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Saturday 1 October 2016

NorthEast United FC get their #HeroISL campaign off to the ideal start with a narrow win against Kerala Blasters




NorthEast United FC kick-started their campaign in the 3rd Hero Indian Super League (HISL) on a winning note with a 1-0 victory over Kerala Blasters in Guwahati on Saturday. After a barren first session where NorthEast United dominated for long spells, Katsumi Yusa scored the all-important goal in the 54th minute.
NorthEast United were determined to get a positive result from the opener and fielded an attacking line-up with Nicolas Velez, Holicharan Narzary and Emiliano Alfaro in attacking positions. Kerala, on the other hand, were content in soaking up the pressure which they did well in the first 45 minutes but succumbed to NorthEast’s might in the second session.
NorthEast United started the stronger of the two teams although there were hardly any chances in the opening minutes. The home side got their first look at goal in the 24th minute, thanks to a sloppy pass by Kerala goalkeeper Graham Stack which was almost captialised by Nicolas Velez. The lazy kick fell to Romaric who struck from a distance but had no power to beat and embarrass the rival goalkeeper.
A free-kick midway into the first session saw Velez out-jump his marker and head towards goal but Stack did well this time to stretch wide and keep out the danger. NorthEast were continuously attacking in the opening 45 minutes but had nothing to show as the strikers were found wanting.
The home defence was relaxed for most part of the first half but centre-backs Mailson Alves and Gustavo Lazzaretti were needed to stay alert whenever the three-man strike force of Kerala Blasters worked their way on top. Two successive attempts in the 35th and 36th minutes were the closest they got but Antonio German’s shot from about 30 yards fell into the safe hands of goalkeeper Subrata Paul and Sandesh Jhingan could not direct his header towards goal.
After near misses in the first half, NorthEast United finally tasted success in the 54th minute. It was Velez who made it happen after dancing down the left flank and essaying a cross which the Kerala defence missed and Katsumi was only too happy to speed forward and tap it into the goal.
Kerala Basters tried hard to find the equaliser and came close just after the hour mark. Jhingan’s attempted cross sailed unintentionally towards goal and Subrata Paul dived frenetically to keep the ball away from danger. From the resultant corner kick, Subrata left his charge needlessly, got stranded but German’s strike from close range missed the target by a whisker.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Blue Tigers maul Puerto Rico 4-1 in International friendly at ASC, Mumbai

JORDAN TO HOST AFC WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP 2018 FINALS




The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Committee met on Sunday in Chonburi, Thailand, coinciding with the qualifying round for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 taking place in the country.
Key decisions were made relating to the host nations of upcoming AFC women’s competitions: Jordan were chosen to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2018 finals; the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2017 finals were awarded to China PR (Nanjing) and Thailand (Bangkok) were announced as the hosts of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 finals.
The decision to award the hosting of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2018 Finals to Jordan was reached following the study of bidding files and the report of the inspection visit to Amman in April. The inspection team assessed the venues on a number of themes including hosting of previous AFC competitions, current state of facilities, general infrastructure, transport, security and accommodation.
AFC Women’s Football Committee Chairwoman Moya Dodd said: “Jordan have proved they are worthy hosts of the next edition of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup Finals and I would like to congratulate the Jordan Football Association on submitting such a professional and thorough bid. This decision marks a geographical landmark, being the first time a Member Association from the West Zone will have hosted a senior AFC women’s tournament. We look forward to seeing them in the spotlight and wish them well later this month, too, as they host the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup.”
Dodd reflected on a busy meeting agenda, adding: “This is an exciting time for women’s football in Asia as the AFC has pledged recently, as part of its Vision and Mission statement, to further invest in the women’s game in the continent and build on recent progress and success. The information shared and discussed today highlights the great steps that are being made in terms of development, coaching, technical ability and competitiveness, as well as administrative expertise at all levels of the women’s game in Asia.”
The Committee also discussed the potential for a pilot Asian club championship for elite teams, as well as possible development tournaments for emerging Member Associations, further mirroring the AFC’s commitment to providing top level competitions to raise the standard of competition in Asia. 

Tuesday 16 August 2016

East Bengal beats United SC 4-3 in a seven goal thriller to regain top position on the CFL League table.


