An absolute domination by foreigners continued in Indian football as they scored more than 50 per cent of the total goals in the just-concluded I-League.
- Africans kicking in Indian football
The foreign players scored an incredible 136 of the total 227 goals in the League.
Churchill Brothers skipper, Nigerian Odafe Onyeka Okolie, is the 10th foreigner in succession to earn the 'golden boot' in the national league since 1998-99, scoring as many as 22 goals.
Close on Okolie's heels were JCT's Brazilian striker Eduardo Escobar (14), Churchill's Nigerian Mboyo Iyomi (12) and Dempo skipper Nigerian Ranty Martins (11).
- Dempo end on a perfect tempo
India skipper Baichung Bhutia, who led Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan in the League, was the highest scorer among Indians with nine goals.
Only two Indians have emerged leading goal-scorers in the national league since 1996-97 -- Bhutia scored 14 goals in NFL' first edition and FC Kochi's Raman Vijayan 10 goals the next year.
Since then foreign players have come to take centre-stage so much so that much has been left to be desired about Indian footballers using the tournament effectively to raise their playing standards.
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