Stephen Constantine announce list of 32 probables for the ‪‎WorldCup‬ qualifiers; AFC Cup results

Brilliant Nordy fires Bagan to a 4-1 demolition over Bengaluru FC as Katsumi and Bikramjeet gets on scoresheet

Kolkata Derby ends in 1-1 as Pierre Boya and Ranty Martins scores for respective teams

Indian footballer Anupam signs for Georgian club FC Adeli

Pune, Feb 16 (IANS) FC Pune City defender Anupam Sarkar has signed a four-month loan contract with Georgian football Club FC Adeli Batumi, the Indian Super League franchise announced in a statement Monday.
He follows teammates Israil Gurung and Manish Maithani who recently secured a move to Portugal's top flight side Vitoria de Guimaraes' B team.
"I cannot wait to begin this new chapter in my career. I am thankful to my club FC Pune City and FC Adeli for providing me with this chance to go abroad and play in Georgia," Sarkar said Monday.
"I am excited to train and put in my best effort to help my team and my team mates."
"I am also very happy to know that FC Adeli is the first Georgian club ever to sign an Indian player," Levan Adeishvili, president of the Georgian club, said.

East Bengal 1-1 Kalyani Bharat FC: Controversial goal cost East Bengal 2 points in crucial Home game against Bharat FC

East Bengal team were left shattered and lost 2 points despite taking lead as the reefree seemingly made a contentious decision to award Bharat FC a second half equalizer which seemed Kris Wright clearly elbowing Goalkeeper Subabhish in the aerial tussle resulting in the goal.
With the much awaited derby around the corner East Bengal faced dichotomy to field a strengthed squad or give key player due rest before the debry they are due to play in less than 48 hours.
With Ranty upfront pairing with Baljeet and Dudu on bench East Bengal did not create much threat in first half as the away team seemed to be more fluid in their movement with Subash Singh providing pace and big framed Kris Wright tormented the East Bengal backline and had a few clear chances which they squandered. But the deadline was broken in 41st minute when Ranty Martin tucked in a neat cross from Mama to give East Bengal a narrow lead.


In the second half the match gathered momentum as both side creating more chances but what seemed like an error of judgement from the referee as Kris Bright elbowed Goalkeeper Subhash in the 6 yeard box to roll the ball past goalline and surprisngly the referee awarded the goal to Bharat FC leaving East Bengal furious.
The match came to life as Eadt Bengal fielded Dudu Omagbemi in search for a lead while Bharat FC looked happy with 1 point as they tried to play with lone striker and long ball strategy trying to capitalize on the counter.Second half saw some heated moments as a flurry of yellow cards were shown to both teams with none of the teams managing to take lead spoils were shared as un-seasonal rains lashed the mighty YBK to conclude the game 1-1.

INDIA V NEPAL HEADLINES 2018 WORLD CUP, 2019 ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS DRAW

Kuala Lumpur: Twelve Asian nations discovered their opponents for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 on Tuesday, with the India versus Nepal encounter arguably the pick of the six ties decided.Asia’s 12 lowest ranked sides – India, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Timor Leste (ranked 35th to 40th by FIFA), Nepal, Macau, Pakistan, Mongolia, Brunei and Bhutan (ranked 41st to 46th by FIFA) – were invloved in the draw at AFC House.

India's tussle with Nepal has an added dimension in the form of returning India head coach Stephen Constantine who was in charge of Nepal from 1999 until 2001.

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 Draw

India v Nepal
Yemen v Pakistan
Timor-Leste v Mongolia
Cambodia v Macau
Chinese Taipei v Brunei DS
Sri Lanka v Bhutan

The dozen hopefuls will now meet on March 12 and 17 as they attempt to progress to the next stage of qualifying, while the games will see the Asian Football Confederation become the first governing body to begin qualifying for FIFA's global extravaganza in Russia.

The six winners will advance to Round 2 where the 34 highest ranked teams await. The 40 nations will be drawn into eight groups of five teams and compete according to a double round robin format.