East Bengal showed relentless tenacity to win a seven goal thriller to overhaul a 3-1 deficit to win the match by 4-3 margin at the CFL encounter against United SC at Barasat Stadium.East Bengal were looking a shadow of their dominant self that fans are accustomed to in CFL a league that East Bengal have made their own over last 6 editions.United SC without their T.D. Subrata Bhattacharya were expected to be steam rolled in this encounter but what unfolded at the Barasat stadium was no less than dramatic in the folklore of Bengal football history. Manotosh of United SC opened the scoring with a brilliant effort from 20 yards out as the striker rattled the bar and the ball eventually landed at the back of the net to make 1-0.
East Bengal were 1-0 down till half time as drama unfolded right at the start of second half as 3 minutes into second half Dika made it 1-1,United SC looked dangerous on the break as they caught East Bengal defence napping earning a penalty as Amod Mahato was brought down by East Bengal keeper while trying to salvage a disastrous backpass.Bello made it 2-1 from the spot at 53 minutes.
As East Bengal looked to pressed forward in search of an equalizer United SC seized the opportunity with a brilliant counter attack as Budhiram Tudu found space down the flank made a darting run towards the box and his measured pass found VP Suhair who gave United a 3-1 lead at 63 minutes with a neat finish.
East Bengal looked hapless at this point as United looked more and more dangerous at this point and the could have easily increased the margin.Morgan was forced to make some tactical changes bringing in Du Dong and Prahlad Roy as East Bengal pressed harder in search of leveling the deficit and  it paid rewards immediately as Bello fouled Dika inside the box giving East Bengal a crucial penalty and Dong made no mistake to make it 3-2 for the Red and Gold.Suddenly,East Bengal found their rhythm and pace in the game as 6 minutes later Arnab made it 3-3 with a towering header from the corner.
United SC seemed to lost their plot as they abandoned their usual style of play and looked to salvage a point and East Bengal pressed harder with waves of attack eventually the United SC defence failed to cope with pressure as Dika made it 4-3 at 88 minutes to give East Bengal a dramatic 4-3 win and keep their dream of winning the league for record 7 times alive !!

Saturday 21 May 2016

Consistent Mohun Bagan steamrolls Aizawl FC by 5-0 to win Federation Cup for 14th time





Guwahati: India striker Jeje Lelpekhlua scored twice as Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan thrashed Aizwal FC 5-0 in the summit clash to clinch the Federation Cup football tournament title for a record-extending 14 times here on Saturday.
Jeje struck in 73rd and 88th minutes while the other goal scorers for Mohun Bagan were Sony Norde (48th), Dhanachandra Singh (58th) and Bikramjit Singh (82nd) after the two sides were locked goal-less at the end of the first session at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium.
Mohun Bagan's 14th title, the most by any club in the country in the prestigious tournament, will give them the right to play in the AFC Cup after they missed out on the I-League title this season. They won the title after a gap of eight years, since their triumph in 2008.
For Aizawl, it was a case of so near yet so far as they failed to end their fairytale campaign with a title triumph.
Playing in their maiden Federation Cup after finishing eighth in the I-League (which they also qualified for the first time), the Aizawl side had beaten I-League champions Bengaluru FC and Sporting Clube de Goa en route to the final.
Aizawl might have come into the match with a lot of confidence after their 'giantkilling' performances but Indian football heavyweights Mohun Bagan were the far superior side, especially in the second half when they heaped misery on their hapless rivals and struck five times without reply.
The Northeastern side fought well in the first half and they had a few shots at Mohun Bagan goal though action remained in their half most of the time.
Mohun Bagan striker Glen Cornel missed a golden chance in the 34th minute as his strike off a Katsumi Yusa corner did not have enough power and Aizawl keeper Soram Poirei collected it easily.
Mohun Bagan returned a completely different side in the second half and pumped in five goals as Aizawl surrendered meekly to their far superior opponents.
The floodgates were opened three minutes after resumption with Norde slotting the ball home after a Bikramjit Singh and Jeje Lalpheklua build-up.
Dhanachandra Singh made it 2-0 as he nodded home, connecting a Katsumi corner at the far post. Jeje made himself enter the scoresheet with a curling shot after a fine back-heel by Cornell in the 73rd minute.
Nine minutes later, Norde dodged past a host of Aizawl defenders from the left and squared the ball for Bikramjit to place it into the empty net.
Two minutes from normal time, Jeje struck his second goal as he tapped the ball into Aizawl net from an Azharuddin Mullick pass to complete the route.
Mohun Bagan Fed Cup 2105

Tuesday 17 May 2016

The Indian Super League has been virtually recognised as the country's top league by the All India Football Federation as the I-League will be rechristened as League 1.

