I always put the team before myself: Atletico de Kolkata’s Sameehg Doutie on his brilliant form

In late October, when Sameehg Doutie made his full Indian Super League debut for Atletico de Kolkata in front of a boisterous home crowd, not many were aware of the footballing ability of the South African midfielder. A month and seven matches later, the 26-year-old is a darling of the Atletico supporters, equally famous for his celebrations, as he is for his workrate on the pitch. “It’s all about the team, it’s not about me. If I can help the team, I am happy. All the players help each other, so there is no added pressure,” the wide midfielder had said ahead of Atletico’s match against FC Goa. Doutie would go on to score a brace and set up Atletico’s other two goals against Zico’s side, in arguably the Kolkata outfit’s finest display of the season. Plagued with injuries, Antonio Habas has found it difficult to field his first choice attackers for most of the tournament — with the likes of Helder Postiga, Javi Lara, Arata Izumi missing crucial fixtures. [caption id=“attachment_2523880” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Atletico de Kolkata’s Sameehg Doutie. ISL[/caption] An unprecedented partnership, however, has bloomed between Doutie, Iain Hume and Jaime Gavilan, providing their Spanish manager with some respite as the tournament enters its last phase. If Gavilan’s creative vision and Hume’s industriousness have been at the heart of Atletico’s offense, Doutie’s pace on the flanks and clever movement have added another dimension to the side. An academy graduate of Ajax Cape Town FC — the Parow-based club whose primary shareholders include the legendary AFC Ajax — Doutie was a part of South Africa’s Under-23 setup when the FIFA World Cup was hosted by the African nation. With his contract at SuperSport United running out earlier this year and his trial at Norwegian side FK Haugesund falling through, Atletico de Kolkata snapped up the midfielder as a free agent. “The coach and technical team brought me here. They have been helping me in training,” Doutie said, grateful for the opportunity. “I’ve been working on my positioning, timing of the ball as well as the tactical side of the game. I’ve learned a lot from the technical team. It’s important to listen and understand what the coach wants. That is how you do well in the game and progress,” the midfielder calmly adds. Antonio Habas is a self-proclaimed fan of the wide midfielder – the Atletico boss told FirstPost that he was confident about ‘how good Doutie is’ and the South African has fully repaid his trust. It is widely believed that the Atletico management (in Kolkata as well as the one based in Madrid) would help the relatively young player find a European club once the current season of the Indian Super League comes to an end. “The league is seen all over the world. My brother is watching it in England, so everyone is watching Indian football, which is good,” tells Doutie about how he is now recognised back home. ‘It is one game at a time’ for Doutie who firmly believes on keeping his feet on the ground and refuses to think ahead about the knock-out stages. Ask him about whether he has enjoyed his experience in India, he vigorously nods, “I am happy to be here. People here are amazing and very friendly. There are so many cultures here. The history behind everything and all the festival and special days make it really interesting.” When FirstPost asked him about his unique celebrations, Doutie said with a smile, “When I was young, playing around with my friends, there was sand all around. So, we started this ritual [of somersaults] and then eventually practicing makes it perfect.” Then, the midfielder added circumspectly, “When you contribute to the team, it is normal to celebrate. If I give an assist to my teammate and he scores, I am happier than scoring the goal myself. To me, the team is more important. I always put the team first before myself.”