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Jumat, 30 September 2011

VIDEO: World's Best Freekick Goal?

A friend of mine send me the link to this video clip of a free-kick from an unknown football team. It is really imaginative and surely amongst the best free-kicks I have seen in my life.

Here the link to the video


Kamis, 29 September 2011

33rd Federation Cup: A look back at the tournament

The 33rd edition of the Federation Cup (India's version of the FA Cup) was held from September 17 to 29 in Kolkata and Pune. Salgaocar emerged as champions yesterday by beating twice defending champions East Bengal Club 3-1 at the Saltlake Stadium in Kolkata.

The Federation Cup is India's premier national knockout tournament, but this years competition will surely not be remembered as one of the best. The timing will have been a major issues for most clubs as it came as sort of pre-season tournament and some teams looked under-prepared.

The most of all preliminary groups was Group A were the Shillong sides Lajong FC and Royal Wahingdoh FC upset their more famed rivals in record champions Mohun Bagan AC and Goan giants Churchill Brothers SC. Otherwise the group stage went mainly as per plans as the favourites won the three other groups.

Salgaocar SC were deserving champions as they were the most consistent of the participating clubs with especially their defence being rock solid and conceding only one goal throughout the tournament, a penalty in the final against East Bengal.

Salgaocar's Chidi Edeh and Henry Antchouet from Churchill Brothers SC top-scored in this edition of the Fed Cup with four goals a piece.


RESULTS

Group A - Pune:
Mohun Bagan AC, Churchill Brothers SC, Shillong Lajong FC, Royal Wahingdoh FC (qualifier)

17-Sep-2011: Mohun Bagan AC 1-2 Royal Wahingdoh FC
17-Sep-2011: Churchill Brothers SC 3-1 Shillong Lajong FC
19-Sep-2011: Royal Wahingdoh FC 2-1 Churchill Brothers SC
19-Sep-2011: Shillong Lajong FC 3-1 Mohun Bagan AC
21-Sep-2011: Shillong Lajong FC 1-0 Royal Wahingdoh FC
21-Sep-2011: Mohun Bagan AC 2-2 Churchill Brothers SC


Group B - Pune:
Pailan Arrows, Salgaocar SC, Mumbai FC, HAL

18-Sep-2011: Salgaocar SC 0-0 Mumbai FC
18-Sep-2011: Pailan Arrows 1-0 HAL
20-Sep-2011: HAL 0-4 Salgaocar SC
20-Sep-2011: Mumbai FC 1-2 Pailan Arrows
22-Sep-2011: Mumbai FC 2-1 HAL
22-Sep-2011: Pailan Arrows 0-3 Salgaocar SC


Group C - Kolkata:
East Bengal Club, Dempo SC, Pune FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club (qualifier)

17-Sep-2011: Dempo SC 1-2 Pune FC
17-Sep-2011: East Bengal Club 1-1 Mohammedan Sporting Club
19-Sep-2011: Pune FC 1-2 East Bengal Club
19-Sep-2011: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1-3 Dempo SC
21-Sep-2011: East Bengal Club 1-0 Dempo SC
21-Sep-2011: Pune FC 0-0 Mohammedan Sporting Club


Group D - Kolkata:
Prayag United SC, Sporting Clube de Goa, Air India, Chirag United Kerala

18-Sep-2011: Prayag United SC 1-0 Chirag United Kerala
18-Sep-2011: Sporting Clube de Goa 2-1 Air India
20-Sep-2011: Air India 0-0 Prayag United SC
20-Sep-2011: Chirag United Kerala 0-1 Sporting Clube de Goa
22-Sep-2011: Prayag United SC 2-1 Sporting Clube de Goa
22-Sep-2011: Air India 3-2 Chirag United Kerala

Semifinals - Kolkata

25-Sep-2011: Shillong Lajong FC 0-1 Salgaocar SC
26-Sep-2011: East Bengal Club 2-1 Prayag United SC

Final - Kolkata

29-Sep-2011: Salgaocar SC 3-1 East Bengal Club

I-League: Regional Broadcast partner announced

The All India Football Federation and their marketing partners IMG-Reliance have signed a season deal with Brand Value Communications Limited, the owners of channels News Time Bangla and News Time Assam, as the regional broadcast partner of the 2011/12 I-League for the states of West Bengal and Assam, but the search for a national broadcaster continues while regional broadcast partners in other regions then East and Northeast India are also being sought after.

As per the deal Brand Value Communications Limited would televise upto 75 matches of the upcoming I-League on its two channels and it is the second such deal between Brand Value Communications Limited and IMG-Reliance in weeks after they had worked out a deal for the just concluded 33rd Federation Cup earlier this month.

The value of the deal has not been disclosed by the two parties, but it surely will bring in some much needed funds to IMG-Reliance to refund their investments into Indian football.

The 14 team I-League is set to kick-off on October 22 with 182 matches to be played until April/May 2012.

33rd Federation Cup: Salgaocar's are champions!!!

Salgaocar Sports Club are the champions of the 33rd Federation Cup. In the final played tonight at Kolkata's Saltlake Stadium the Goans beat defending champions East Bengal Club 3-1 in a good match of football.

Both coaches took a gamble with their starting eleven making numerous changes. Salgaocar coach Karim Bencharifa brought on Elijah Obagbemiro Junior in place of Ryuji Sueoka as well as Ishfaq Ahmed for Gilbert Oliveira and Tomba Singh for Mehrajuddin Wadoo. His East Bengal counterpart Trevor Morgan benched Tolgay Ozbey to bring in Penn Orji like Raju Gaikwad for Nirmal Chetri; but the big surprise was the return of midfielder Mehtab Hossain, who had to walk off in the first few minutes as the gamble did not pay off.

Salgaocar made a perfect start into the game as striker Chidi Edeh gave them a 5th minute lead through a header. Thereafter an open game developed, but Francis Fernandes shocked the home side with Salgaocar's second goal in the 18th minute when he beat Soumik Dey on the right wing, his first-time shot is blocked by Sandip Nandy but Francis scores of the rebound. East Bengal reduced the deficit in the 26th minute when referee Santosh Singh gave them a penalty after Luciano Sabrosa brought down Penn Orji. Once more Alan Gow stepped-up and send Karanjit Singh the other way. The longer the first session lasted the more the red-and-gold took control of the match and in the last 10 minutes they put Salgaocar under sustained pressure. A good first session ended 2-1 in favour of Salgaocar.

