Mahesh Gawli

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mahesh Gawli

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|1|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Panaji, Goa, India

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| height = {{height|m=1.78}}

| position = Centre back

| years1 = 1998–1999

| years2 = 2000–2003

| years3 = 2003–2004

| years4 = 2005–2007

| years5 = 2007–2015

| clubs1 = FC Kochin

| clubs2 = Churchill Brothers

| clubs3 = East Bengal

| clubs4 = Mahindra United

| clubs5 = Dempo

| caps1 =

| caps2 =

| caps3 = 20

| caps4 = 35

| caps5 = 126

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2002

| nationalteam1 = India U23

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1999–2011

| nationalteam2 = India

| nationalcaps2 = 68

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| manageryears1 = 2019−2022

| managerclubs1 = Indian Arrows (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2022−2023

| managerclubs2 = India U20

| manageryears3 = 2022−

| managerclubs3 = India (assistant)

}}

Mahesh Gawli (born 23 January 1980) is an Indian football coach and former footballer who played as a centre-back and represented the India national football team on 68 occasions between 2000 and 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.iloveindia.com/sports/football/players/mahesh-gawli-profile.html|title=Mahesh Gawli Profile|access-date=13 December 2021|website=iloveindia.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130111943/https://www.iloveindia.com/sports/football/players/mahesh-gawli-profile.html|archive-date=30 November 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/greatest-indian-football-xi-of-all-time|title=All time Indian XI|date=23 November 2016|access-date=21 June 2021|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201149/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/greatest-indian-football-xi-of-all-time|website=sportskeeda.com|publisher=Sportskeeda|first=Amoy|last=Ghoshal}}

Club career

Gawli was born in Goa and began playing football at 8. Gawli’s talent was immediately spotted by the coaches at all age groups. He was a member of the Goa U-12 team that lost against Japan U-12 in 1991–92. He then joined the famed Tata Football Academy.

Gawli started his career at FC Kochin where he joined in 1998 after graduating from Tata Football Academy and won the Kerala League with them before moving on to Churchill Brothers.

He stayed there at Churchill for three consecutive seasons from 2000–2002 and won the Goa Professional League thrice with them. He also helped them secure the Runners-up medals in the 2001–02 season of National Football League (India) before moving on to Kolkata biggies East Bengal.

Gawli first tasted the National League success in 2003–04 season after moving into the East Bengal. He was also a member of the East Bengal team that won the prestigious 2003 ASEAN Club Championship in which he also scored a goal against Philippine Army F.C.. East Bengal completed a treble that season by winning the Kolkata League crown.{{Cite web|last=Sengupta|first=Somnath|title=Tactical Evolution Of Indian Football: Part Four – Modern Era (1999—2011)|url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-four-modern-era/|location=Kolkata|date=13 July 2011|access-date=11 October 2022|website=thehardtackle.com|publisher=The Hard Tackle|language=en-US|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918041621/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-four-modern-era/}}

After a successful three-year stint with the East Bengal, it was time for Mahesh to find his place in Mahindra United team. It was under Mahindra Coach David Booth that Gawli displayed his finest brand of football. He helped Mahindra win the NFL, Indian Federation Cup, Mumbai Football League and the IFA Shield and was part of the team that participated in the 2007 AFC Cup and went on to reach the last eight stage. Gawli won the best defender award in the 10th NFL for his stellar performances in Mahindra United colors.

Then it was like a homecoming for Mahesh as he moved from Mahindra to Dempo in 2007 and has become a pillar of strength in Dempo's defense.{{Cite web |date=7 March 2022 |location=Goa |title=I-League 2: Looking back at when Dempo SC dominated Indian Football |url=https://footballexpress.in/looking-back-at-when-dempo-sc-dominated-indian-football/ |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=footballexpress.in |publisher=Football Express India |first=Shibashis |last=Das |language=en |archive-date=22 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722154745/https://footballexpress.in/looking-back-at-when-dempo-sc-dominated-indian-football/ }} Gawli has won two I-League titles with Dempo and is a regular starter for the club and forms a formidable partnership with another India international Samir Naik. He helped Dempo reach the semi-finals of 2008 AFC Cup and the pre-quarters in 2011 AFC Cup.{{cite web|title=THT Heroes Special: Mahesh Gawli - Indian Football's Defensive Stalwart|date=2 January 2012 |url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/tht-heroes-special-mahesh-gawli-indian-footballs-defensive-stalwart/|access-date=31 December 2013|archive-date=7 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307115322/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/tht-heroes-special-mahesh-gawli-indian-footballs-defensive-stalwart|url-status=live}}

International career

He represented India in the AFC U-16 Championship in 1996 held in Thailand and was included in the Asian All Star U-16 team. Gawli soon made his international debut in the pre-Olympic qualifier against Thailand in 1999 and cemented his place in the Indian team.

Mahesh has been representing India since 2001. With India, he won the LG Cup and several SAFF Cups. He was part of the historical Nehru Cup 2007 win in which he was the man of the match in the final against Syria. He was also an important part of the victorious India team at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup.

He announced his retirement on 26 December 2011, almost 2 weeks after winning the 2011 SAFF Championship with India.{{cite web |url=http://the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=2900 |title=:::: The Aiff :::: |website=the-aiff.com |access-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120727232221/http://the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=2900 |archive-date=27 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}

International statistics

{{updated|2011}}{{cite web |last1=Dey |first1=Subrata |title=Mahesh Gawli — International Appearances |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/ind-gawli-intl.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=19 February 2019 |archive-date=20 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063126/http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ind-gawli-intl.html |url-status=live }}

Year	Apps	Goals
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=3 \| India national team
1999	1	0
2000	4	0
2001	8	0
2002	2	0
2003	3	0
2004	6	0
2005	8	1
2006	2	0
2007	7	0
2008	8	0
2009	6	0
2010	4	0
2011	9	0
Total	68	1

=International goals=

class="wikitable"

! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

10 December 2005

Karachi, Pakistan

2–0

3–0

2005 SAFF Cup

Honours

East Bengal

Mahindra United

Dempo

I-League: 2007-08 I-League, 2009-10 I-League, 2011-12 I-League
Super Cup: 2008

India

AFC Challenge Cup: 2008
SAFF Cup: 2005, 2011; runner-up: 2008
Nehru Cup: 2007, 2009
South Asian Games Bronze medal: 1999
Afro-Asian Games silver medal: 2003{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/asafrgam01.html|title=Afro-Asian Games 2003|access-date=20 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928130141/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/asafrgam01.html|archive-date=28 September 2022|website=RSSSF|first1=Arunava|last1=Chaudhuri|first2=Karel|last2=Stokkermans|date=2001}}

India U23

LG Cup: 2002{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesh/hcmccup.html#02 |title=Ho Chi Minh City Cups |website=RSSSF |access-date=19 September 2022 }}

Individual