Chennaiyin FC 2012


New Delhi: Ending speculation around the merger of Indian Super League with I-League, the AIFF on Tuesday virtually recognised ISL as the country's premier league as per a new roadmap, which will have three more seven-month leagues in a hierarchical system from 2017 onwards.
In place of Nehru Cup, the AIFF also plans to start a multi-country tournament from 2017 in which teams ranked between 120 to 150 in the FIFA chart will be invited to participate.
As per its latest roadmap, the Super Cup, which was earlier played between the winner of I-League and Federation Cup, will be a two-month affair played by the best teams from ISL, League 1 and League 2 from March 2018. Teams vying to play in the continental AFC Cup will have to go through Super Cup.
Aiming to restructure Indian football, the AIFF and its marketing partners IMG-Reliance on Tuesday presented a new roadmap under which the ISL will be the country's top league followed by League 1, 2 and 3 that will start from November 2017.
A meeting attended by officials from AIFF, ISL, I-League, I-League 2, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and official broadcaster Star Sports was held today. Well-known Indian players such as former captain Bhaichung Bhutia and current star Sunil Chhetri were also present.
While the majority sounded positive about the new roadmap created to restructure Indian football, a few traditional clubs raised concerns.
According to All India Football Federation president Praful Patel, this is aimed at reducing the "friction" between the ISL and the existing I-League, which will be rechristened League 1.
Speculation was rife that the ISL would merge with I-League and become a single entity but when asked about the sudden change in their stance, Patel said they were only trying to have different tiers, and not separate leagues, to have a wider pool of talent.
The AIFF's objective is to create a "sustainable ecosystem" for clubs.
Promotion and relegation will not be applicable to the ISL but Patel said there could be 10 to 12 teams participating in the event from next year onwards.
The AIFF said it is striving to see the national team improve its FIFA rankings to 120 by December 2017. It also wants to help the women's team qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
Under the AIFF Lakshya programme for club football, the federation said it aims to improve the marketability of clubs, attract investment, incentives competition and bring professionalism in Indian clubs.
While 28 teams from 15 states are playing currently in Indian leagues, the AIFF hopes to see the involvement of all states by 2020.
Patel said ISL has been a "disruption in Indian football and it because of this disruption that we are now looking for solutions".
For the sustenance of the lower division clubs, the AIFF said it will guarantee minimum central revenues to them.
The revamp in grassroots development programmes will continue.

Thursday 7 April 2016

UAE 2019 QUALIFIERS PLAY-OFF DRAW CONCLUDED



Malaysia will renew acquaintances with Timor-Leste while Tajikistan are again set to clash with Bangladesh following Thursday's official draw for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers Play-off at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysians and Timor-Leste, who finished bottom two positions in Group A of the recently concluded 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers, were drawn into one of the five pairings in Qualifiers Play-off 1.
Malaysia drew 1-1 with Timor Leste in their joint-qualifying game in Kuala Lumpur in June last year, before beating their fellow ASEAN side 1-0 in October’s return fixture in Dili.
Tajikistan and Bangladesh were placed in another pairing, having finished fourth and fifth respectively in Group B of the joint qualifiers. The Bangladeshis drew 1-1 with Tajikistan in Dhaka, before losing 5-0 in Dushanbe.
The other three pairings are Chinese Taipei v Cambodia, Maldives v Yemen and Laos v India.
The winner of each pairing (total five teams) will advance to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers Final Round while the remaining five losing teams will join Bhutan in Qualifiers Play-off 2 (total six teams).
In Qualifiers Play-off 2, the six teams will form three pairings and play home and away matches against each other and the winner of each pairing (total three teams) will advance to Qualifiers Final Round.
Bhutan, meanwhile, were drawn against the loser of the Qualifiers Play-off I match between Tajikistan and Bangladesh.
Qualifiers Play-off 1 will be held over two legs on June 2 and 7 while Play-off 2 will be played also over two legs on September 6 and October 11.
DRAW RESULTS
Qualifiers Play-Off I
PO 1.1 - Chinese Taipei v Cambodia
PO 1.2 - Maldives v Yemen
PO 1.3 - Tajikistan v Bangladesh
PO 1.4 - Malaysia v Timor-Leste
PO 1.5 - Laos v India
Qualifiers Play-Off II
PO 2.1 - Losing Team PO 1.2 v Losing Team 1.5
PO 2.2 - Losing Team PO 1.3 v Bhutan
PO 2.3 - Losing Team v PO 1.4 v Losing Team PO 1.1

Friday 25 March 2016

India lost 0-4 to Iran in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. India only have three points from five matches