After the break East Bengal continued to attack the Salgaocar goal, while Salgaocar relied on counter-attacks. The red-and-gold did create some chances but Salgaocar under the able guidance from Luciano Sabrosa was able to avert the danger. Salgaocar sealed the match in the 66th minute through a strike from substitute Ryuji Sueoka following a Chidi Edeh shot was blocked by Sandip Nandy, but once again the East Bengal keepers block went to an opponent teams player for a goal. After the third goal East Bengal looked out of ideas to get back into the game as Salgaocar coolly played out the remainder of the match to be crowned deserving champions of the 33rd Federation Cup.

After the final whistle it was party time for Salgaocar's as the players and officials celebrated their success. The club captain Luciano Sabrosa then received the winners check of Rs 2,5 Million (25 lakhs) from the AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das.

With Salgaocar SC already qualified for Asia as the I-League champions, the AFC Cup spot went automatically to East Bengal for reaching the Fed Cup finals.


MATCH STATS

Salgaocar SC 3-1 (2-1) East Bengal Club
Goals: 1-0 Chidi Edeh (5'), 2-0 Francis Fernandes ('), 2-1 Alan Gow (26' pen), 3-1 Ryuji Sueoka (66')

SALGAOCAR SC
1-Karanjit Singh; 2-Jaspal Singh Parmar, 20-Luciano Sabrosa [C], 4-Irungbam Khelemba Singh, 14-Biswajit Saha (90+5' 23-Rahul Kumar); 30-Francis Fernandes, 7-W. Tomba Singh, 25-Rocus Lamare, 15-Ishfaq Ahmed (60' 37-Gilbert Oliveira); 10-Chidi Edeh, 28-Elijah Obagbemiro Junior (61' 11-Ryuji Sueoka)

EAST BENGAL CLUB
24-Sandip Nandy; 8-Thokchom Naoba Singh (68' 11-Khanthang Paite), 2-Raju Eknath Gaikwad, 4-Uga Okpara, 29-Soumik Dey; 12-Reisangmi Vashum, 14-Mehtab Hossain [C] (15-Sanju Pradhan), 7-Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Penn Ikechukwu Orji (58' 20-Tolgay Ozbey); 10-Alan Gow, 23-Robin Singh

REFEREE
M.V. Santosh Kumar (Kerala)

Rabu, 28 September 2011

North-East Premier League on the cards

To further promote club football across the Northeastern states the All India Football Federation is working on plans with the regions state football associations to launch the North-East Premier League. Kolkata-based Celebrity Management Group is set to partner the AIFF to organise and raise sponsorship for the league.

The NE Premier League is set to feature the top teams from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura along with a team from Sikkim. It will be an eight team league. The format has not been finalised yet, but the AIFF is pushing for a start during the ongoing 2011/12 season.

It has been decided that a clubs participating squad could include upto three foreigners, but it would be mandatory to have no less than six local players and the same number of Under-21 players. The rest of the team could be from anywhere in India with no Northeast restrictions.

From this set of players the three foreigners, two local players and one Under-21 would have to be in the starting eleven, while also having such a combination amongst the playing eleven throughout the game.

The aim of the league is to not only promote club football in the North-East, but also talent from the region and bridge the gap with the rest of the country.

Scandal in Munich, Tevez refuses to come on as a sub

Argentinian footballer Carlos Tevez is no stranger to controversy and last night in Munich he once more proved that point to perfection. But what had happened?

English Premier League side Manchester City are guests to German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night. Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini's side are 0-2 down and with about 35 minutes of play left he wants to make a substitution to strengthen his attack. The Italian wants to replace an off-colour Edin Dzeko with a fresh Carlos Tevez, but the Argentinian refuses for unknown reasons to come on. A verbal argument on the bench starts with other players also seen to be involved, while the substituted Dzeko is angry and says some words towards his coach.

The match ended 2-0 for Bayern Munich and a dejected, disappointed Roberto Mancini was open and honest to the media at the press conference and in the mixed zone. The Italian tells the media that Tevez refused to come on and that his time at Manchester City is over, for once and for all. Meaning if no mediator is involved as long as Mancini is coach Tevez will not play for the Citizens.

"If I have my way he will be out. He's finished with me," the Italian said after the match.

"If we want to improve as a team, Carlos can't play with us. With me, he is finished."

After the incidence Tevez tried to carry out damage control as he blamed "confusion on the bench" for the "misunderstanding" in a statement on Wednesday unlike his coach about the substitution, not that he didn't want to come on.

The reactions all around have been harsh, but I would say if the incidence has been reported correctly then Tevez is at fault why people are questioning him and his action. Tevez needed security in Manchester on the return from Munich as angry fans were gunning for his head.

It will be interesting to see how Manchester City solve this problem, then the only option now with them is to sell or loan Tevez in January 2012 to end this saga, which will over the long run hurt the ambitious club.


Here is what Graeme Souness said VIDEO: Souness calls Tevez a disgrace to Football .

VIDEO: Souness calls Tevez a disgrace to Football

Carlos Tevez last night didn't come on for Manchester City in UEFA Champions League match against FC Bayern Munich. Which has given football pundits a chance to discuss the issue. Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness called Carlos Tevez is "a disgrace to football".

Here the video on what the Sky Sports pundits said after the match


33rd Federation Cup: Grand Finale on the Cards

The grand finale of the 33rd Federation Cup will be played tomorrow at the Saltlake Stadium in Kolkata with I-League winners Salgaocar SC taking on defending Fed Cup champions East Bengal Club. An interesting contest is on the cards between the two sides who fought closely for the I-League title last season. It is also a match-up of master tacticians Karim Bencharifa from Morocco and Englishman Trevor Morgan.

For East Bengal it will be the rare chance of winning a Fed Cup treble, which has only been achieved by archrivals Mohun Bagan between 1992 and 1994. The red-and-gold had earlier won the 2009 title in Guwahati and 2010 in Cuttack. A win at home in Kolkata would complete their East India treble. Overall it will be their 15th final having won the title on seven occasions.

For Salgaocar it will be their seventh final and if they win their fourth title. The last time they won the title in 1997 against East Bengal at the Saltlake Stadium. So 14 years on it means same opponent, same venue. The result in 1997 had been a 2-1 win and a repeat this time around would make Karim Bencharifa surely a happy man.

Both sides have had a mixed Federation Cup. East Bengal won their Group C with a 1-1 draw against Mohammedan Sporting and then wins against Pune FC (2-1) and Dempo SC (1-0). In the semifinals they somehow scraped through 2-1 against Prayag United SC. While Salgaocar SC drew their opening game goalless against Mumbai FC but then won convincingly against HAL (4-0) and Pailan Arrows (3-0). In the semifinals they needed a last minute Chidi Edeh goal against Shillong Lajong FC to move into the final.

