Bengaluru: The Durand Cup has always been a platform for future starts to announce themselves in the big stage of Indian football and then go on to make successful careers. Legends like Sunil Chhetri was discovered during this iconic tournament and the subsequent editions have given players who have become household names in the country. The 134th edition of the IndianOil Durand Cup has provided one such future star in Makakmayum Daniyal who caught everyone’s eyes playing for South United FC in their debut appearance.
The striker put on a show against Indian Air Force FT in their second group match, scoring a hat trick in the team’s 3-3 with three clinical finishes and showing composure inside the box. “I don’t know how to express my feelings. It felt amazing to score goals in the Durand Cup as it was my dream to play in the tournament”, said Daniyal who hails from Yairipok in Manipur’s Thoubal district.
The highlight of Daniyal’s hat trick was the composure and presence he showed inside the box. For the first goal, he received a through ball and rounded the goalkeeper to finish, for the second the striker showed his speed to be at the end of an overhead pass and dodged two defenders to find the bottom right corner and the third goal came through a volley from inside the box after the defender skied his clearance.
Daniyal honed his skills in the Under 17 and reserves sides of ISL side Chennaiyin FC before joining South United FC in Bengaluru. “I started playing football for fun with my cousins and brothers in my hometown and I got interested but I did not have any support in the beginning. My father also did not want me to play football”, shared Daniyal about the time he started to play football.
“The support got better when I attended some trials and got selected to Future Football Coaching Centre Angtha (FFCC Angtha). Everyone realised I had some potential and allowed me to play professionally”, said Daniyal while asked when did the support started to change. “Now my parents are happy and they support me completely and are happy about me playing football and scoring goals”, added Daniyal. Daniyal has also played for Eastern Sporting Union in the Manipur state league.
The young striker also shared his experience of being called up to the Under 19 Indian probables squad for the U 19 SAFF Championship which India won in May. Even though, he was not selected for the final squad, he learned a lot from Head Coach Bibiano Fernandes. “Bibiano coach taught us a lot of things in the camp. It was a great experience for me to learn from such an experienced coach like him which surely improved my game”, Daniyal said about his experiences in the junior Indian camp.
This was the first time, Daniyal’s parents watched him play on television. “They have watched me on YouTube but this was the first time they watched me live of television. They told me that they were very happy and proud to see me play and score goals”, Daniyal shared the reaction of everyone back home. Daniyal’s father Md. Ayub Khan is a farmer and his mother Sammila is a housewife. The youngster has four siblings, two elder brothers, one elder sister and a younger sister.
While asked about his personal goal, Daniyal replied by saying that he wants to play for India, like any other future start but he also has a bigger and bolder aim, “I want to be a legend of Indian football”, ended Daniyal.
With the Durand Cup continuing to be the home of future starts, talents like Makakmayum Daniyal gives a ray of hope for the future of Indian football.