Tehran: Indian football team's dismal run continued as they suffered a humiliating 0-4 loss to Iran in a Group D match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Azadi Stadium here on Thursday.
Haji Safi (33rd, 66th) scored twice, while Azmoun (61st) and Alireza (78th) also got on the score sheet as the highest-ranked team in Asia blanked India.
With this win, Iran finished as Group D leaders with 17 points, while a winless India remained fifth with just three points to their name ahead of their final game against Turkmenistan in Kochi on March 29.
Iran made eight changes and fielded a young team, while for India, the injured duo of Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh were replaced by Udanta Singh, who made his senior debut, and Pronay Halder. Arnab Mondal and Pritam Kotal made way for Sandesh Jhingan and Aibor Khongjee.

Saturday 13 February 2016

India blanks Bangladesh 3-0 to storm into the final of South Asian Games 2016

 
India stormed into the final of 12th South Asian Games 2016 beating Bangladesh by 3-0 margin.Indian coach Lee Johnson keen to keep the momentum going after the initial loss to Sri Lanka banked on in-form player  Udanta Singh with support play from Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Jayesh Rane to lead the attack. The gaffer also brought back Sandesh Jhingan in the starting XI for the crunch game to partner Bikramjit Singh to add some steel to the back line. Local lad Holicharan Narzary started as the lone striker in place of suspended Sumit Passi and flanked by Jayesh and Udanta on both sides while Jerry Mawihmingthanga played the role of a withdrawal forward linking the holding midfield play of Germanpreet and Rowlin Borges to feed the attacking line.
India did not take much to open the scoring as Udanta broke the shackles early into the game latching into a loose ball in the box  and slotting it into the net at 21' to give India a 1-0 lead to cool the nerves.
India maintained good possession and kept winning ball in the midfield as Germanpreet and Rowlin Borges won most of the tackles to keep the midfield domination of the game.
Bangladesh playmaker Sohel Rana was kept contained with prompt closing down of the Indian holding midfielders as the free flowing passing game of Gonzalo Moreno hardly materialized in the opening quarters.
Just before the half time India doubled their lead from a brilliant end to end play from India as Jerry Mawihmingthanga bursted into the Bangladesh box and finished beautifully as India cruized to a comfortable 2-0 lead at half time.
Post break Bangladesh looked to get back into the contest made some good run and put pressure on the Indian backline but the Indian defence managed to held on the lead and TP Rehnesh had a good outing and made some good saves in between.
Bangladesh had a few good chances to reduce the lead and some close penalty calls but India seemed to be in firm control of the game as they used both flanks to give Bangladesh defence a torrid time and  finally Jayesh Rane sealed India's 3rd goal to give India a comfortable 3-0 lead at 64'.
Indian Coach Lee Johnson made some changes as Chhangte was called in to finish off the game with his pace inplace of Holicharan and VinitRai replaced Germanpreet and finally Samad got a look in in place of Narayan Das. Chhangte showed promise with some darting run down the left flank and could have had a goal in the closing stages.
India closed the game with a convincing 3-0 margin and geared to face winner of Nepal vs Maldives contest on 15th in the quest for gold.

Article: Tactical Notes Exclusive edition
Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Sarusajai
 

Thursday 11 February 2016

South Asian Games 2016: India to face Bangladesh in the semis while Nepal faces Maldives

                                         
As the group stage encounter concluded today at SAI centre in Guwahati four teams Maldives and India from Group A and Bangladesh and Nepal from Group B proceeded for the semis. In the final encounter Bangladesh beat Nepal by 2-1 margin to emerge as group toppers of Pool B and set to face India(Runners of Group A) and on the other sems Maldives the winner of Group A will face Nepal, the runners of Group B on 13th February at IG Stadium, Sarusajai.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

AIFF Elite Academy beat TFA clinch U-18 i-League title

https://www.the-aiff.com/img_cache/184X125_60071541556b7382f4fec5.jpg
AIFF Elite Academy 2-0 Tata Football Academy

AIFF Elite Academy defeated Tata Football Academy 2-0 in the U-18 i-League finals to clinch the title for the second consecutive time.

Meanwhile, Salgaocar FC secured the 3rd spot defeating Aizawl FC in the 3rd place play-off.