The red-and-gold are set to miss influential midfielder Mehtab Hossain due to a groin injury while youngster Raju Gaikwad is also sidelined, but Trevor Morgan will welcome Robin Singh back from a suspension. The question will be who will fill in for Mehtab, then so far Trevor Morgan hasn't found a suitable replacement who can guide the team from the middle of the park, but what has been on East Bengal's side throughout the tournament is luck.

What makes Salgaocar so strong at the moment is the fact that they haven't conceded a goal so far in the tournament. Karanjit Singh has rarely been tested in goal with solid defence lead by Brazilian Luciano Sabrosa, while further upfront Chidi Edeh and Ryuji Sueoka will be needed to score.

With Salgaocar SC already qualified for Asian continental competition as the I-League champions, the AFC Cup spot for winning the Federation Cup automatically goes to East Bengal for reaching the Fed Cup final.

The Final will kick-off at 18.00 IST at the Saltlake Stadium, Kolkata. DD Sports along with News Time Bangla and News Time Assam will be broadcasting the final match live.

Selasa, 27 September 2011

Huub Stevens returns to Schalke 04

German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 have appointed Dutchman Huub Stevens as their new coach following last weeks surprise resignation of Ralf Rangnick due to burnout.

Stevens returns to Gelsenkirchen for a second stint with the royal blues after having coached them between October 1996 and June 2002. During his nearly six years in-charge Stevens won the UEFA Cup in 1997, the biggest success in the history of the Ruhr valley club. Since then Stevens is a fan favourite and they look forward in getting their old coach back.

"I've worked here for six years, it's not just any club," said Stevens on Tuesday at a press conference to announce his return.

"Once Schalke, always Schalke - I am happy to be back here," he added which sums up the mood at the club.

Before coming to Schalke in 1996 Stevens had coached the PSV Eindhoven Under-19s, Roda JC Kerkrade. After leaving Schalke he worked for Hertha BSC Berlin, 1.FC Cologne, Roda JC Kerkrade, Hamburger SV, PSV Eindhoven and Red Bull Salzburg.

A elated Director of Sports Horst Heldt said, "We said, during these difficult times, let's bring Huub Stevens back home."

"I have noticed the fire is still burning in him."

"He can tell you much more about Schalke than I know myself," Heldt added on a lighter.

Stevens first match in-charge will be on Thursday against Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Europa League. The club will hope for quieter times under a coach who knows the difficult surroundings.


Here last weeks report on Schalke: Coach Rangnick resigns due to exhaustion .

VIDEO: Unconscious Player dropped off a stretcher

Unbelievable scene from the weekend from Portugal. Striker Salvador Agra, who plays for SC Olhanense, is on the ground recovering after being knocked unconscious by an opponents knee to his head; but then he is dropped off a stretcher in a match against Uniao Leiria. Important is that Salvador Agra is fine and has no lasting injuries.




India U-16 Team announced, leaves for Qualifiers

The all India Football Federation has named a 23 player Under-16 national team for the AFC Under-16 Qualifiers in which our boys face hosts Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Bahrain and Kyrgyzstan in Group C.

The team leaves for Tashkent tomorrow to face tough opposition from Central Asia and a Middle Eastern side in Bahrain. The top two teams qualify for the final rounds.

The team have been practising at Conscient School at the Heritage School Ground in Gurgaon since September 14. Besides being appreciative about the practice facilities, Coach Thomas Joseph said, “We have a good team and we have practised hard for the event. Uzbekistan are the hosts and stay the strong contenders. I'd say we have a 50-50 chance.”


India Under-16s fixtures in Tashkent
October 1: India vs Kyrgyzstan (16.00 local) 16.30 IST
October 3: India vs Bahrain (16.00 local) 16.30 IST
October 5: Uzbekistan vs India (11.30 local) 12.00 IST
October 7: India vs Tajikistan (11.30 local) 12.00 IST


INDIA Under-16

Goalkeepers
Avinash Rao, Agaipal Singh, Supratim Bhattacharya

Defenders
Myron Mendes, Maiban Jimmy Singh, Suman Saha, Sajid Dhot, Sarthak Golui, Rahul S., Nabin Rabha, Gurba Gagri

Midfielders
Alen Deory, Harmanjot Singh, Nitin Jyal, Germanpreet Singh, K. Lalramzuava, Lalrammuana, Raja Rawat, Geremsha Basumatary

Forwards
Kamalpreet Singh, Daniel Lalhimpuia, Laldantsanga, Uttam Rai

Officials
Thomas Joseph (Coach), Chalil Melay Renjith (Coach-cum-Manager), Bitan Singh (Assistant Coach), Auguiar Luis Mario (Goalkeeping Coach), Sampath Babu (Physio)

Senin, 26 September 2011

3rd FPAI Awards held last night, the winners are...

The 3rd edition of the Indian Football Awards organised by the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) was held at the ITC Sonar in Kolkata last night. The big winner of the awards was Mehtab Hossain, who was named 'Indian Player of the Year' and he also won the 'Fans Player of the Year' award.

The gala evening was hosted by Mayanti Langer with the Governor of West Bengal M.K. Narayanan being the chief guest of the event with Bollywood/Tollywood stars like Raima Sen, Rituparna Sengupta and Swastika Mukherjee attending besides Indian Tennis legend Leander Paes. Attending from the football field where AIFF Vice-President Subrata Datta, Churchill Brothers supremo Churchill Alemao, Lajong General Secretary Larsing Ming, Mohammedan Sporting Club president Sultan Ahmed and others.

The evening was opened by striker Sunil Chhetri in the absence of Baichung Bhutia, who is currently in Sikkim to help with the rehabilitation work in his home state after the shocking earthquake. And in honour of those killed a minute of silence was observed which was followed by a speech from M.K. Narayanan.

The first announcement of the night was made about the FPAI Team of the Year which included Subrata Pal; Thokchom Naoba Singh, Mahesh Gawli, Uga Okpara, Syed Rahim Nabi; Steven Benedic Dias, Ryuji Sueoka, Mehtab Hossain, Lenny Rodrigues; Roberto Mendes Silva, Odafe Onyeka Okolie. These eleven where chosen by their peers.

The first award of the night was for the Best Foreign Player of the Year which Brazilian Roberto Mendes Silva received from actress Rituparna Sengupta and IMG-Reliance's Ashu Jindal. The Best Coach of the Year award was handed over by Sultan Ahmed to Salgaocar's Karim Bencharifa who surprised everyone by winning the I-League title last season. Then Sunil Chhetri was felicitated by the FPAI for receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award by Larsing Ming and former international Sumit Mukherjee.

