Nikhil Mali

Nikhil Mali (born 11 November 1996) is an Indian professional football and futsal player.[1] He was part of the Delhi FC side which won the inaugural Hero Futsal Club Championship in 2021, in which he was named the most valuable player, having scored 24 goals in 5 matches.[2] Therefore, he was called up for India national futsal team inaugural campaign. He also played for Minerva Academy futsal team.

Nikhil Mali
Nikhil Mali playing for Aizawl
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
Youth career
DSK Shivajians
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 Techtro Swades United FC
2021 Delhi FC 24 (8)
2021–2022 → Aizawl FC (loan) 7 (0)
2022–2023 FC Bengaluru United 10 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Youth career

Nikhil Mali is a product of DSK Shivajians - Liverpool FC academy. He joined DSK Shivajians in 2015, after being selected during a trial in Pune. After completing his studies, he made a comeback to professional football.[3]

Club career

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 2021 I-League Qualifiers.[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 was one of 16 teams 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. Mali scored 4 goals, adding 5 more in the final as Delhi FC defeated Mohammedan SC 7–2 to be crowned champions. He was named most valuable player and top goal scorer of the tournament.[8] He also won the following edition with Minerva Academy, being awarded the top scorer again, with 25 goals.[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. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. 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. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  3. "You have to give your best to every game: Nikhil Mali". punemirror.com. 2022-04-10. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  4. "Durand Cup 2021: FC Goa thrash Delhi FC 5-1 to enter semifinals". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. 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. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  6. "Hero I-League Qualifiers". Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  7. Bangde, Arjun. "Fast, exciting and technical – welcome to Hero Futsal Club Championship". Football Counter. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  8. Dias, Shayne. "Nikhil Mali - The undisputed star of the Futsal Club Championship". Sportslumo. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. Release, Press (2023-02-20). "Minerva Academy win Futsal Club Championship". thebridge.in. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. 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. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.



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