Odisha FC set to sign youngsters Hendry Antonay, Saurabh Meher

Published at :June 4, 2020 at 5:40 PM

Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM

(Courtesy : I-League Media)

The duo featured regularly for Indian Arrows in the I-League last season.

Indian Arrows duo Hendry Antonay and Saurabh Meher is all set for a move to Odisha FC, Khel Now can confirm. At 20, both can play a part in the club’s foreseeable future with the club looking to bring them in on long-term deals.

On loan from Chennaiyin FC, Hendry Antonay played in multiple defensive positions for the Arrows in the I-League 2019-20 season. He made a total of 12 appearances for the young side and clocked 859 minutes on the pitch.

The Karnataka lad started out at the Ozone FC academy in Bengaluru and later joined the now defunct Pune FC, where he captained their U-15 side. He was then also called up to the U-16 national team through a selection trial at Mumbai in 2016. Later, Antonay joined Chennaiyin FC and played 15 games for their reserves team in the I-League 2nd Division.

On the other hand, Saurabh Meher played as an attacking-midfielder under Shanmugam Venkatesh last season and appeared eight times, spending a total of 649 minutes on the field. He was previously part of India U-16 side for the SAFF U-16 Championship in 2015, where they had finished 2nd. The youngster had managed to score thrice in five games.

The Mumbai-born was also part of Chennaiyin FC B from 2017 to 2019 and captained the young side in the I-League 2nd Division in 2018-19. He also led them in the Hero Elite League that season.

Odisha FC are looking to invest more in young and upcoming domestic players and Saurabh Meher and Hendry Antonay can be great additions for the future. The duo can add a competitive spirit in the team with the likes of Shubham Sarangi and Jerry Mawihmingthanga already in place.

The club recently confirmed the signings of George D’Souza from Sporting Clube de Goa and Samuel Lalmuanpuia from Kerala Blasters. So, the additions of Hendry Antonay and Saurabh Meher can be seen as a step in preparation for the 3+1 foreigners rule that is likely to be implemented in the ISL from 2021-22 season.