Then India's representative at the 2011 Homeless World Cup from Slum Soccer spoke about their experiences in Paris and a video was shown to the audience to highlight what football means to them in their lives.

The next award was the Fans Indian Player at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the award went to India goalkeeper Subrata Pal. The following award was handed over by Apurba Saha from the Pailan Group for the Best Young Player and it went to Jeje Lalpekhlua, but he wasn't there to receive his award. The same is sadly the case for Baichung Bhutia, whose special award is accepted on his behalf by Jose Ramirez Barreto. Now it was the turn of the 'Fans Player of the Year' award and went to Mehtab Hossain, while the final award of the night, the Best Indian Player of the Year, was handed over by Subrata Dutta and Leander Paes to Mehtab Hossain.

There was entertainment during the evening from Sanjeev & Sandip Vyas, a fashion show involving footballers and an auction of a Baichung Bhutia India jersey for the earthquake victims and that went for Rs 50,000 to Churchill Alemao.


This Years Winners

FPAI Team of the Year
Subrata Pal (Pune FC), Thokchom Naoba Singh (Churchill Brothers SC/East Bengal Club), Mahesh Gawli (Dempo SC), Uga Okpara (East Bengal Club), Syed Rahim Nabi (East Bengal Club/Mohun Bagan AC), Steven Benedic Dias (Churchill Brothers SC), Ryuji Sueoka (Salgaocar SC), Mehtab Hossain (East Bengal Club), Lenny Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers SC), Roberto Mendes Silva (Dempo SC/Churchill Brothers SC), Odafe Onyeka Okolie (Churchill Brothers SC/Mohun Bagan AC)

Fans Indian Player at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
Subrata Pal (Pune FC)

Best Young Player
Jeje Lalpekhula (Indian Arrows/Pune FC)

Best Foreign Player
Roberto Mendes Silva (Dempo SC/Churchill Brothers SC)

Best Indian Player
Mehtab Hossain (East Bengal Club)

Best Coach
Karim Bencherifa (Salgaocar SC)

Fans Player of the Year
Mehtab Hossain (East Bengal Club)

124th Durand Cup: Substantial Prize Money hike!

The 124th edition of the Durand Cup, India's oldest and the world's third oldest football tournament, kicked-off on Saturday with the qualifiers while the tournament proper will be held from October 4 to 15. The biggest change this year is the increase in prize money and top clubs missing the tournament.

"We have increased the prize money and the overall budget of the tournament," said Maj Gen Manvinder Singh, GOC Delhi area and chairman of Standing Working Committee of Durand Football Tournament Society who assured that the next edition will be bigger and better than this one with the preliminary rounds to be held outside Delhi.

The champions would receive Rs 2 Million (20 lakhs), the runners-up Rs 1 Million (10 lakhs) and third place team Rs 500,000 (5 lakh). Last years winners had received only Rs. 500,000. Meanwhile the overall budget of the tournament has increased from Rs 4,3 Million (43 lakhs) to Rs 15,4 Million (1,54 crore) and next year the organising committee wants to organise an even bigger and better tournament on the 125th anniversary.

In the ongoing qualifiers 20 clubs are playing for the two qualifying spots. Amongst them are four Regimental Teams from the Army, one team each from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, two Delhi sides (Delhi United, Shahdara FC), five Paramilitary sides (Border Security Force, CRPF, Assam Rifles, Punjab Police, Uttarakhand Police), two PSU teams (State Bank of India, Hyderabad; State Bank of Travancore), I-League sides (Sporting Clube de Goa, Shillong Lajong FC) and 2nd Division I-League clubs (Mohamedan Sporting Club), Kolkata side (Bhowanipore Club) and the Tata Football Academy.

But missing from the quarterfinal league stage will be record champions Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal Club along with Goan giants Dempo SC. The trio had different reasons for opting out of the Durand Cup this year. In the quarterfinal league stage the teams will be spread into four groups of three teams each with two teams making it from the qualifiers. The winners qualify for the semifinals to be played on October 12, while the final will be played on October 15.

From the quarterfinal league onwards DD Sports will be showing the matches live which will be played at the Ambedkar Stadium under floodlights.


GROUPS

Group 1 Prayag United SC, Salgaocar SC, Qualifier A

Group 2 Mumbai FC, Sikkim United FC, Qualifier B

Group 3 Pune FC, Air India, ONGC

Group 4 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC, Churchill Brothers SC, Army Red

33rd Federation Cup: East Bengal overcome Prayag United

Defending champions East Bengal Club have reached the final of the 33rd Federation Cup (India's version of the FA Cup). In the second semifinal they overcame nine men Prayag United SC to maintain their chance of a Fed Cup title hattrick.

Both teams looked tense in the first session with East Bengal missing Mehtab Hossain in midfield, while Prayag United tried to play more through counter-attacks. It was Prayag United who took a 17th minute lead when Malswam Tulunga inside the box chipped the ball into the middle with keeper Sandip Nandy totally missing the flight of the ball and young Snehashish Dutta is there to slot home past an East Bengal defender. East Bengal had their problems thereafter as the red-and-gold continued to have problems in creating chances with Tolgay Ozbey and Baljit Sahni often hanging in the air. But in the 37th minute midfielder Alan Gow is brought down by Bello Razaq in the box and the Scotsman himself equalises for the red-and-gold by sending Abhijit Mondal into the other corner. It ended one-all at the break.

Prayag United looked the better of the two teams after the break, but chances were rare at both ends. Around the 70th minute East Bengal were lucky with two referee occasions, first Nirmal Chetri as the last man brings down Josimar and only receives a yellow card, then a Prayag United player goes down in the penalty area with his team mates appealing for a penalty and Josimar is booked for decent. Then a few minutes later in the 76th minute a still agitated Josimar is send-off for a needless tackle on Soumik Dey and to make matters worse Deepak Mondal is also send off for a second bookable offence, also against Soumik in the 80th minute with Prayag United now down to nine men. East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan then brings in Khanthang Paite and only a minute later in the 82nd minute he would score a stunning winner for East Bengal after Penn Orji did the spadework and Baljit intelligent plays the ball back for Paite to blast in. The Men in Purple could have been down to eight men when Arnab Mondal did a red card challenge, but it was overlooked by the referee. Even with nine men Prayag United look for the equaliser as East Bengal is unable to hold on too long to the ball. Still they have a both chance to make it three when in the 95th minute when first Penn Orji and then Baljit both hit the woodwork, but it is soon over and East Bengal win 2-1 against a fighting Prayag United.

