Maharashtra women’s football team manager, who was initially looked down upon for being a Bihari and a woman, is keen to channel her life lessons as team begins National Championships campaign in Gujarat today
The Maharashtra women’s football team during a training session at Cooperage recently
When you think of football-loving states, the likes of West Bengal, Goa, Kerala or the Northeastern regions come to mind. Maharashtra’s women’s team head coach, Nidhi, is hoping to change this.
Nidhi, 44, is in-charge of the Maharashtra team at the women’s national football championships for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy in Gujarat. They begin their campaign on Wednesday against Goa and also have Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for company in Group H.
Coach Nidhi. Pics/Ashish Raje
Certified B Licence coach
Interestingly, Nidhi’s coaching style isn’t just based on her astute knowledge of the game — she is an AIFF-certified B Licence holder — but also her own life experiences. She wants her girls to prove the naysayers wrong, just like she did. “When I was studying for my Diploma in Football at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports [NSINS] in Kolkata and then did my Bachelor’s in Physical Education [from Guru Ghasidash Vishwavidyalaya, Chattisgarh], I was always looked down upon, firstly as I’m a woman and secondly, because I hail from Bihar. I was the only woman in a batch of 22 at NSINS. Some of my classmates would say things like, ‘what do you know about football.’ Many felt I would not pass. So, I took it up as a challenge to prove them wrong and ended up topping my Bachelor’s course,” Nidhi, a Goregaon resident, told mid-day recently.
After completing her education, Nidhi began coaching Jharkhand’s U-17 and U-19 teams from 2006 to 2017, before she moved to Mumbai in 2017. Here, she gained attention as one of the top women’s coaches, going on to to win the WIFA Women’s Championship in 2018 and 2019, and the MFA Women’s Premier League in 2023 with Kenkre FC. Her philosophy is high press.
High press philosophy
“I believe in high press to win matches; focus is on attacking. I prefer players who are quick. They can close down the opposition and also challenge defenders by running in behind,” said Nidhi, who is currently studying for her A Licence and has previously worked with the India U-20 women’s team last year.
Nidhi has previously coached Maharashtra on three occasions (2019-20, 2023-24 and 2024-25), and helped them take big strides in terms of results; from getting knocked out in the group stages to advancing to the Final Round (two groups of six teams each). This time she’s aiming to better that. “We are eyeing the Final Round again and looking to win games there [last time Maharashtra picked up just a solitary point from their five Final-Round matches]. But more than immediate results, I want to instil a strong football culture here and want to see more players from the state representing the Indian team. I want to prove that Maharashtra can become the best,” Nidhi signed off.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
