Top five Odisha FC players to watch out for in Punjab FC vs Odisha FC
Odisha’s Hrithik Tiwari won ISL 2025-26 Golden Glove Award last season
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi is all set to host the final fixture of the opening matchweek of the Indian Super League 2026-27 season, where home team Punjab FC are set to take on Odisha FC, also known as the Juggernauts, in what is set to be a thrilling contest between the two sides.
The Kalinga Warriors won just two out of the 13 games last season and finished in the lower echelon of the points table. The Juggernauts have made too many interesting signings ahead of the new season including the likes of Hrithik Tiwari, Stephen Eze and Everton.
The former Super Cup champions have retained former Kerala Blasters head coach T. G. Purushothaman, who has massive experience coaching in the top tier.
Ahead of Odisha’s first game against the Shers in the national capital, we take a closer look at Odisha FC’s top five players to keep an eye on in Punjab FC vs Odisha FC.
5. Hrithik Tiwari
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The 24-year-old custodian from Guwahati was FC Goa’s first-choice keeper in the AFC Champions League 2 campaign and has played against top Asian teams like Al Nassr. Tiwari has progressed through the ranks of SAI Guwahati during his formative years before joining the Gaurs, where he had his breakthrough moment.
Odisha FC have bolstered their defence by acquiring the services of ISL Golden Glove winner of last season, where Tiwari kept five clean sheets and maintained an elite 78% save percentage across the season.
4. Stephen Eze
The Nigerian defender from Makurdi was nothing less than a nightmare for opposition strikers during his time at Jamshedpur FC, where he helped Khalid Jamil’s side make it to the finals of the Super Cup. Eze has donned the jerseys of Queen’s Park FC in Scotland and NK Solin in Croatia.
Eze brings continental experience, having won the Bulgarian Cup in 2018–19 with Lokomotiv Plovdiv and represented them in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. Apart from offering defensive stability, Eze is a set-piece target monster due to his imposing aerial presence.
3. Rahim Ali
Photo: Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / ISL
The Kolkata-born striker was part of India’s squad in the marquee FIFA International window against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. He is one of the very few players from Odisha FC to be part of the Indian national team. Ali is a versatile forward who can drift wide left or right as well.
Ali has earned over 20 caps for the senior national team and scored a solitary goal. He previously played for the Marina Machans before making a move to Odisha FC in 2024.
2. Mahmoud Eid
The Sweden-born Palestinian winger has extensive experience playing domestic football in Sweden and the Middle East for clubs like Persebaya Surabaya in Indonesia, Bangkok United in Thailand and Al-Muharraq in Bahrain. He registered a highly impressive 19 goals and 10 assists across his last two seasons in Vietnam.
Eid is not just a scorer but also an elite creative playmaker. He is a left-footed winger and can easily slot in as a secondary centre-forward if coach Purushothaman alters shapes mid-game.
1. Everton Nascimento
The Brazilian centre forward from Alagoas played a crucial role in helping PSM Makassar become the champions of Indonesian top tier, racking up an impressive 14 goals and 6 assists in that season.
He also brings extensive experience playing at the top tier in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Indonesia. He featured in the AFC Cup during his stint with clubs in Southeast Asia. He will be Odisha’s go-to man for scoring goals, and Purushothaman will rely a lot on him up front.
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