East Bengal Club now take on I-League winners Salgaocar SC in the final on Thursday, September 29 for the trophy of the 33rd Federation Cup and a place in next years AFC Cup. It will be a rematch of the 1997 finals which Salgaocar had won 2-1 at the Saltlake Stadium.


MATCH STATS

East Bengal Club 2-1 (1-1) Prayag United SC
Goals: 0-1 Snehashish Dutta (17'), 1-1 Alan Gow (38'), 2-1 Khanthang Paite (82')

EAST BENGAL CLUB
24-Sandip Nandy; 8-Thokchom Naoba Singh, 3-Nirmal Chetri, 4-Uga Okpara, 29-Soumik Dey (85' Robert Lalthlamuana); 12-Reisangmi Vashum (81' 11-Khanthang Paite), 7-Harmanjot Singh Khabra, 10-Alan Gow, 15-Sanju Pradhan [C]; 20-Tolgay Ozbey (66' Penn Ikechukwu Orji), 6-Baljit Singh Sahni

PRAYAG UNITED SC
1-Abhijit Mondal; 17-Deepak Kumar Mondal, 16-Arnab Mondal, 6-Bello Razaq, 18-Sukhen Dey; 28-Shylo Malswam Tulunga (83' 2-Chinta Chandrashekar Rao), 7-Denson Devadas (86' 9-Kayne Vincent), 8-Lal Kamal Bhowmick [C], 15-Snehashish Dutta (77' 12-Gouranga Biswas); 10-Josimar da Silva Martins, 30-Yakubu Yusif

REFEREE
Magho Singh (Manipur)

Confirmed! Blackburn Rovers to face Pune FC on October 7

It is confirmed! I-League side Pune FC will face English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers on Friday, October 7 at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi-Mhalunge in Pune. The match was originally planed to be played on July 22, but due to the Mumbai bomb blasts on July 13 the match was postponed due to security reasons.

It will be the first-ever trip of the first team of an English Premier League club to India. The Rovers have since November 2010 been under the ownership of the Pune-based Venky's (Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group) and the Rao family has since then stated that their club would come to their Indian home city to showcase their talent.

Venky's director Balaji Rao said in a statement on Monday, "Security is paramount but so is our commitment to bringing Blackburn Rovers to India. And perhaps the visit now could not have been better timed. The club is riding on a high after its big win over Arsenal, and the players are eager to share the glory with their Indian fans."

For young Pune FC, only founded in 2007 and one of India's most professionally run clubs, it is a big honour to face such tough European opposition. For the Derrick Pereira coached I-League side it will be a real test ahead of the start of the I-League on October 22.

Pune FC Director Nandan Piramal said, "We are very happy to host them (Blackburn Rovers). The opportunity is great for the fans and on Pune FC's behalf I am happy to share this moment with the fans."

The visit of Blackburn Rovers at this time of the year is only possible due to the break for international fixtures in the club football calendar, but this also means that Rovers would miss their international players who will be on duty for their respective national teams.

The kick-off timing for match will be officially announced later.

Minggu, 25 September 2011

33rd Federation Cup: Salgaocar reach finals!

I-League champions Salgaocar SC reached the finals of the 33rd Federation Cup (India's version of the FA Cup) through a last minute goal from Nigerian striker Chidi Edeh. In the first semifinal the Goans beat Shillong Lajong FC 1-0 to reach their first Fed Cup final since 1997.

Both teams took a defensive approach in the first session with security first looking to be the directive, not willing to take risks. Lajong were able to block Salgaocar's able midfield which denied the strikers a proper feeder line, while Lajong lacked the penetration upfront.

Things changed after the break as both sides were willing to risk more and started playing football. Close to the hour mark Liberian John D. Menyongar could have given the Northeastern boys the lead, while Japanese striker Ryuji Sueoka could have done the same for Salgaocar in the 70th minute. When things seemed to be heading for a draw substitute Elijah Obagbemiro Junior played the long ball into the opponents half for Chidi Edeh, who beat Lajong keeper Lalthuammawia Ralte and finished it off with a class finish. Lajong did protest that Chidi had fouled their keeper in the situation, but referee Pratap Singh allowed the goal and Lajong were not able to come back in injury time.

Salgaocar SC now take on either East Bengal Club or Prayag United SC in the final on Thursday, September 29 for the trophy of the 33rd Federation Cup and a place in next years AFC Cup.


MATCH STATS

Shillong Lajong FC 0-1 (0-0) Salgaocar SC
Goals: 0-1 Chidi Edeh (90')

SHILLONG LAJONG FC
21-Lalthuammawia Ralte; 25-M. Subhas Singh, 4-Zomingliana Ralte, 2-Aibor Khongjee, 23-Lalchuanmawia; 18-Eugeneson Lngdoyh (75′ 11-P.C. Lahlimthara Mahlima), 7-Lalramluaha, 27-Mashangva Genius Zenith [C], 13-Boithang Haokip; 9-Iyikwobe Christopher Chizoba (64' 14-James Giblee), 10-John D. Menyongar

SALGAOCAR SC
1-Karanjit Singh; 2-Jaspal Singh Parmar, 20-Luciano Sabrosa [C], 23-Rahul Kumar, 14-Biswajit Saha; 30-Francis Fernandes, 25-Rocus Lamare, 5-Mehrajuddin Wadoo, 37-Gilbert Oliveira (46' 15-Ishfaq Ahmed); 10-Chidi Edeh, 11-Ryuji Sueoka (87' 28-Elijah Obagbemiro Junior)

REFEREE
Pratap Singh (Services)

VIDEO: Manchester City's proposed Training Centre

English Premier League club are one of the big spenders in European club football at the moment, but they are also looking to develop talent in the years to come. I came across this impressive video on Manchester City's proposed Youth Development and First Team training centre. If allowed to build it, they will have one of the best such facilities in the world.




Bayern Munich's incredible run continues!

Even Robin Dutt's Bayer 04 Leverkusen could not stop Bayern Munich's incredible early season run - nine wins in a row without conceding a single goal in all competitions. In the German Bundesliga last evening the Bavarian giants won 3-0 against Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on a perfect Oktoberfest evening for the Bayern Munich fans.

An early 5th minute strike from Thomas Mueller, a 19th minute free-kick from Belgian Daniel van Buyten and a 90th minute goal from substitute Arjen Robben sealed the game for Bayern Munich; but Bayer Leverkusen were an easy opponent on this day with numerous injuries amongst them a flu-ridden former Bayern star Michael Ballack. The Werkself never really troubled their more famed opponents and that will be a big worry for coach Robin Dutt as it was the third loss in a row after Chelsea FC and 1.FC Köln.

