David Lalhlansanga: A display of promise and goal-scoring prowess | Scouting Report

The youngster is showing signs of promise and is one to watch for the future.

David Lalhlansanga was one of the highlights of Mohammedan SC’s run in the 2023 Durand Cup. Football fans across the country are taking notice of the attacker thanks to his impressive performances. While the club could not make it to the knockout stages of the 132nd edition of the competition, it would be happy to see their young forward show signs of promise.

David Lalhlansanga is only 21 years old and already showing maturity beyond his years. His traits make him an interesting talent who is set to set the stage alight in the years to come. The forward’s hunger for goals and drive to improve make him an exciting prospect.

Here is a scouting report of one the finest upcoming forwards of the country:

Scouting Report

Age: 21

Date of Birth: 27 November 2001

Position: Forward

Debut

David Lalhlansanga made his senior debut for Aizawl FC in the 2020-21 season of the I-League. He featured briefly for a few minutes against Mohammedan SC on 18 February 2021. It was a 3-0 win for Aizawl FC but Lalhlansanga did not get enough time to make an impact in that fixture. 

His first goal at the senior level was against Chennai City FC in the I-League Relegation Stage. The striker scored for Aizawl FC in a 3-1 win on 20 March 2021. 

Positives

Manipur produces sensational footballers and David Lalhlansanga is one of the most gifted players to come out of the region. The centre-forward has a keen eye for goal and loves to get in the box to latch on to crosses and through balls. His four-goal display against Jamshedpur FC is a perfect window into the sort of qualities he possesses.

The 2023 Durand Cup saw the best of David Lalhlansanga. He scored in each of MDSC’s three group games, including against Indian Super League heavyweights Mumbai City FC. At the end of the group stage, the striker led the race for the golden boot with six sensational goals for the side. 

David Lalhlansanga’s performance in particular against Jamshedpur was extremely impressive. He scored the first of his four goals with a header, showing good movement inside the box. Then, the striker showed his ingenuity with a lovely run behind the defence and scored with a composed strike past the goalkeeper. The Hattrick goal saw him show incredible calmness inside the box and finish past the hapless defence and the goalkeeper of JFC. Finally, his fourth goal of the night came through an error by the JFC defence which gave Lalhlansanga a clear sight of goal with only the goalkeeper to stop him and the striker made no mistake in finding the back of the net.

Aspects to Improve

David Lalhlansanga is a brilliant finisher. He also loves to make runs behind the defence but such a tactic might not work against a low-block setup. In such a situation, he may need to drop deep and contribute to the build-up. That is an area where the 21-year-old can improve and polish his gameplay.

Furthermore, he needs to play in wingers and combine with the No.10 more often. As a striker up-top, he needs to learn the ability to attract defenders and fix them. This creates gaps for the wingers and the advancing midfielder to exploit. 

Future

The day is not far when the Indian Super League clubs come calling for David Lalhlansanga’s signature. Mohammedan SC have an exceptional striker in their ranks and should aim to retain him for many years to come. 

The upcoming season of the I-League will be crucial and the striker will be hoping to carry his 2023 Durand Cup form into the season. A winter transfer window move may also be in the offing for David Lalhlansanga as the other I-League and the ISL clubs may be monitoring his situation. There is a lot of potential in the striker but he needs to play regularly in order to unlock it.

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