Nikhil Mali

Nikhil Mali (born 11 November 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for FC Bengaluru United in the I-League 2nd Division.[1] He was part of the Delhi FC side which won the inaugural Hero Futsal Club Championship in 2021 in which he was also named Most Valuable Player, having scored 24 goals in 5 matches.[2]

Nikhil Mali
Nikhil Mali playing for Aizawl FC in I-League 2021-22
Personal information
Full name Nikhil Rajendra Mali
Date of birth (1996-11-11) 11 November 1996
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 FC Bengaluru United
Number 72
Youth career
DSK Shivajians - Liverpool Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020-21 Techtro Swades United FC 5
2020-21 Minerva Academy
2020-21 Delhi FC 24 (8)
2021-22 → Aizawl FC (loan) 7 (0)
2022-23 FC Bengaluru United 10 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Nikhil Mali is a product of DSK Shivajians - Liverpool Academy, he joined DSK Shivajians in 2015 after being selected during a Trial in Pune. Later on he took break from football for some years to complete his studies. After completing his studies he made a comeback to professional football.[3]

Delhi FC

The club participated in the 2021 Durand Cup where Mali played an important role in their run to the quarter-finals, scoring in the 1–5 defeat to Indian Super League team FC Goa.[4]

Hero I-League 2nd Division

Having been nominated by their State Association (Football Delhi), Delhi FC were one of 10 teams to compete in the 2021 Hero I-League Qualifiers in October 2021.[5] Mali was part of the Delhi FC team which was placed in Group B alongside Kenkre FC, Corbett FC, ARA FC and Kerala United. He appeared in every game and provided 3 assists as Delhi FC topped their group to advance to the final round. However, they finished third and failed to qualify for the Hero I-League.[6]

Futsal Club Championship

Delhi FC were one of 16 teams placed in 4 groups to take part in the inaugural Futsal Club Championship in November 2021, placed in Group C alongside Niaw Wasa FC, Telongjem FC and TRAU FC.[7] Mali scored 15 goals in the Group Stage helping Delhi FC qualify for the semifinals where they defeated Mangala Club 12–7 with Mali scoring 4. In the final, Mali scored 5 more as Delhi FC defeated Mohammedan SC 7–2 to be crowned champions with the Pune lad named Most Valuable Player and Top Goal Scorer of the tournament.[8] He also won the Futsal Club Championship 2022-23 edition with Minerva Academy. In 2022-23 edition of Futsal Club Championship he was also awarded the Top scorer scoring 25 goals and Best player of the tournament.[9]

Aizawl FC

Having helped Delhi FC win the Delhi Football League, Mali was loaned to Aizawl FC for the 2021–22 I-League.[10]

References
  1. "I-League 2 - Nikhil Mali Signs For FC Bengaluru United". 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  2. Maithilesh, Aryalok (2022-01-11). "Nikhil Mali: 'The journey has just begun and I still have a lot to achieve'". Football Counter. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  3. "You have to give your best to every game: Nikhil Mali". punemirror.com. 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  4. "Durand Cup 2021: FC Goa thrash Delhi FC 5-1 to enter semifinals". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  5. "12 teams fulfil criteria, 10 get nod for I-League Qualifiers". The Times of India. 2021-08-31. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  6. "Hero I-League Qualifiers".
  7. Bangde, Arjun. "Fast, exciting and technical – welcome to Hero Futsal Club Championship". Football Counter. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  8. Dias, Shayne. "Nikhil Mali - The undisputed star of the Futsal Club Championship". Sportslumo. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. Release, Press (2023-02-20). "Minerva Academy win Futsal Club Championship". thebridge.in. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  10. "Want to set an example for young players from Pune, says Aizawl FC new boy Nikhil Mali". Hero I-League. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
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