After an initial burst Bayern Munich played a cool game and didn't push themselves too much, especially after the break knowing that they have a Champions League game coming up. But what will worry opponents is that Bayern Munich have not conceded a goal since their opening Bundesliga day 0-1 loss against Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 7. In the Bundesliga they are top of the league with 21-1 goals and 18 points from seven matches.

Next up for Bayern Munich are big spenders Manchester City from the English Premier League in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday at home at the Allianz Arena and that should be a real test or maybe not...

Sabtu, 24 September 2011

33rd Federation Cup: Semifinals an open affair

The semifinals of the 33rd Federation Cup will be played in the next couple of days with surprise entrants Shillong Lajong FC taking on I-League champions Salgaocar SC on Sunday, while in a Kolkata derby defending champions East Bengal Club face a tough Prayag United SC on Monday.

The first semifinal will see Shillong Lajong FC take on Salgaocar SC. It isn't a league match, a one-off Fed Cup semifinal so the chances of the two teams progressing are the same though many will see I-League champions as the favourites against the promoted Northeastern side. Salgaocar's foreigners Ryuji Sueoka and Chidi Edeh are the players who could make the difference, but same can be said about Lajong's John D. Menyongar and James Giblee.

An interesting match looks on the cards with both the clubs coming through the group stage. Lajong just about sneaked through in Group A ahead of city rivals Royal Wahingdoh SC and pre-tournament group favourites Mohun Bagan AC and Churchill Brothers SC. And they will look to repeat history from two years back when they reached the finals in their first year in the I-League.

Lajong FC's coach Pradhyum Reddy said, "We are here to play and we do not categorise teams as a big team or a smaller one. It would be very interesting to see where we stand."

Salgaocar were the favourites in Group B but after an opening day draw against Mumbai FC they needed wins against HAL and the Pailan Arrows to keep their title challenge on track. The team has found its form and the new recruits have added depth to Karim Bencharifa's squad. But the three time champions haven't reached the Fed Cup finals since their last triumph in 1997.

On Monday then it is Kolkata derby time when East Bengal hope to reach their third final in a row and try to win their fourth Federation Cup title in five years. But before that they will have to face Prayag United SC, who have cleverly strengthened their team for the season ahead with the Durand Cup champions wanting to reach their first Fed Cup final.

East Bengal got through Group C unbeaten, the Group of Death by finishing ahead of Pune FC, Dempo SC and Mohammedan Sporting Club. And the red-and-gold look even stronger then last season with Trevor Morgan having at least two options in every position which is good for internal team competition, but the team could miss a number of regulars due to injury and niggles. Key midfielder Mehtab Hossain looks unlikely for the tie while Raju Gaikwad, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Alan Gow and Tolgay Ozbey are doubtful.

For Prayag United SC winning their Group D has qualified them for the first-time to the Federation Cup semifinals. And now Sanjoy Sen's team wants more. They have experience in their side and a striker in Josimar who has been amongst the goals, but East Bengal are a different calibre which the Men in Purple can certain handle.

Both the semifinals will kick-off at 18.00 IST at the Saltlake Stadium, Kolkata. DD Sports along with News Time Bangla and News Time Assam will be broadcasting the matches live.

India Women win three match series against Bahrain

The Indian women's national team has won the three match series 2-1 against Bahrain, which has been much needed exposure for our women's team. The three matches were held on September 17, 20 and 23 all in Manama, Bahrain.

The final match of the series was played last night, but not as the earlier two matches at the Al Ahli Club Stadium but at the National Stadium. The match kicked-off two hours late due to the venue change and heavy traffic congestion across the kingdom. The first session ended goalless though Bahrain had a penalty, but Reem Al Hashemi missed the target.

In the second session India took the lead when striker Pinky Bompal Magar scored in the 69th minute, while Parmashori Devi doubled the lead lead only three minutes later. Bahrain reduced the deficit in the 81st minute through Mona Al Daesi, but India ensured their win through a 86th minute Kamala Devi strike. The match ended 3-1 in favour for India.

In the opening match of the series India had won 2-1 through two goals from captain Sasmita Mallick, who missed the second game; while Bahrain had scored through Reem Al Hashemi. The second match had been won by Bahrain 2-0 through goals from Deena Abdulrahman and Manar Ebrahim.

Coach Chief Coach Mohammad Shahid Jabbar sounded ecstatic on the victory. "The victory proves our girls are not lagging behind. We had an eventful camp in Lucknow and the results are showing."

Captain Sasmita Malik said, "It feels great when you win an International Series. The team spirit was high all throughout and facilitated our victory. We capitalised on the chances that came our way."

Below the India Women's squad which toured Bahrain.


INDIA Women's

Goalkeepers
Sita Sharma, Usharani Das, Swarnamayee Samal

Defenders
Ashem Romi Devi, Gurumayum Radharani Devi, Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, Rashmita Patra, Alochana Senapati, Bijay Laxmi Sahoo, Suprava Samal, Tuli Goon

Midfielders
Yumnam Kamala Devi, Yumlembem Premi Devi, Supriya Routray, Paramita Sit, Sharon Fernandes, Nameirakpam Montessori Chanu, Nosaba Alam

Forwards
Irom Parmeshwari Devi, Nima Lamhu Bhutia, Laishram Naobi Chanu, Pinky Bompal Magar, Sasmita Malik (captain)

Officials
Mohammad Shahid Jabbar (Head Coach), Pratima Biswas (Assistant Coach), Shukla Dutta (Assistant Coach), Chitra Gangadharan (Goalkeeping Coach), Kruti Marolia (Physiotherapist), Indu Chaudhary (Manager)

VIDEO: Densill Theobald talks about his move to India

Trinidad & Tobago international midfielder Densill Theobald spoke with TTFF Media Manager Shaun Fuentes about his upcoming move to India's Dempo SC.

Here the link for the video




Here my interview with Densill Theobald: Looking forward to play in India!

Jumat, 23 September 2011

Indian Football: Transfer Season 2011 - Version 10

Here is the latest updated list of Transfers 2011 from across India of the I-League and top 2nd Division sides. The squads are now mostly complete with additions, here and there plus I have added some more non-I-League sides.

