Top five favourites for I-League Golden Boot award

A few players will compete to finish as the top-scorer at the end of the campaign.

The 2022-23 season of the I-League is up and running. It is a crucial season for the clubs in the competition as the winners will earn a promotion to the Indian Super League for the next season. This raises the stakes and the level of competition is set to be more intense than ever for the ongoing season.

In the hopes of achieving the objective of winning the league, I-League clubs will hope that their strikers deliver a lot of goals for them. Last term, the race for the golden boot saw Marcus Joseph emerge as the winner after scoring 15 goals while playing for Mohammedan SC. 

The upcoming season will have several forwards vying for this award once again. It will be an interesting battle and will certainly provide entertainment for the spectators. On that note, here is a look at the top five candidates to win the 2022-23 I-League Golden Boot award.

5. Jourdaine Fletcher

Jourdaine Fletcher is playing for NEROCA FC in the 2022-23 season of the I-League. The Jamaican striker represented Gokulam Kerala last term and got nine goals in a historical season where the team won the league twice in a row.

He will be leading NEROCA’s forward line this year with an aim to score as many goals as possible. The 24-year-old has a good eye for goal and possesses the finishing qualities to bag a lot of them across the season.

4. Luka Majcen

Luka Majcen has I-League experience under his belt. The striker is leading RoundGlass Punjab's attacking line in the ongoing I-League campaign. He got 13 goals last year which were essential in helping Gokulam Kerala lift the title at the end of the term.

However, the challenge is slightly tougher this time for the Slovenian player. Having said that, if his teammates are able to provide consistent service, then Majcen could score in double digits once again and perhaps win the golden boot in the process. As it is, he has already registered a goal in the the club's first fixture of I-League 2022-23, in a 2-1 win against Sreenidi Deccan.

3. David Castaneda

David Castaneda had a brilliant debut season last term in the I-League with Sreenidi Deccan. Thanks to his 10 goals in the campaign, the outfit had a fruitful first season in the league. They finished third with 32 points, only 11 behind the winners Gokulam Kerala.

The Colombian continues with the club for the 2022-23 season in the league. In order to take Sreenidi Deccan closer to ISL promotion, the 27-year-old must score a lot of goals and this could lead him to win the golden boot as well.  

2. Auguste Somlaga

Auguste Somlaga will be representing Gokulam Kerala in the 2022-23 season of the I-League. The reigning champions will be relying on the striker for goals if they are to win the league for the third season in a row and move up to the ISL.

The 23-year-old striker has got off to a wonderful start, scoring the winner in the opening tie for GKFC against contenders Mohammedan SC. When it comes to the race for the golden boot,the striker from Cameroon will favour his chances of winning it.

1. Marcus Joseph

Marcus Joseph is the favourite to retain his golden boot award from the previous season. He is the captain of Mohammedan SC and took the club to the semi-finals of the 2022 Durand Cup with a goal and four assists in six appearances. 

It will not come as a surprise if the striker surpasses his tally of 15 goals from last season in the I-League this year. An injury kept him out from the opening fixture against GKFC. The fans will be hoping that the skipper comes back with full force.