Indian footballer
Lalengmawia Ralte (born 17 October 2000), commonly known by the nickname Apuia, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Indian Super League club Mumbai City and the India national team.
He is the youngest player to ever captain an Indian Super League club, by doing so for NorthEast United at the age of 20 years and 44 days.[2]
Club career
Youth career
Lalengmawia started playing football at the tender age of 6. His first big break arrived when he was selected to play in his school team for the U14 Subroto Cup, an international inter-school football tournament that is held annually in New Delhi, India.[3] He spent a couple of years at the Regional Sports Training Centre football academy in Kolasib, Mizoram and trained under HC Zarzoliana.[4]
In January 2016, he went to the trials for the 2017 Under-17 World Cup squad that took place in Mizoram and thus joined the AIFF Elite Academy, in Goa.[5]
Indian Arrows
2017-18 season
On 29 November 2017, Lalengmawia was selected to play for the Indian Arrows, an All India Football Federation owned team that would consist of India under-20 players to give them playing time.[6] He made his professional debut for the side on 23 February 2018, against his hometown club Aizawl. He started and played the full match as Indian Arrows lost 3–0.[7][8]
In his debut season, Lalengmawia made three appearances, including one in the 2018 Indian Super Cup for the Arrows.
2018-19 season
On 13 January 2019, Lalengmawia scored his first goal for the development club against Shillong Lajong, in a dominant 3–0 win. He made some space for himself and pulled the trigger from just inside the box to see the ball nestle into the top corner.[9][10] He featured in 11 matches of the 2018–19 I-League campaign and also once in the 2019 Indian Super Cup as he played well whenever he was called upon and contributed to the ideas head coach Pinto had in his mind.[11]
NorthEast United
2019-20 season: Debut in the ISL
On 23 May 2019, Indian Super League club NorthEast United secured the services of Lalengmawia for the 2019–20 season.[12] On 18 December 2019, he made his professional debut for the club in the 9th matchweek of the 2019–20 Indian Super League campaign against Bengaluru, in a 2–0 loss.[13][14] This started of him being more involved in the starting XI following this match.
The 2019–20 Indian Super League season was yet another one to forget for the Highlanders as they finished second last in the table. Lalengmawia, though, was one of the few bright spots in NorthEast's gloomy season. He controlled the midfield, pulling the strings and managed the game like a seasoned pro. He impressed many with his passing accuracy, creativity and endurance in midfield.[15]
2020-21 season: The breakout season
On 5 August 2020, NorthEast United extended contracts of 5 Indian players which included Lalengmawia for the upcoming season.[16] On 30 November 2020, he captained NorthEast United for the first time in their 1–1 away draw against Goa, which made him the youngest player to lead a side in the Indian Super League, at an age of 20 years and 44 days.
It was the 2020–21 Indian Super League season in which Lalengmawia had a breakout season with the Highlanders. They finished third in the league stages, qualifying for the playoffs for only the second time in their history.[17] On 26 February 2021, he finally managed to get his first professional goal for the club in the last game of the league stages against Kerala Blasters, in a 2–0 win.[18][19]
On 13 March 2021, his wonderful displays in the season won him the Indian Super League Emerging Player of the League.[20] He also won the FPAI Young Player of the Year, on 31 March 2021.[21]
Mumbai City
2021-22 season
On 13 August 2021, Apuia joined Mumbai City on a five-year deal for a record transfer fee of INR 2 crores ($280,000).[22] He was part of the team as they finished the season on fifth place and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Ahead of the 2022 AFC Champions League kick-off, the club went to Abu Dhabi for training and defeated Emirati giants Al Ain 2–1 in a friendly match, in which Apuia scored a goal.[23][24]
Apuia started all six of Mumbai's 2022 AFC Champions League group stage matches, as the club made history by being the first Indian side to win an AFC Champions League match, beating Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (also known as Air Force Club) 2-1, thanks to a winning goal from Rahul Bheke[25]. Mumbai went on to draw with Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira 0-0[26], and beat Air Force Club again, this time with a 1-0 scoreline and Diego Mauricio scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot[27]. This meant Mumbai bowed out of the tournament as the second-placed team in Group B, with seven points and two wins[28].
2022-23 season
On 3 September 2022, Mumbai City officially announced that Apuia went to Belgium for a two-week training stint with First Division B side Lommel.[29] Due to this stint, Apuia missed most of the club's matches in the 2022 Durand Cup, but returned in time to play and score in the final, where Mumbai narrowly lost 2-1 to Bengaluru FC[30][31].
He made his first ISL appearance of the season away against Hyderabad FC, in a thrilling 3-3 draw on 9 October 2022[32]. He scored his first ISL goal for the club on 17 November 2022 against Bengaluru FC at home, scoring the second goal in an eventual 4-0 win for the Islanders, picking up the ball in the area and calmly slotting the ball past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu[33]. On 16 December 2023, he scored his first-ever brace, netting in the 26th and 59th minute away against East Bengal FC[34]. He remained a key part of the Islanders' season, as they made history in the league with a stunning 18-match unbeaten run, which is the longest unbeaten start for any team in the history of the ISL. It is also the longest unbeaten streak in ISL history. [35] Mumbai lifted the 2022-23 League Shield, the trophy for the team finishing on top of the table. However, Mumbai were knocked out of the playoffs in the semi-finals, following a loss on penalties against Bengaluru FC[36].
2023-24 season
Apuia began the 2023-24 season with a 2-0 loss at home against F.C. Nassaji Mazandaran on 18 September 2023 in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage[37]. His first ISL appearance of the season came in a 1-2 away win against NorthEast United FC on 24 September 2023[38]. His first goal of the season came against Kerala Blasters FC, the winning goal in a 2-1 win for the Islanders at home, where he outjumped Blasters goalkeeper Sachin Suresh to score a brilliant header[39]. As he did in the 2022 AFC Champions League, Lallianzuala once again featured in every game Mumbai played in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League. However, the campaign wasn't as fruitful for The Islanders, as they were knocked out in the group stage of the competition with zero points, with only one goal scored throughout the six matches they played.[40]
International career
On 2 March 2021, Lalengmawia got selected for the 35-man probable national squad camp ahead of India national team's friendlies against Oman and UAE.[41] On 25 March 2021, he made his international debut for India against Oman when he came on as half-time substitute for Rowllin Borges, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[42]
During the SAFF Championship held in October 2021, Sunil Chhetri, who was awarded the man of the match in the game against Maldives, handed over the award to Apuia.
Style of play
Tough in body and mind, relentless, forward-looking and with an inexhaustible engine, that is how most people would describe Lalengmawia. He is a part of a generation of players, who insist on wanting to play with the ball.
His ability to get out of tight situations with smooth footwork and his positioning and confidence on the ball consistently make him stand out in the field. He is also adept in finding pockets of space and he's always demanding the ball, looking to direct play. He has impressed many with his ability to compete against more physical players and extremely intelligent game-reading. He is one of those players who covers every blade of grass on a football pitch.[43]
Personal life
Lalengmawia was born in Aizawl, Mizoram. His father works as a butcher. His parents had always supported his passion for football and were there for him throughout. In 2015, his parents asked him to skip the trials for the 2017 Under-17 World Cup squad that took place in Mizoram, and rather focus on his Class X board exams. He did appear in the next round of trials held in Mizoram, in January 2016.[44]
His favourite clubs are Barcelona and his hometown club Aizawl. He idolises Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, and current Real Kashmir midfielder Lalrindika Ralte is his favourite Indian player.[45] He also revealed that he chose 45 as his jersey number because of Italian forward Mario Balotelli.[46]
