ISL 2022-23 Awards: Who got their hands on the accolades?

The Mariners lifted the elusive ISL trophy after a positive campaign while the Islanders bagged the League Winners’ Shield. 

A blockbuster ISL 2022-23 season finale saw ATK Mohun Bagan edge Bengaluru FC in the finals on penalties at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday. Juan Ferrando’s side put out a thunderous performance which was eventually too much to handle for Simon Grayson’s contenders.

Although Bengaluru FC gave the Kolkata side a tough challenge by equalising and going ahead, the latter had their eyes set on the silverware. Vishal Kaith showed off his heroics once again in the shootout as he saved Bruno Ramires’ kick. Perez then missed his shot and ATK Mohun Bagan went on to lift the trophy. While Dimitri Petratos was adjudged the Man of the Match, there were other accolades lined up.

Let us take a look as we see who grabbed the ISL 2022-23 awards.

Individual Awards

Golden Boot - Diego Mauricio

Odisha FC hitman and ISL veteran, Diego Mauricio was the main man behind the Juggernauts’ efforts this season. He scored 12 out of their 30 goals but was tied with Dimitri Petratos (ATK Mohun Bagan) and Cleiton Silva (East Bengal). While Petratos caught up to the Brazilian courtesy of the final, Mauricio edged his fellow Brazilian and the Australian based on minutes per goal.

Cleiton Silva played 20 games which was one less than him. But the former Mumbai City centre-forward averaged 1536 minutes per goal compared to Cleiton’s 1778 minutes. The striker scored a variety of goals from thumping headers to beating defenders and finishing emphatically. All of that helped him to eventually bag the Indian Super League’s Golden Boot award for the 2022-23 season.

Golden Glove - Vishal Kaith

ATK Mohun Bagan custodian Vishal Kaith put out some solid performances in goal this season and the final was no different. His penalty save gave the Mariners a decisive lead in the shootout. The Mariners’ goalie kept 12 clean sheets as some of his 67 saves were absolutely top-drawer ones. His fingertip saves and cat-like reflexes got his side out of a fix more than once as he conceded only 19 times. Kaith was one of the driving forces behind ATK Mohun Bagan’s first-ever ISL title and on the way, he won the ISL Golden Glove for the 2022-23 season.

Player of the Season - Lallianzuala Chhangte

The Islanders’ talented winger was a revelation this season after a brilliant pre-season with Mumbai City in the Durand Cup. Chhangte played some confident and eye-catching football as he dribbled out of pressure with ease and rattled the back of the net with some rocket shots. While he finished as the top-scorer with seven goals in the Durand Cup, he registered 10 strikes in the league. He finished as the highest Indian scorer in the league while also teeing up his teammates six times. The Mizo flash was a vital cog in Mumbai City’s League Shield-winning campaign and was given the accolade of the best player in the league.    

Emerging Player of the Season - Sivasakthi Narayanan

Bengaluru FC’s young gun Sivasakthi finished as the top-scorer of the league with Bengaluru FC B in the Bengaluru Super Division League last season. He scored five goals in the pre-season tournament (Durand Cup) and carried his rich vein of form into the league. Siva already showed glimpses of brilliance as he pitched his timid 5’4” self against the towering likes of Mourtada Fall and triumphed.

Similarly in the league, he harrowed opponents with his scary speed and bundles of energy. He scored six times and got six assists and preserved his team’s reputation by winning the Emerging Player of the Season. Following up on teammate Roshan Singh’s award last season, Sivasakthi grabbed the award, which means Bengaluru FC players have lifted this award twice in a row!

KFC Street Baller of the League - Noah Sadaoui 

Noah was a silver lining in FC Goa’s disappointing campaign as they failed to make it to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Moroccan attacker combined with his teammates Edu Bedia, Iker Guarrotxena, and Brandon Fernandes effortlessly. He registered nine goals and nine assists as he often provided the decisive spark in the team.

However, amidst a blemished season for his side, there was only so much Noah could do. Carlos Pena unveiled him as a serious talent in the league by deploying him tactfully. He also scored some brilliant solo goals which helped him to the KFC Street Baller of the League award.  

Team Awards

ISL League Winners’ Shield - Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC went back to winning ways and got their hands back on the League Winners’ Shield after a year. Heavy investments in transfers with the likes of Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Greg Stewart joining their ranks played a massive part in their victory. Additionally, they roped in Rostyn Griffiths, and along with Mourtada Fall and a brilliant Mehtab Singh, they formed one the best defensive units in the league.

A fluid attack combined with a flawless and compact defence earned them the longest unbeaten run in ISL history as they went 18 matches without a defeat. They also conceded the third-lowest number of goals in the league as they helped Des Buckingham lift his first-ever ISL League Winners’ Shield. 

ISL Trophy - ATK Mohun Bagan 

Juan Ferrando finally got his hands on the elusive and much-awaited ISL trophy with ATK Mohun Bagan. In his first full season with the Mariners, the Spaniard tinkered with the squad and helped some players bloom as they got their hands on the most coveted silverware in the land. ATK Mohun Bagan were massively helped by the contributions of debutant Dimitri Petratos who ranked first for most chances created with 61 and was tied on goals scored with Diego Mauricio and Cleiton Silva.

The striker also got seven assists as he was their most creative player while Asish Rai led the charts for most interceptions in the league. Vishal Kaith played a massive part as he had a big hand (pun intended) in their triumph. The Golden Glove winner contributed in the final as well and all of this culminated in ATK Mohun Bagan adding the ISL trophy to their cabinet.