South Asian Games 2016: India scrapes past Maldives by 3-2 margin to seal berth in semis

South Asian Games 2016In a must win match Indian team in their final group match against Maldives managed to scrape past the Maldivian team by a narrow 3-2 margin to seal a place in the semi final of the 12th SAG Games held at Guwahati.
Indian team under pressure to win this match as gaffer Lee Johnson made some changes from last as Sunit Passi lead the attack Mawihmingthanga started in the midfield.
As the team started with 4-3-2-1 formation with Udanta and Mawihmingthanga playing on both flanks and Sumit Passi played as the sole striker. Rowlin Borges found himself in the usual defensive midfielder role and Germanpreet Singh was the holding midfielder against a attack minded Maldivian outfit.
Both team started brightly as it seemed to be an end to end encounter but it was the Indian team who broke the deadlock on 4' as Udanta Singh found himself on a one-on-one situation following a defensive  error from the Maldivian backline.The pacy forward made no mistake slotting it past the keeper to make it 1-0 for India. Udanta could have doubled his tally on 8' minutes but this time he triggered the ball wide to waste a golden opportunity.
Maldivian team in the meanwhile attacked relentlessly as they used their height advantage over Indians to win most balls in the midfield and penetrated Indian half with ease as Indian defense was stretched on multiple occasions with goalkeeper Rehenesh TP making some fine saves to keep India in the contest.
Maldives finally broke the deadlock on 10' as Muruthala Adnan hammered a loose ball from the corner as Indian defence was caught napping to level the score for Maldives.
As booth team looked to break the deadlock it was Indians who again took the lead as Pritam Kotal on 12' headed in from corner to give Indians a much needed lead..
As India looked to hold on to their lead from an ever threatening Maldivian team Indian defense never looked comfortable as the defensive pair of  Bikramjit Singh and Salam Ranjan Singh showed lack of understanding as Maldivian forwards Ismail Essa and Hasan Niyaz used the space between the two defenders to test Rehenesh time and again, as Maldives pressed continuously they were rewarded on 42nd minute as India conceded an own goal to level the score at 2-2 at half time break.
In the second half India need to push forward to get the all important goal but Indians in the midfield could not string any passes or build up play as Maldivians collected the lose balls and threatened to break the deadlock.
However against the run of play in a swift counter attack Udanta Singh found himself in another opportunity and made no mistake to slot a volley past Maldivian Goalkeeper to give India the all important 3-2 lead.
Coach Lee Johnson made some changes as he brought in local boy Holicharan Narzary from BTC region much to the delight of local crowd in place of an off colour Sumit Passi and teen sensation Lallianzuala Chhangte in place of Jayesh Rane..
Both teams could have had more goals but Maldives missed some easy chances to level the score as Indian team held on to a tight fought encounter to scrape past Maldives.
As India gears to face Nepal or Bangladesh in the semi final, Lee Johnsons boys need to get their act together and cover their lapses in midfield and defence to proceed further into the competition.

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Indian Women's Football icon Bembem Devi set to hang boots after SAG 2016


Set to hang her boots after South Asian Games, Bembem Devi, an icon in Indian women football, on Sunday pledged to work for the sport at the grass-roots level in her home state of Manipur.
"It's been a one fulfilling experience for me. I really enjoyed a lot and will miss my team after retirement. But I'm happy that I will now be able to devote my time to the kids back in Manipur who are demanding and asking everyday when will I come and train them. It's payback time for me," the football captain said.
The All India Football Federation is also likely to hand her some assignment with the U-14 and U-16 teams in the coming future, she said.
Singling out her most memorable moment, the 35-year-old said, "I had won the AIFF Women's Player of the Year when it was constituted in 2001. But at the same time missing out on Olympic qualification (in 2015) is something I will regret."
An integral part of the India women's national team for the last two decades, Bembem has also had the distinction of playing in a foreign league.
The veteran was signed by Maldives side New Radiant in 2014 and she emerged as the highest scorer of the championship with six goals in only three matches.
The Manipuri has left a lasting impression on the younger generation of women footballers. However, since there has been no league for women in India, it was a shame that a talented player like Bembem couldn't showcase her skills regularly.
On her marriage plans, the central midfielder said, "I have decided not to get married but decided to sacrifice my life for football. I eat, sleep and drink football, and my goal now is to train youngsters and promote football."

Saturday 6 February 2016

SAG organzing commitee releases updates schedule and venue for Men's football event




The SAG organizing committee released updated schedule for 12th SAG games which is being held in Guwahati.In an official press release the OC announced the venue for Men's football had to be shifted as Nehru stadium could not be made ready on time to host the matches. The new venue was decided to be Paltan Bazar SAI Ground a smaller venue which the organizers had to deck up in short span to make the events underway.

