi Deccad, Gurpreet managed to keep the clean sheet in the following appearance against RoundGlass Punjab. His next clean sheet heroics came in the penultimate encounter with the ISL counterparts Jamshedpur to seal the final berth for the Karnataka Blues.

However, the 31-year-old stalwart failed to carry forward the momentum in the final round and went on to concede more than 1 goal for the first time in the tournament. Sandhu kept his goal conceding rate of less than a goal per match despite having the most number of appearances (5) among goalkeepers in the 2023 Super Cup. 

#1 Amrinder Singh (Odisha)

The Golden Man brought glory to the Juggernauts’ camp 

The top spot in this list of guardians belongs to the man who graced the champions podium along with his teammates and added another feather to his glorious football career. Amrinder who is always in a tussle with another Punjab-born goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the national team has outwitted his competitor to claim the Golden Gloves honor. 

He featured in four out of five Super Cup fixtures for Odisha and went on to concede only four goals while guarding the Juggernauts’ goal. Singh was rested in the group stage clash with the I-League outfit Aizawl and returned to action in the very next game to face the heavyweights Hyderabad in a do-or-die die clash. 

When the gaffer Clifford Miranda and the company barged into their first-ever major finals, everybody expected the big guy to turn up on the big stage. And the Mahilpur-based veteran lived up to the high expectations of the OFC fans as he was beaten by the Bengaluru attack only once on the final night and that too was from the penalty spot.