Which Indian football team players have played under current Afghanistan boss Ashley Westwood?

Ashley Westwood knows a few members of the Indian football team like the back of his palm.

The Indian football team will strive to get their first win of 2024 when they host Afghanistan at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati on Tuesday. The Blue Tigers were frustrated and held to a goalless draw in the previous FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier and will aim to oust the Lions of Khorasan at home.

However, as proven in the previous game, India won’t find it easy to break down Ashley Westwood’s side. The English manager has extensive knowledge of the Indian football scene. He has managed multiple clubs, including Bengaluru FC and Punjab FC, for many years before taking the Afghanistan job. In fact, Westwood is well aware of how particular players in the Indian football team operate – including their strengths and weaknesses. A couple of India’s current players had played under the 47-year-old and here we look at them.

Amrinder Singh

Ashley Westwood won two I-League titles as Bengaluru FC manager in his three seasons at the club. He also helped them to win the Federation Cup and his final season was quite impressive too. In the 2015/16 campaign, Westwood guided his side to the I-League championship and also won the FPA Best Coach of the Season award. He also managed to rope in the then-promising Indian goalkeeper Amrinder Singh on loan for the second half of the 2015/16 season. Amrinder Singh actually kept a clean-sheet in his debut for Bengaluru, in a 1-0 win over East Bengal.

He also went onto keep a clean-sheet in his AFC Cup debut, a 1-0 win over Ayeyawady United. Singh excelled under Westwood’s system and helped keep one of the meanest defensive lines in Indian football. He went onto win the best I-League goalkeeper award with five clean-sheets – as Bengaluru only conceded 17 goals in 16 league games. Westwood gave Amrinder Singh a major breakthrough at Bengaluru, while his goalkeeping coach Ali Uzunhasanoglu also helped the now-India international hone up his skills in between the posts.

Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri was Ashley Westwood’s leader at Bengaluru FC and played a pivotal role in all his success at the club. The India football team captain played in all three campaigns under the English tactician and adapted to his system perfectly. Chhetri mostly played up front but also showcased his versatility by occasionally drifting to the wide areas or just behind the striker. He played a key role in ensuring that Bengaluru won two I-League titles and also the Federation Cup under the Englishman.

He was the Blues’ top scorer in all three seasons under Westwood, scoring an impressive 15 goals (across all competitions) in the 2013/14 campaign. Chhetri scored 38 goals in 78 games for Bengaluru in the Westwood era, as well as notching up many assists. He was a key pillar of their success under the Englishman, thanks to his prolific nature in front of goal and hard-working ability to contribute defensively as well as energize his team. Chhetri will now aim to reproduce that kind of spirit to down his ex-manager’s team in the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier.

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