The Round 2 qualification matches will be held from June 11, 2015 to March 29, 2016.

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup finals.

Mizoram takes football gold at National Games in Kerala 2015

If further confirmation was required about Mizoram’s status as the champion State of Indian football it came on a lovely Monday night at this coastal city known for its love of the beautiful game. Mizoram’s brave little warriors won the National Games gold, beating Punjab 1-0 in the final, in front of more than 25,000 enamoured fans.

Exactly 11 months ago, they had written their first fairytale when they lifted the Santosh Trophy at Siliguri. Only two players from that side are here, but this group of youngsters played with as much confidence as they did not lose a single game in this event.

The two teams had met in the group stage five days ago; Mizoram won that match 2-0. Punjan played the final better, especially in the second half, but Mizoram ran out as deserving champion. The gold-medal winning goal was scored by Imanuel Lalthazuala in the 83rd minute.

It came off a corner kick taken by captain David Lalrinmuana, who had played a key role in Mizoram’s Santosh Trophy triumph.

Punjab’s normally reliable custodian Jagroop Singh, who had a great tournament till then, failed to gather the ball properly and an opportunistic Lalthazuala lunged forward and put it firmly into the net.

Punjab was taken aback by that goal, as it had been threatening to score in the second half with a series of threatening moves. Both sides had to play the last 25 minutes with 10 men apiece, as Mizoram’s B. Zoramthara and Punjab’s Sarbjit Singh were sent off after they pushed each other.

Punjab, for the second National Games in a row, had to settle for silver.

The results: Final: Mizoram 1 (Imanuel Lalthazuala 83) bt Punjab 0. Third place: Maharashtra 3 (Mohammed Irshad 32, Mario Mascarenhas 45-own goal, Sidharth Nayak 60) bt Goa 1.

India to play 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Rd 1 in Guwahati

 The Indian senior national football team will play their home match of the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sajusarai in Guwahati. The Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 will be played on a home and away format and India will play their home match in Guwahati on March 12. The match will mark the debut for head coach Stephen Constantine in his second stint with the national team. The return leg is slated for March 17. The official draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 will take place on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur. Asia's 12 lowest ranked sides -- India, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Timor Leste, Nepal, Macau, Pakistan, Mongolia, Brunei and Bhutan -- will be involved in the draw t the AFC House. The 12 teams (ranked 35th to 46th) are seeded based on the latest FIFA rankings and will be divided into six pairings of two teams. The dozen hopefuls will then play on a home and away format with the games scheduled to take place on March 12 and 17. The six winners will advance to Round 2 where the 34 highest ranked teams await. The 40 nations will be drawn into eight groups of five teams and compete, yet again, according to a home and away format. The Round 2 qualification matches will be held from June 11, 2015 to March 29, 2016. The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup finals. 

Hero i-League 2015 Results: 7th-8th February 2015

Hero i-League 2015 Results 08.02.2015 Mumbai FC 0-0 SC Goa Bengaluru FC 1-0 Kalyani Bharat FC BFC: Eugenson Lyngdoh(78th)

Hero i-League Results: 7th February 2015, Picture Courtesy: www.the-aiff.com Hero i-League 2015 Results 07.02.2015 Mohun Bagan 1-0 Pune FC MB: Pritam Kotal(77th - Assist Sony Norde) Hero of the Match: Bello Rasaq Salgaocar FC 3-1 East Bengal SFC: Douhou Pierre(43rd - Assist Darryl Duffy), Darryl Duffy(45+2nd - Assist Gilbert Oliveira), Brian Mascarenhas(65th - Assist Gilbert Oliveira) EB: Dudu Omagbemi(76th) Hero of the Match: Brian Mascarenhas Royal Wahingdoh 1-1 Dempo SC RW: Germanpreet Singh(53rd- From a corner) DSC: Nadong Bhutia(72nd-Came off rebound from the post after Kim Seng-yong's effort) Hero of the Match: Densill Theobald

Douhou-Duffy blitz sinks East Bengal 3-1 against Salgaocar

GOA: Salgaocar Football Club were sharp in attack as they accounted for Kingfisher East Bengal 3-1 in a Hero I-League clash at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Saturday.