Here an updated list of Transfers 2011

SALGAOCAR SC - GOA
RETAINED: Karanjit Singh, Macklas Moraes, Jaspal Singh Parmar, Rino Anto, Luciano Sabrosa, Irungbam Khelemba Singh, W. Tomba Singh, Cajetan Fernandes, Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes, Anthony Barbosa, Gilbert Oliveira, Beevan D'Mello, Ryuji Sueoka, Milagres Gonsalves,
NEW: Presley Mascarenhas, Keenan Almeida, Roy Rodrigues, Aliston Fernandes, Godfrey Silva, Cliften Dias, Bobbychan Singh, Rosario Mendes (all Salgaocar Juniors), Nicolau Colaco, Augostinho Fernandes, Gagandeep Singh, Vivek Singh Kaira (all Sesa Football Academy), Chidi Edeh, Ishfaq Ahmed, Biswajit Saha (all Mohun Bagan AC), Rahul Kumar, Randeep Singh, Balwant Singh (all JCT), Vinay Singh, Thounaojam Dinesh Singh (both Churchill Brothers SC), Mehrajuddin Wadoo (East Bengal Club), Elijah Obagbemiro Junior (United SC), Mohammad Dada Nabeel (Air India), Karthik Kisku (Mohammedan Sporting Club)
LEFT: Arnab Das Sharma, Monotosh Ghosh, Syed Farid, Govin Moirangthem Singh, Khangembam Thoi Singh (all United Sikkim FC), Chinta Chandrashekar Rao, James Lukram Singh, Yakubu Yusif (all United SC), Baldeep Singh, Singam Subash Singh (both Pune FC), William Colaco (Dempo SC), Peter Costa (Mumbai FC), Jagdeep Singh (Viva Kerala), Dawson Fernandes (Sporting Clube de Goa), Daniel Albert Vales (Sesa Football Academy), Sukhwinder Singh, Alvito Rodrigues, Jagrup Singh, Sohail Akhtar, Marcus Mascarenhas, Eneke Ikenwa
COACH: Karim BENCHARIFA (MOROCCO)

EAST BENGAL CLUB - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Sandip Nandy, Abhra Mondal, Jayanta Pal, Saikat Saha Roy, Thokchom Naoba Singh, Nirmal Chetri, Uga Okpara, Gurwinder Singh, Sunil Kumar Thakur, Soumik Dey, Ravinder Singh, Sanju Pradhan, Reisangmi Vashum, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Susanth Mathew, Mehtab Hussain, Penn Ikechukwu Orji, Alvito D'Cunha, Beingaichho Beokhokhai, Tolgay Ozbey, Baljit Singh Sahni, Robin Singh, Budhiram Tudu, Biswarup Deb
NEW: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Abhishek Das, Raju Eknath Gaekwad, Subodh Kumar, Ongnam Milan Singh (all Indian Arrows, returns from a one year loan), Robert Lalthlamuana, Charan Rai, Khanthang Paite (all Churchill Brothers SC), Sunil Kumar (Pune FC), Branco Vincent Cardozo (United SC), Seiminl Doungel (JCT), Debjit Majumdar (United Sikkim FC), Alan Gow (Notts County FC, ENGLAND)
LEFT: Naseem Akhtar, Bikash Narzary (both Mohammedan Sporting Club), Mehrajuddin Wadoo (Salgaocar SC), Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan AC), Rajib Ghosh (Indian Arrows), Sushil Kumar Singh (United Sikkim FC), Aseem Koraliyadan Kutty (Central Excise, Chennai), Sukumal Santra, Lalchhuan Awma, Alexandro da Silva Santos
COACH: Trevor MORGAN (ENGLAND)

DEMPO SC - GOA
RETAINED: Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Laxmikant Kattimani, Luis Xavier Barreto, Tyson Caiado, Valeriano Rebello, Mahesh Gawli, John Charles Dias, Creson Antao, Covan Lawrence, Dominic Noronha, Samir Naik, Debabrata Roy, Shallum Pires, Anthony Pereira, Climax Lawrence, Godwin Diogo Franco, Micky Fernandes, Peter Carvalho, Marcus Peixito, Jessel Carneiro, Aaron Fernandes, Clifford Miranda, Nicolau Borges, Joe Rodrigues, Johnny D'Cruz, Bharat Thapa, Joaquim Abranches, Ranty Martins Soleye, Clifton Gonsalves, Myron Fernandes, Terence Fernandes, Mandar Rao Dessai
NEW: Brian Mascarenhas, Richard Fernandes, Romeo Fernandes, Aniston Fernandes, Reagan Juliao (all Dempo Juniors), Savio Fernandes, Koko Sakibo, Joy Ferrao (all Vasco SC), William Colaco (Salgaocar SC), Rowilson Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers SC), Selwyn Fernandes (Pune FC), P.K. Anil Kumar (Viva Kerala), Sidroy Alfonso (Sesa Football Academy), Romeo Fernandes (Margao SC), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA, TRINIDAD&TOBAGO)
LEFT: Roberto Mendes Silva (Churchill Brothers SC), Cavin Peter Lobo (Mumbai FC), Ogba Kalu Nnanna (Sporting Clube de Goa), Aikan Dias (Vasco SC), Samson Fernandes (Sesa Football Academy), Roy Colaco, Flann D'Souza, Rouhollah Samieinia
COACH: ARMANDO COLACO

CHURCHILL BROTHERS SC - GOA
RETAINED: Arindam Bhattacharya, Lalit Thapa, Denzil Franco, Yumnam Raju Mangang, Sudhakaran Naveen Kumar, Joshua Rebello, Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Ashley Fernandes, Rauf Sher Khan, Steven Benedic Dias, Chitrasen Chandam Singh, Lenny Rodrigues, Mundampara P. Sakeer, Savio Diogo Carneiro, Israil Gurung, Melroy Fernandes, Durga Boro, M. Mohammed Rafi, T. Bineesh Balan, Jaison Vales, Sabino Bryan Rodrigues
NEW: Jerry Zirsanga, Nascimento Silveira, Melwyn Rodrigues (all United SC), Y. Jaikumar, Xavier Vijayakumar (both HAL, Bangalore), Thangjam Saran Singh, Jagpreet Singh (both JCT), Roberto Mendes Silva (Dempo SC), Lalrindika Ralte (Indian Arrows, returns from a one year loan), N.D. Opara (ONGC), Felix D'Souza (Sporting Clube de Goa), Basileo Rego (Vasco SC), S. Parthiban (Chennai Customs), Henry Antchouet (Moreirense FC, PORTUGAL), Antun Kovacic (Richmond SC, AUSTRALIA), Felipe Gomes, Lionel Rodrigues, Ovlito Dias, Nicholas Fernandes
LEFT: Robert Lalthlamuana, Charan Rai, Khanthang Paite (all East Bengal Club), Vinay Singh, Thounaojam Dinesh Singh (both Salgaocar SC), Rowilson Rodrigues (Dempo SC), Odafe Onyeka Okolie (Mohun Bagan AC), Kayne Vincent (United SC), Konsam Ajitkumar Singh (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Warundeep Singh (Sporting Clube de Goa), Noel Fernandes, Amit Rajbhansi, Jayanta Rajbhansi, Sunil Barla, Hardeep Singh, Vimal Pariyar, Amaury Gentil Nunes, Boima Karpeh
COACH: Manuel GONSALVES GOMES (PORTUGAL/new)

