SS Shreekumar
AIFF Media Team
NEW DELHI: Last Sunday, Tlangnuam Futsal Club won the AIFF Futsal Club Championship in their maiden appearance at the tournament. The club from the neighbourhood of Tlangnuam in the city of Aizawl, wrote history by becoming the first side from Mizoram, a hotbed of futsal in India, and the Northeast to emerge as the champions.
At the full-time whistle, as the players trooped out in a delightful mood, all eyes were on one man — head coach Joshua Vaz, who had tears streaming down his face in happiness and glory. This triumph was also the first major honour for the hard-working coach. Before Sunday, he only had silver in his destiny.
Earlier this year, Vaz guided the Indian women’s futsal team to the silver medal at the first-ever SAFF Futsal Women's Championship. He also had to settle for silver for four years in a row in the AIFF Futsal Club Championship. He was a player-cum-coach for Mohammedan Sporting Club, which lost to Delhi FC in 2021-22 and then to Minerva Academy FC in 2022-23. He was on the sidelines, taking Golazo FC to the final in 2023-24, but they lost to Corbett FC. Last year, he was part of Bhawanipore FC, but the title once again eluded him as Goal Hunterz FC defeated his side in the final.
Tlangnuam dethroned Goal Hunterz in the semi-final this year before having the measure of Progressive Sports Academy in the title clash. What makes it even more special is the dominant manner in which Tlangnuam lifted the trophy, scoring 69 goals in five matches. The final, which they won 9-5, was the only game where they failed to score in double digits. Their 23-0 quarter-final win over Young Hearts FC went into the history books as the biggest victory in the competition's five-year history. So, this maiden success tasted far sweeter, and Vaz was barely able to control his emotions.
Once his players joined him in celebrations, Vaz was in his element. The team flew to Aizawl on Monday afternoon and had a celebration in their hometown.
“Everyone expected me to lose again, as in the past," said Vaz. "So I had to prove them wrong. This success has taken a big burden off my back. In future, I will not be under any kind of pressure. I believe in God, and God has plans for everyone. I am happy I succeeded this time."
Vaz is the only Indian to have achieved a Level 2 and Level 3 AFC Futsal Coaching Certificate. In a chat with the-aiff.com, the 35-year-old spelt out his views on futsal in the country.
Q. How did you get into futsal and futsal coaching?
Joshuah Vaz: I played a lot of football and then futsal. In fact, I was a player-cum-coach for Mohammedan Sporting when we lost both finals.
The sport runs in the family. My dad Socorro Vaz was the first futsal coach in the country. He opened a coaching academy in Kerala. I was also a part of the academy, and from then on, I got into serious coaching. We had a futsal coaching course and had a coach from Iran come in. He impressed me a lot, and he was also happy about my serious involvement. He suggested me to become a futsal instructor. That’s how I did my course and began my coaching journey in futsal.
Q. How confident were you about winning the title with Tlangnuam at the start of the AIFF Futsal Club Championship, and how much does this success mean to you?
JV: More than me, the team and the players wanted to win it for me. They were determined to win the first title for me. I also had a very good squad, which trained and worked hard to succeed.
This success means a lot to me. A very big burden is off my back. This was long overdue, and I am happy the players helped me achieve this.
Q. Will it bring about major changes in Futsal culture in Mizoram as well as the Northeast?
JV: Yes, indeed. You should have seen the large number of people who had come to receive the team and join in the celebrations in Aizawl. The entire community had come. Officials of the Mizoram Football Association were there. I have not seen something like this anywhere else in the country. This achievement will have a huge bearing on the future of futsal in Mizoram and in the entire Northeast. Players here are very talented, and this tournament proved it. So it will be a shot in the arm for futsal all over.
Q. How would you describe your coaching philosophy?
JV: I don’t have anything particular like that. A lot depends on the opposition. But I mostly try to have a lot of variations in our play so that the opposition is not able to read what we are doing. The changes in the style of play keep them guessing. I adopt the modern trends of play as best as I can. It is often the intention to rotate the style of play in the match to confuse the opponent.
Q. Almost the entire Indian men’s national team were part of the two clubs in the final. Which of the players impressed you the most?
JV: Well, there are some talented players on many teams. I was especially impressed by our own ‘pivot’ Kiran Chhetri. He has a lot of potential and can go far. Some players in South Castle United are also good.
Q. How does the Indian men’s team stand in Futsal in South Asia and Asia?
JV: We have some very good players, but we still have a long way to go compared to top teams like, let's say, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, etc. We need to make the most of the FIFA windows, schedule more friendly matches, enter international tournaments, and ensure we have enough game time before the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Q. What areas do you think need improvement in India?
JV: Well, I was fortunate to meet Mr Kalyan Chaubey, the AIFF President, on the flight back home. He also asked me the same question. I told him that at present, only Mizoram has a proper futsal league. Other states conduct only futsal tournaments. Most states must have a proper league apart from any tournament they conduct. If you have 10 teams and each team plays nine matches, players will have much more scope for improvement. This will be a very good way to develop futsal throughout the country.
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