Sri Lanka shocks India with a 1-0 defeat at opening match of SAG 2016

South Asian Games 2016The U-23 Indian Football Team went down to Sri Lanka by a solitary goal to Sri Lanka in their opening match of the South Asian Games in Guwahati on Saturday (February 6).

India enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and dominated most of the proceedings but inability to convert the chances cost them dear.

Sri Lanka surged into the lead in the 14th minute when Captain MCM Rinas curled in a free-kick from around 30 yards.

Apart from conceding the goal, India dominated most of the first half creating a fair number of chances, three of which should have been converted in the first half itself.

First, midway into the half, Udanta Singh outwitted his marker on the right flank and found Sumit Passi all in the clear. But with the rival Goalkeeper at his mercy, Passi failed to control it, thus muffing it up.

Thereafter, Lallainzuala followed up a cross from the right but his weak push wasn’t able to make its way into the net through the jungle of legs.

Late in the first time, Udanta once again found Halicharan Narzary but Narzary failed to lob it over an onrushing Goalkeeper.

Changing over, Head Coach Lee Johnson brought in three changes. Immediately after resumption, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, an U-19 Player in place of Passi and then Bikramjit Singh replaced Skipper Sandesh Jhingan who got injured; and later Jayesh Rane was introduced for Lallianzuala.

The story did stay the same but the equaliser never came. Having more of the possession even in the second half,  did't help as they were not able to break the shackles. The last golden chance came to Rowlin Borges in injured time but he blasted it over from top of the box.

India next play Maldives in their last Group League match on February 10. The top two from each Group advance to the semis.

INDIA U-23: Rehenesh; Pritam Kotal, Salam Ranjan, Sandesh Jhingan © (Bikramjit Singh), Narayan Das; Udanta Singh, Vinit Rai, Rowlin Borges, Lallianzuala Changte (Jayesh Rane), Halicharan Narzary, Sumit Passi (Jerry).

Wednesday 27 January 2016

AFC Qualifier: Mohun Bagan Create History, Beat Tampines Rovers 3-1




Kolkata: Mohun Bagan packed a punch in a 3-1 drubbing of Singaporean heavyweights Tampines Rovers to become the first Indian club to win a match in the AFC Champions League qualifier at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
Jeje Lalpekhula (fifth minute), Cornell Glen (41st) and Katsumi Yusa (83rd) scored for Mohun Bagan while Yasir Hanapi struck the lone goal for Tampines Rovers in the 43rd minute.
Mohun Bagan's Haitian recruit Norde made the difference on a day Cornell Glen had a miserable run that included missing a penalty.
Trailing 1-2, the Singapore League runners-up started strongly in the second-half but before they could bring on the equaliser and take the match to extra time, Mohun Bagan's Japanese recruit Katsumi Yusa confirmed their tickets to China with his 83rd minute strike from Sony Norde's corner.
Norde set up both Jeje and Katsumi as the I-League champions today created history by becoming the first team to win a match in the ACL.
Previously, Dempo (2009, 2011), Churchill Brothers (2010), Pune FC (2014) and Bengaluru FC (2015) made exits in the first qualifying round.
Mohun Bagan will now travel to Chinese city Jinan to clash against Shandong Luneng FC in the Preliminary Stage 2 on February 2.
Shandong Luneng FC are placed third in the Chinese Super League and it will be a real challenge for Mohun Bagan to play in Jinan where the temperature is sub-zero.
Four teams will make the cut from Preliminary Stage 2 to the East Zone play-off. 16 teams in two groups of East and West will lock horns in the Playoff Stage to determine the eight qualifiers for the Group Stage of the ACL.
This is also Mohun Bagan's first win against the Singaporean outfit against whom they drew at home and lost away in the AFC Cup in 2007.
Coach Sanjoy Sen chose to start with the in-form India forward Jeje and his spirited runs combined with Cornell Glen and Sony Norde's pace unsettled 'The Stags' defence early on.
The Mizoram forward, who was benched in their 1-1 draw in the I-League derby versus East Bengal, handed Mohun Bagan an early lead putting the ball to the far post in what was a result of a brilliant move from Norde.
The Haitian cleverly tackled the Singaporean outfit's South Korean recruit Kwon Jun from the left before giving a backpass to Dhanachandra who crossed it to Jeje for their rousing start in front of a sparse crowd in the gigantic stadium.
What followed was a sheer dominance from Mohun Bagan as Norde toyed with 'The Stags' defence.
Mohun Bagan, however, missed a penalty as well as a couple of golden opportunities as they held their slender lead before Glen made it 2-0.
It was Norde who missed a long ranger in the 21st minute before Glen let the team down six minutes later after being set up brilliantly by Katsumi from the right.
With Tampines Rovers defender fumbling, Yusa's cross was neatly received by the Trinidadian shot it over the bar.
Continuing his miserable run, Glen missed to convert from the spot as he shot straight into the hands of Tampines Rovers goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud in the 34th minute.
Moments later, Jeje fumbled to bring up his second after being set up by Norde as Mohun Bagan struggled to convert their chances till a defensive lapse from the Singaporeans.
Norde was once again instrumental in bringing up a second goal when he dribbled past the Tampines Rovers defenders. The goalkeeper lost control and Glen this time found his act right just in front of the goalline with his tap-in.
But their 2-0 cushion was shortlived as a minute later Kingshuk Debnath conceded a free kick by bringing down Hafiz just on the edge of the box and an unmarked Hanipi pulled one back just before the break.
The Stags, playing with the lone forward in the S-League top scorer Nawaz, looked to bounce back after the changeover as they had more setpiece movements but an equaliser continued to elude them.
Three minutes into the second half, the visitors almost brought on the 2-2 equaliser when Fazrul found the back of the net but only to be ruled off side.
The visiting side gradually started to find their feet by building pressure on the I-League champions. Nawaz missed a freeheader after Mohun Bagan defender Luciano Sabrosa failed to control. It was a see-saw contest in the second-half with Mohun Bagan surviving a few scares.
But before the Singapore side could force an equaliser, Mohun Bagan's Japanese recruit Yusa sealed the home side's win with his powerful rightfooter after being set up by substiture Prabir Das's header from a Norde corner kick.