PUNE FC - PUNE
RETAINED: Subrata Pal, Othallo Tabia, Caitano Costa, Kamaljeet Kumar, Gurjinder Kumar Singh, Rollingson Hungyo, Shanmugam Venkatesh, J. Prasad, Asim Hassan, Lester Mark Fernandez, Paresh Shivalkar, Izumi Arata, Mandjou Keita
NEW: Baldeep Singh, Singam Subash Singh (both Salgaocar SC), Shahinlal Meloly, Karma Tsewang (both Viva Kerala), Amrinder Singh, Surjit Singh (both Harbhajan SC, Punjab), Thangjam Arung Meetie (Mohun Bagan AC), Anes Edathodika (Mumbai FC), Chika Wali (United SC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Indian Arrows, returns from a one year loan), Ramu Srikanth (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Maninder Singh (JCT), John Benedict (Bengal Mumbai FC), Sarif Molla (Milan Samity, Kolkata), Karthik Govind (Bangalore FC), Lalrimawma Lianhna Rintea (Tamthar FC, Mizoram), William Lalnunfela (Pui Pui FC, Mizoram), Lalrempuia F. (Bazar Veng FC, Mizoram), Preemjeet Singh (Barielly Hostel FC, Uttar Pradesh), Douhou Sey Djidja Pierre
LEFT: Krishnan Nair Ajayan, Gunashekar Vignesh, Manoj T.M. (all Viva Kerala), Lamine Tamba, Sandeep Gadkare (both Air India), Velington Rocha, Valito Cruz (both Margao SC), Sunil Kumar (East Bengal Club), Selwyn Fernandes (Dempo SC), Thokchom Roshan Singh (Sesa Football Academy), Johny Khamrang (NISA, Manipur), S. Vinobagandhi (Indian Bank), A. Sherin (AGORC, Chennai), K. Vigneshwaran (Tamil Nadu), Edmar Figueira (CD Feirense, PORTUGAL), Narshiman Balaji, Soram Poirei Anganba
COACH: Derrick PEREIRA

MOHUN BAGAN AC - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Shilton Pal, Sangram Mukherjee, Sudipta Banerjee, Irungbam Surkumar Singh, Kingshuk Debnath, Anwar, Rakesh Masih, Nallappan Mohanraj, R. Dhanarajan, Gouranga Datta, Satish Kumar Jr, Manish Mathani, Souvik Chakraborty, Dipendu Dowary, Snehashis Chakroborty, Ashim Biswas, Jose Ramirez Barreto
NEW: Sheikh Jewel Raja, Jagtar Singh (both Indian Arrows, return from a one year loan), Souvik Mondal, Sourav Chakraborty (both Techno Aryan Club), Syed Rahim Nabi (East Bengal Club), Odafe Onyeka Okolie (Churchill Brothers SC), Bungo Thokchom Singh (Mumbai FC), Sunil Chhetri (United SC), Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep (Viva Kerala), Joseph Muralidharan (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Sakatar Singh (JCT), Simon Storey (AUSTRALIA), Hudson Lima da Silva (BRAZIL)
LEFT: Chidi Edeh, Ishfaq Ahmed, Biswajit Saha (all Salgaocar SC), Sheikh Azim, Suman Datta, Surabuddin Mollick (all Mohammedan Sporting Club), Deepak Kumar Mondal, Jayanta Sen (both United SC), Harpreet Singh, Karan Atwal (both United Sikkim FC), Sagram Mandi, Santosh Oraon (both Bhawanipore Club, Kolkata), Thangjam Arung Meetie (Pune FC), Amar Deb (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Nazimuddin Mollick (Southern Samity), David Lalbiakzara (Pune FC Reserves), Pralay Datta, Rahul Kumar, Parminder Singh, Jacken Sebastian, Subair Muritala Ali, Owky Diamondstar
COACH: Steve DARBY (ENGLAND/new)

MUMBAI FC - MUMBAI
RETAINED: A.C. Nithinlal, Ishan Debnath, Faizal Rehman M.A., Goutam Debnath, Nihal Chandran, Karan Amin, Peter Siddiqui, Ashutosh Mehta, Nicholas Lewis Rodrigues, Dane Lloyd Pereira, Keegan Pereira, Salil Usman, Chhangte Malswamkima, Sampath Kumar Kuttymani, Noel Anthony Wilson, Ebi Theophilus Sukore, Abhishek Yadav, Pachau Lalam Puia, Jayesh Rane
NEW: Neeraj Sharma, Ritesh Perambara, Rolfred Coutinho, Rohit Mirza, Manuel D'Souza, Tushar Poojary (all Mumbai FC Under-19), L. Dhanachandra Singh, Darren Caldeira (both Air India), Peter Costa (Salgaocar SC), Cavin Peter Lobo (Dempo SC), Mintu Saha (Bengal Mumbai FC), Sanjiban Ghosh, Ajmaludheen M., Kingsley Chioma, Gbeneme Friday
LEFT: Ramandeep Singh Randhawa, Ezeh Nna Henry (both Air India), Anes Edathodika (Pune FC), Bungo Thokchom Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Pradeep Mohanraj (Viva Kerala), Deepak Prakash (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Hiralal Chetri (United Sikkim FC), Lihaz Koya, Sheikh Mustakin, Nishant Mehra, John Coutinho, Evans Quao
COACH: Khalid JAMIL

PRAYAG UNITED SC - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Abhijit Mondal, Somnath Khara, Bapi Saha, Sukhen Dey, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Anupam Sarkar, Arnab Mondal, Justine Stephen, Narugopal Hait, Shylo Malswam Tulunga, Gouranga Biswas, Subhas Chakraborty, Denson Devadas, Lal Kamal Bhowmick, Soumik Chakraborty, Sheikh Shabbir Ali, Josimar da Silva Martins, Shankar Oraon, Mohammed Rafique
NEW: Chinta Chandrashekar Rao, James Lukram Singh, Yakubu Yusif (all Salgaocar SC), Parimal Burman, Arjun Chakraborty, F. Liandala (all United SC Under-19), Deepak Kumar Mondal, Jayanta Sen (both Mohun Bagan AC), Kayne Vincent (Churchill Brothers SC), