Scouting Report: Who is SAFF U-17 MVP Vanlalpeka Guite?

The 16-year-old also captained the Indian Colts in the tournament.

India won the recently concluded U-17 SAFF Championship for a second consecutive time. This is India's fourth title in seven appearances. India's captain Vanlalpeka Guite played a leading role in this triumph and was named the tournament's 'Most Valuable Player'. He played scintillating football throughout the tournament and led the Indian attack from the front.

Guite scored two goals himself and contributed to the creation of many others. Being the captain of the side, it was his prerogative to lead the team from the front, which he was able to do effectively.

Vanlalpeka Guite played as the attacking midfielder of the team and spearheaded India's attacks. He showed good composure and strong technical abilities in front of the opposition's goals. He played as the nucleus of the team by enabling the attackers to effectively coordinate among themselves. Hence, due to his persistence, India was able to score at all crucial moments.

Scouting Report

Age: 16

Position: Central Attacking Midfielder

Place of Birth: Mizoram

Current Club: Aizawl FC

Debut

The 2022 SAFF U-17 Championship is the first major tournament of the young Vanlalpeka Guite. Originally, he was a part of the youth team of Aizawl FC. But owing to his young age, he never made it to their senior squad. Consequently, he had played for the team in different age-restricted tournaments local to his native state Mizoram, an important example of which is the Mizoram Premier League.

Now, after his phenomenal performance in the recently concluded tournament, he will definitely hope to make it to the senior squad of any team and take forward his career in a more comprehensive manner.

Positives

Being named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament speaks volumes about the positives of Vanlalpeka Guite. In the tournament, he proved to be highly prolific with an eye for the goal. Being the team's captain, Guite spearheaded the Indian attack and led the team from the front.

He coordinated well with the midfield and often went deep to fetch the ball or create moves from the midfield. Guite possesses very strong technical abilities and composed nature. Guite appeared to be one of the fittest players in the squad. Importantly, he scored two goals in the tournament, one of them being in the final.

He portrayed strong leadership qualities throughout the tournament and inspired the team in crisis moments. He was integral to Bibiano's plans and met all expectations.

Aspects to Improve

Guite is only a 16-year-old who has just begun his career. Thus, it is obvious that he needs to grow his footballing prowess in all aspects. For doing that, he needs to emphasise his fitness and take care of his diet. He should also increasingly focus on improving his headspace and decision-making.

On the field as well, he should improve his decision-making, especially in front of goals. Another aspect that needs a bit of emphasis is his passing. Overall, he seems to be a natural passer with a knack for poaching goals. By fine-tuning his training based on these aspects, he can definitely turn out to be a world-class striker.

Future

Vanlalpeka Guite has every potential of becoming a star in the future. As already mentioned, he has all the qualities of becoming a good-quality attacker, which is a rarity in India. Thus, he will want to play in the I-League in the near future to get accustomed to competitive club football.

In that regard, his former club Aizawl FC might be the best option for him. After seeing his performance, Aizawl's management may also want to bring him into their I-League squad and guide him in his training.

In the longer run, Guite should definitely look to play in the ISL. He possesses all the qualities which are required in the Indian top-flight league. He just needs to polish them. Hence, with proper training, he can become an established player for any of the ISL sides.

Similarly, he will also want to become a senior national team player and follow in the footsteps of our beloved centre-forward Sunil Chhetri. Furthermore, with all his qualities, Indian football fans may expect him to play in foreign top divisions when he reaches his peak.