Monday 18 January 2016

70th Santoh Trophy: Bengal opens their Santosh trophy encounter against Sikkim on 8th February and faces Orissa next on 11th February




The All-India Football Federation has finalised the dates of the South Zone qualifying tournament and the final round of the Santosh Trophy. While the South Zone tournament will be held at the Nehru Stadium here from February 9 to 14 the final round is at Nagpur from February 29 to March 13.
Host Tamil Nadu will open its campaign against Telangana.
Groupings: Group A: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana & Andaman & Nicobar; B: Services, Karnataka, Puducherry & Andhra Pradesh.
The schedule: Feb. 9: TN vs Tel; Ker vs Andaman & Nicobar; Feb. 10: Services vs Puducherry; Kar vs AP; Feb.11: Tel vs Ker; TN vs Andaman & Nicobar; Feb. 12: Puducherry vs Kar; AP vs Services; Feb. 13: Andaman & Nicobar vs Tel; Ker vs TN; Feb. 14: Puducherry vs AP; Services vs Kar. — Special Correspondent

Sunday 17 January 2016

Indian Football weekly Round , Updates and scores:I league, Second Division I league , U-5 I league

Second Division i-League 2015-16
Second Division i-League 2015-16 Results: 17th January 2016
Second Division i-League 2015-16 Results
17.01.2016

LoneStar Kashmir FC 1-1 Kenkre FC
LKFC: Atinder Mani(81st)
KFC: Arish Sutaria(44th)

PIFA Sports 0-8 Dempo SC
DSC: Beevan D'Mello(19th), Shallum Pires(32nd), Chika Wali(39th), Kapil Hoble(43rd, 84th), Odili Felix Chidi(45th+1, 64th), N. Castanha(90+2nd)
Posted: 17 Jan 2016 12:12 PM PST
U15 Youth League 2015 Results
U-15 Youth League 2015 Results: 17th January 2016
U-15 Youth League 2015 Results
17.01.2016

Guwahati FC U15 1-1 Gauhati Town Club U15
GFC: Rishikesh Borah(70th)
GTC: Manash Pratim Sonowal(18th)
Posted: 17 Jan 2016 12:02 PM PST
Hero i-League 2015-16 Results
Mumbai FC hold East Bengal to a goalless draw, Hero i-League 2015-16
Hero i-League 2015-16 Results
17.01.2016

DSK Shivajians FC 0-0 SC Goa
Mumbai FC 0-0 East Bengal

DSK Shivajians opened their i-League account with a point as they drew with Sporting Clube de Goa at home in a goalless draw. Mumbai FC and East Bengal also played out a goalless draw at the Cooperage.
Posted: 17 Jan 2016 04:06 AM PST
Minerva Academy FC
Minerva Academy FC topped the Western Conference in the 2nd Division i-League 2015-16

Minerva Academy Football Club had a dream 2nd Division I-League debut to become the Champions of the Western Conference. To claim the pole position, The Pride of Punjab have won 6 out of their 8 matches, while having drawn 1 and suffering a narrow away-loss to Dempo SC.

The Western Conference Champions’ Title cannot be sweeter at this point as it serves as a confidence booster for the Minervans, who will start preparing for the final round after a short break.

“This is just a good start for us and we all know our mission is not accomplished yet. We still have long and tougher road ahead of us and we can’t rest on this laurel. The hard work begins now as the real challenge lies ahead,” is what club director and think-tank Ranjit Bajaj had to say.

True to his sayings, hard work has been the key reason behind Minerva’s dream run. The 16 goals that came from the players are results of several hours of practice put in. Moreover at Minerva, great emphasise was put on the players fitness, having them to go through rigorous fitness regime. Utmost care was also taken on their recovery with regular Hydrotherapy and Spa sessions. On average, players had 4 hours of sessions everyday, excluding class room sessions.

The eight 90-minute games that the boys displayed was just a tip of the hard work they have put in since August-September 2015, when the management was putting all papers together to make it to the 2nd Division I-League.

With 2 goals on average per match, Minerva Academy FC were the highest goal scorers in both the Eastern and Western conference put together with 16 goals scored. The fact that these 16 goals were scored by 10 different players also suggest the ‘Team Game’ philosophy that coach Surinder Singh had adopted.

If the goal galore were things to be happy about, Goalkeeping coach Sandeep Singh’s first choice Shayan Roy was equally good at his task. He let in only 3 goals in the 7 matches he was under the bar, keeping 5 clean sheets. This brought Minerva’s goal difference to another ‘Best’ of the league with 13.

Minerva Academy FC statistics
Statistics of Minerva Academy FC in the 2nd Division i-League 2015-16


Minervans were also the highest goal scorers at Home and Away with 8 goals each while were also the lowest to concede in both Home (2) and Away (1) too. Interestingly, MAFC have won all the matches when they have scored first though only 3 goals have been scored in the first 30 minutes.

On the contrary, 4 goals each were scored between 30-45 minutes and 75-90 minutes, which once again proves the Minervans fitness and endurance over their rivals. That’s not all, the team also maintained 5 match unbeaten run with 4 consecutive wins to start the league.

Now that the Western Conference have been conquered, the management is already staging a plan to conquer the Final Round to become the 2nd Division champions to make it to the I-League. With the transfer season on, the team is likely to be active to upgrade the squad for the final assault that is likely to begin late February or early March.
Posted: 17 Jan 2016 03:49 AM PST
Second Division i-League 2015-16
Second Division i-League 2015-16 Results: 16th January 2016
Second Division i-League 2015-16 Results
16.01.2016

Guwahati FC 0-0 Gangtok Himalayan SC

Mohammedan SC 1-0 Neroca FC
MSC: M Basanta Singh(24th)
Posted: 17 Jan 2016 01:42 AM PST
Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC win
Hero i-League 2015-16: John Johnson of Bengaluru FC in action against Aizawl FC
Hero i-League 2015-16 Results
16.01.2016

Mohun Bagan 4-2 Salgaocar FC
MB: Yusa Katsumi (9th - Assist Dhanachandra Singh), Cornell Glen (28th - Penalty), Luciano Sobrosa (33rd - Assist Yusa Katsumi), Balwant Singh(48th  - Assist Yusa Katsumi)
SAL: Daryl Duffy (69th - Assist Jackichand Singh), Gurjinder Kumar (86th - Assist Gilbert Olivera)

Aizawl FC 0-1 Bengaluru FC
BFC: Curtis Osano(27th - Assist Keegan Periera)

Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC continued their good form with victories in the second week of Hero i-League 2015-16. Mohun Bagan defeated Salgaocar FC at home quite convincingly with goals from Yusa Katsumi, Cornell Glen, Luciano Sarbosa and Balwant Singh helping the Mariners marching on with a 4-2 victory. Daryl Duffy and Gurjinder Singh scored one goal each in the second half but the fightback was not enough at end.

Bengaluru FC made it two in two when they handed the debutants Aizawl FC their second defeat courtesy of a Curtis Osano goal in the 27th minute. Aizawl put in a brave fight against the last year's runners up but Osano's goal remained as the only goal of the match. This was Bengaluru FCs second successive away game and they have bagged all six points.