Salgaocar played second fiddle to East Bengal in the opening half and allowed their rivals to take possession for long spells. But the hosts were lively in front of the goal and walked away with a 2-0 advantage at the breather with goals from Douhou Pierre and Darryl Duffy.

Brian Mascarenhas made it 3-0 in the second session before Dudu Omagbemi pulled a goal back for East Bengal with 14 minutes on the clock.

Salgaocar started the match with Scottish striker Darrul Duffy for the first time and he struck a good understanding with Douhou Pierre. The two combined effectively and carved Salgaocar’s first chance in the 12th minute. Douhou snatched the ball and laid the ball on the platter for Duff but the Scottish striker could not beat Subhashish Roy Chowdhury under the East Bengal goal.

Salgaocar, however, drew first blood in the 43rd minute when Douhou and Duffy combined to create an opportunity for Douhou. The last named, controlling a pass from Duffy, beat Deepak Mondal with a deft touch and then slammed the ball inside an open goal.

The hosts made it 2-0 at the stroke of half time. This time it as Gilbert Oliveira who essayed a ball from the left and Duffy was on hand to beat his marker Milan Susak before picking out the top corner of the goal.

East Bengal had plenty of possession but could not translate their superiority into goals. Their best chance was a powerful header from Dudu which sailed just wide.

In the second session, East Bengal came back stronger, determined to wipe off the deficit. But, it was Salgaocar’s defence that stood out, giving little away. East Bengal came close when Ranti Martins’s header sailed just wide but at the other end it were Salgaocar who enhanced their lead in the 65th minute after a faulty clearance from Gurwinder Singh landed nicely at the feet of Brian, who found the mark with an angular left-footer.

Dudu Omagbemi pulled a goal back for Salgaocar in the 76th minute but it was too late for the visitors to stage any comeback.

Hero of the Match – Brian Mascarenhas.

Pritam Kotal's 77th minute header earns Mariners full point at home against resilient Pune FC

KOLKATA: Pritam Kotal scored the only goal of the match as McDowell Mohun Bagan got past table toppers Pune FC with a 1-0 scoreline in a Round 5 encounter of the Hero I-League at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The first real chance of the match fell to the home side in the 13th minute after Jeje Lalpekhlua did ever so well to lay it off to an approaching Katsumi whose piledriver from about 30 yards was tipped over by an alert Amrinder Singh in goal.

Edgar Marcelino played in Darko Nikac in the 16th minute and the Montenegrin striker turned well but his shot was blocked by Kingshuk Debnath.

Katsumi did put the ball into the back of the net in the 18th minute after Sony Norde had flashed a ball into the box from the left, only to be disallowed for the Japanese having used his hands in the process..

It was a moment of brilliance from Edgar Marcelino on the half hour mark as he waltzed past at least three Green and Maroon players before Bello Rasaq got a block in as he was looking to pick out either of Nikac or Haokip who were lining up.

Merely a minute later, a lovely through ball from Denson Devadas had released Jeje on the right but the Indian International’s hopeful shot was blocked by Luciano Sobrosa.

Norde tried to curl one in at the far post from the left after Katsumi had released him but it went quite a bit wide of the post.

After Ganesh had fouled him dead centre, Norde followed it up with a delightful freekick that was inches wide of Amrinder’s left post.

Just before the half time whistle, Pune had a glorious chance on the counter as there were at least five yellow shirts on the half line against two retreating Green and Maroon defenders. However Marcelino managed to quash the chance as his poor flicked pass was cleared easily by Debnath.

Norde managed to test Amrinder with a weak shot just moments later after Jeje had opted to pass it onto his path.

In the 70th minute, Mohun Bagan did build up a great move, courtesy the Japanese as he expertly left the pass from Bikramjit, towards Jeje who was ready to pull the trigger. However Matthew Gonsalves put in a vital foot in to deny him the opportunity.

The Mariners finally had the elusive goal in the 77th minute with substitute, Balwant Singh playing a vital role. Finding Sony Norde free on the left, he found him out expertly. The Haitian swung a great ball into the box which was missed by the entire Red Lizards’ defense only for Pritam Kotal to pop up at the far post and head the ball in past a stranded Amrinder.

The Mariners had a chance in the dying minutes of the match, to put the match beyond doubt as Sony Norde was in acres of space when Katsumi found him. The Haitian managed to cut in and leave Sobrosa on the ground, but his ensuing shot let out a groan from the player as he flashed it over the bar, with the entire goal to aim at.

The win continues Mohun Bagan’s undefeated start to the season while Karim Bencherifa is greeted with defeat as he returns to his old hunting ground.

Hero of the Match – Bello Rasaq.

Punjab to host Final Phase of 69th Santosh Trophy in March

Mid week Football News Update Update

Manish Maithani and Israil Gurung to play in Portugal on loan from FC Pune City Manish Maithani and Israil Gurung to play for Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes "B" team, Picture Courtesy: sportskeeda.com Manish Maithani and Israil Gurung became the first two players to get a move to foreign club from the Indian Super League(ISL) after both of them were granted a loan move to Portuguese top division side Vitoria de Guimaraes. It is learnt that the two players who featured for FC Pune City in the inaugral edition of Indian Super League(ISL), will be making the reserve squad of the Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes. The deal came through after agreement between the FC Pune City franchisee and Vitoria de Guimaraes. Manish Maithani, a former player of Mohun Bagan and Israil Gurung, who played for Churchill Brothers in the i-League, were both very excited to be a part of the Portuguese outfit till their contract expires on 30th June, 2015.

Bengaluru FC go down to Johor Darul Tazim in AFC Asian Champions League 2015 Play-off Johor Darul Ta'zim beat Bengaluru FC in AFC Asian Champions League(ACL) Play-off, Courtesy: www.the-afc.com 04.02.2015 AFC Asian Champions League 2015 Play-off Tan Sri Dato' Haji Yunos, Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 2-1 Bengaluru FC JDT: Hariss Harun(47th), Suppiah Chanturu(97th) BFC: Eugeneson Lyngdoh(97th) Bengaluru FC's hope of qualifying for the final phase of AFC Asian Champions League(ACL) were put to bed by Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim of Malaysia as "The Blues" lost 2-1 in a close contest that went till extra time. The first real chance of the game came to English defender John Johnson of Bengaluru FC when his header rattled the woodwork in the 23rd minute. Hariss Harun drew the first blood for the hosts in a similar fashion, when he nodded home a corner in the 47th minute past the Bengaluru FC custodian Ralte. Despite home side's dominance in possession and attack, Bengaluru FC staged a late comeback through former Rangdajied United captain Eugeneson Lyngdoh. First his header came off the post but Vineeth failed to capitalize as his effort was blocked for a corner. The resulting corner by expertly taken by Eugeneson as it swerved with speed  and went straight to the back of the net despite efforts from Johor Darul Ta'zim players. The scoreline read 1-1 after regulation time was over. With the game tied at 1-1, game went to extra time. Bengaluru FC's hope went crashing down when Jorge Pereyra Diaz found Suppiah Chanturu clean through, as he managed to score the winner in the 97th minute after his side footed effort beat Ralte. Both teams had some close chances later on but the game ultimately ended with the 2-1 scoreline favoring Johor Darul Ta'zim FC, who stay in the hunt for a chance to qualify for the AFC Asian Champions League.

East Bengal 2-1 Shillong Lajong FC: Ranty brace earns East Bengal ful 3 points in crucial home game against Shillong Lajong FC

A brilliant goal by World Cupper Cornell Glen was not enough forthe Reds as East Bengal registered a 2-1 win at their home fortress on Sunday evening. Ranti Martins scored a brace for the Kolkata Outfit in the 29th and 70th minute respectively while Cornell Glen netted the solitary goal for Lajong in the 59th minute.