Teams, Squads & Standout Players of the Indian Super League 2023-24 Season

From shocking defeats to surprising wins, spectacular saves, and stunning goals, the ISL 2023-24 season has lived up to fans' expectations. In this article, we will look at the participating teams, their squads and standout players.

Mumbai City FC won the ISL Shield last season after finishing with the summit spot at the end of the regular season in the last edition. In the playoffs, the Islanders fumbled, and eventually, Mohun Bagan Super Giants won the playoff final to lift the ISL Trophy.

The biggest blow for Mumbai City FC this season came when Des Buckingham stepped down as their coach. The former Melbourne City assistant coach Petr Kratky replaced the Englishman and has done well since taking over. Under his management, the Islanders have lost just three out of 17 matches across all competitions, drawing four and winning ten in the process.

The departure of Greg Stewart was also a heavy burden to cope with but Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Vikram Pratap Singh’s performance in the final third have given Mumbai City FC the desired results. The duo has scored 13 goals between them, with the latter scoring seven. Lallianzuala Chhangte has scored five and assisted four in 19 appearances.

Like the Islanders, Mohun Bagan Super Giants also parted ways with their coach, Juan Ferrando, in the middle of the season after a string of unfortunate results. Former Mohun Bagan SG coach Antonio Habas returned to the dugout to replace the man who guided the Mariners to their first ISL title last season.

The Spaniard has done well since his takeover, as Mohun Bagan have lost just one of their last 11 matches, winning eight and drawing two. Hugo Boumous was deregistered as a player after the Super Cup, but the return of Joni Kauko has been a massive boost for the club. Jason Cummings and Dimitri Petrators have scored 17 goals between them and look unstoppable.

The prolific FC Goa dodged defeat in their first 11 ISL games this season before they lost three in a row against and then settled for a stalemate against Mumbai City. This season, former Hyderabad FC coach Manolo Marquez is at the helm, replacing Carlos Pena before the start of the new season.

Noah Sadaoui continues to impress after scoring six and assisting three in 17 appearances. Carlos Martinez is enjoying his debut ISL season and has bagged six goals and two assists in 18 matches. Carl McHugh and Rowlin Borges have been robust and creative in midfield with an aggregate goal contribution of six.

Labelled the Dark Horses last season, Odisha FC have established themselves as true title contenders under the new management of Sergio Lobera. The former FC Goa coach’s attacking gameplay has helped the Juggernauts clinch playoff qualification. Odisha FC have lost just three out of 18 games this season.

Roy Krishna switched the blue of Bengaluru FC to the purple of Odisha FC before the start of the new season and has not disappointed his new employers. The Fijian has scored 12 in 18 appearances for the club and Diego Mauricio is sharing the goalscoring burden with seven goals in 17 games. Ahmed Jahouh has been pivotal in the midfield.

The season got off to a good start for Kerala Blasters after a controversial end during the last campaign. The Blasters were leading the table when the ISL went on a break for the Super Cup. After the break, the club played six games and lost five of them. Their only win came against FC Goa during this run.

Many fans believe Adrian Luna’s absence is the reason for the Blasters’ downfall. The midfielder has been out injured since the Super Cup. Before that, he scored three and assisted four goals in nine appearances for the Blasters. Dimitrios Diamantakos has been a constant threat in attack, scoring 12 goals and registering 3 assists in 15 games.

After winning the ISL Shield two seasons ago, Jamshedpur FC have found themselves closer to the wrong end of the table. Scott Cooper replaced Aidy Boothroyd as the club’s coach this season but failed to turn things around and parted ways with the club before the Super Cup. In a dangerous situation, the Khalid Jamil era began for the Red Miners.

The Indian coach has done well and made Jamshedpur FC genuine contenders for playoff qualification this season. Chima Chukwu and Jeremy Manzorro have taken responsibility for goals, with the former scoring six in 18 matches and the latter bagging five in 17. Nikhil Barla has provided three assists from the right flank.

After struggling in the regular season last year, Bengaluru FC clawed their way into the playoffs and reached the finals before losing the title match against Mohun Bagan. This season, the Blues continue to struggle but are within striking range of the final playoff spot. After 19 games, Bengaluru FC are yet to register an away win this season.

Javi Hernandez, Sunil Chhetri, and Ryan Williams share the goalscoring burden. Hernandez has scored five in 18 matches, while Chhetri has netted four in 17 games. Williams has only scored three in 15 appearances. The Blues need more goals and wins if they want to reach the playoffs again.

Playing in their first ISL season after winning the I-League last year, Punjab FC were off to a slow start before a recent resurgence has seen them leapfrog multiple teams and also put them in contention for the playoffs. The club has kept faith in coach Staikos Vergetis despite the slow start, and it is slowly starting to pay off.

Luka Majcen has scored seven goals and two assists in 19 games and the former Northeast United striker Wilmar Jordan is sharing the goalscoring burden with the Slovenian. The Colombian has scored six in 12 games. Madih Talal has also been a pivotal part of the team, assisting eight and scoring four goals in 19 matches.

A solitary win in 20 games saw Northeast United finish with a wooden spoon last season. The club appointed Juan Pedro Benali as their coach this season, and the Spaniard has turned things around. The Highlanders have lost seven of their 19 games this season and are in contention for the final playoff spot.

Tomi Juric is the club’s leading scorer this season with five goals in four matches. The Australian has arrived from Melbourne Victory and taken the ISL by storm. Parthib Gogoi has gone silent after scoring four stunning goals in the first half of the season. Nestor Albiach has three goals and as many assists in his kitty after making 17 appearances.

Expectations were high from East Bengal after they appointed former Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat this season. They ended their trophy drought after winning the Super Cup this season, but things have gone downhill since then in the league. In nine ISL games since the Super Cup final, East Bengal have lost six, won two, and drawn one.

Cleiton Silva has pocketed seven goals in this campaign, while the former Odisha FC winger, Nandha Kumar Sekar, has chipped in with five goals and three assists in 19 appearances. Saul Crespo also switched from Odisha FC to East Bengal this season and has been instrumental in East Bengal’s midfield. The club is falling behind in the playoff pursuit this season.

Owen Coyle returned to the ISL this season for the first time after his ISL Shield-winning campaign with Jamshedpur FC in the 2021-22 season. However, this time around, the Scotsman has been unable to work his magic with Chennaiyin FC. Second from the bottom, the club is still active in the playoff pursuit.

The trio of Jordan Murray, Connor Shields, and Rafael Crivellaro has kept the Marina Machans active in the playoff race. Murray has scored four and assisted two in 16 matches, while Shields has scored three and assisted one in 16. Crivellaro’s creativity has assisted these attackers, as the Brazilian has provided six assists and scored three goals in 18 games.

There is no end to Hyderabad FC’s troubles this season. The club is facing financial difficulties and almost all of their top players have left the club, leaving just one foreigner in the squad. That player is Joao Victor. The Brazilian has not featured in an ISL game since the Super Cup.

The defensive midfielder has been robust in the middle third, but with a weak team around him, he is helpless. Recently, the club notched their first win after beating Chennaiyin at the Marina Arena and became the first ISL team to win with an all-Indian squad. However, that is the only achievement the Nizams will earn this season.