Michel Castanha

Michel Margaret Castanha (born 23 December 1992) is an Indian football coach and former footballer who played as a defender for the India women's national football team.

Early life Castanha hails from Curtorim and began her career at the age of eight playing for a Bodyline Club from Maharashtra.

Career

Castanha made her debut in the Under-17 Nationals at the age of 12 in Chandigarh in 2005. In the Indian top tier, Castanha played for Pune City and India Rush Soccer in 2016 and 2017 editions. Castanha has spent two seasons with Gokulam Kerala FC in the IWL and was part of the title-winning squad in 2019 and 2022 editions. She also played for Sethu FC which finished runners-up in the 2021 season.

She made her debut for the Indian national team at the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2018 in South Korea. She was part of the national team which won the SAFF Championship and the South Asian Games in 2019. She was part of the Indian team which participated in the 2022 AFC Asian Cup but withdrew due to COVID pandemic. In July 2023, she was selected for the Senior India camp to be held at Bhubaneshwar from July 30 for the AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round II which was held at Tashkent.

Coaching Since 2025, Castanha has transitioned into coaching following stints with Goa Football Development Council and state's AIFF-FIFA Talent Development Scheme for girls.

Honours India SAFF Women's Championship: 2019 South Asian Games Gold medal: 2019

Gokulam Kerala Indian Women's League: 2019–20, 2022–23

Sethu Indian Women's League runner-up: 2021–22

Panjim Footballers Goa Women's League: 2017