{{Short description|Indian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nandini Mattu | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Nandini Mattu | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2007|06|06|df=y}} | birth_place = Punjab, India | height = 1.80 m<ref name="AFC-squad-list">{{cite web |title=2026 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Squad Lists |url=https://assets.the-afc.com/2026_AFC_U20_Womens_Asian_Cup/Finals/Downloads/Squads/AFC-U20-Women's-Asian-Cup-2026---squads.pdf?source=url |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |access-date=31 March 2026 }}</ref> | position = Goalkeeper<br/>Forward{{efn|Mattu played a forward earlier in her career.}} | currentclub = Sethu | clubnumber = 1 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = GMSSS Chandigarh | years1 = 2022 | clubs1 = Bengaluru FC | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2022 | clubs2 = Eves SC | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2025 | clubs3 = Odisha | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 2025– | clubs4 = Sethu | caps4 = | goals4 = | nationalyears1 = 2023 | nationalteam1 = India U17 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | club-update = | nationalteam-update = }} '''Nandini Mattu''' (born 6 June 2007)<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIFF Under 17 National Team -Nandini |url=https://www.the-aiff.com/players/profile/194344 |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The AIFF}}</ref> is an Indian professional footballer from Punjab. She plays as a midfielder or goalkeeper for the Indian Women's League club Sethu. She has represented India at the youth level internationally.
== Early life and education == Nandini is from Chandigarh, Punjab. Her father Vijay Kumar is a Class IV employee at Udyog Bhavan in Sector 17, and her mother, Bharti, works as a domestic help. She did her schooling at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, Chandigarh.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=3 December 2024 |title=From ace striker to goalkeeper, Nandini eyes place in national team |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/from-ace-striker-to-goalkeeper-nandini-eyes-place-in-natl-team/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=International Youth Day: फुटबॉल का ऐसा जुनून... 16 साल में नंदिनी बन गईं भारतीय टीम की सदस्य |url=https://www.amarujala.com/chandigarh/success-story-of-chandigarh-football-player-nandini-on-international-youth-day-2023-08-12 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}}</ref> She trained under coach Bhupinder Singh at the school.<ref name=":1" />
== Career == Nandini started as a forward but later decided to become a goalkeeper following the suggestion from their coaches and senior players to take advantage of her height.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Sharda |first=Deepankar |date=3 December 2024 |title=From ace striker to goalkeeper, Nandini eyes place in national team |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/from-ace-striker-to-goalkeeper-nandini-eyes-place-in-natl-team/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> She played the Under 17 Women’s National Football Championship at Assam and based on her performance, she was selected among the 21 member Indian probable for the camp.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |date=8 August 2022 |title=Chandigarh striker Nandini Kumar gets shot in the arm |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/chandigarh-striker-gets-shot-in-the-arm-419943/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> Then, she was selected for the under 17 team and played for India in Jordan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharda |first=Deepankar |date=23 January 2023 |title=Chandigarhs Nandini gets call for U-17 football probables camp |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/chandigarhs-nandini-gets-call-for-u-17-football-probables-camp-473120/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> In the Chandigarh Under 13 League, she was selected as the Best Player of the Tournament and in January 2022, she joined the Bengaluru Football Club’s residential academy on a four month contact.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 February 2022 |title=14-yr-old Nandini beats the odds to join pro football club |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/schools/14-yr-old-nandini-beats-the-odds-to-join-pro-football-club-370458 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> That led to her playing the Karnataka State Football Association's Women's A Division League and she scored a hattrick in her very first match against GRK Girls Football Club.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2025 |title=Chandigarh News: इंडियन महिला लीग में ओडिशा एफसी के लिए खेलेंगी शहर की फुटबॉलर नंदिनी |url=https://www.amarujala.com/chandigarh/city-footballer-nandini-will-play-for-odisha-fc-in-the-indian-womens-league-chandigarh-news-c-16-pkl1043-630138-2025-02-11 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}}</ref> In July 2022, she was the top scorer in the pre-Subroto Cup tournament in Chandigarh and was part of the GMSSS 22 which qualified for the main Subroto Cup.<ref name=":22" /> In May 2024, she represented Chandigarh in the Senior Women’s National Football Championship for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy final round in Kolkata, West Bengal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2023/24 Final Round: Squad List |url=https://www.chaseyoursport.com/indian-football/senior-womens-national-football-championship-2023-24-final-round-squad-list/9233 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Chase Your Sport |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=IANS |date=2024-05-09 |title=Sr women's football nationals: Tamil Nadu remain on top of Group A as Bengal storm back |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/sports/sr-womens-football-nationals-tamil-nadu-remain-on-top-of-group-a-as-bengal-storm-back-1503298604.html |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Statesman |language=en}}</ref>
She was selected among the probables for the camp ahead of the friendlies against Maldives.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-29 |title=India women's football team coach Alexandersson announced 23-member squad for Maldives friendly |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/india-womens-football-team-23-member-squad-maldives-friendly-full-team-venue-time/article69039441.ece |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref> She made it to the senior India team in the first FIFA friendly against Maldives at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on 1 January 2025 but did not get a chance to get into the playing XI and sat on the bench. She was replaced by Ribansi Jamu for the second match.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2025-01-01 |title=Indian women's football team coach Joakim Alexandersson makes six changes for second Maldives friendly |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/india-womens-football-team-maldives-joakim-alexandersson-make-six-changes-debut-blue-tigresses-news/article69050661.ece |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.the-aiff.com/players/profile/194344 Nandini] at All India Football Federation.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nandini Mattu}} Category:Living people Category:2007 births Category:Indian women's footballers Category:India women's youth international footballers Category:Footballers from Punjab, India Category:Sportswomen from Punjab, India Category:Footballers from Chandigarh Category:Sportswomen from Chandigarh Category:Women's association football goalkeepers Category:Indian Women's League players Category:Odisha FC Women players Category:Sethu FC players Category:21st-century Indian sportswomen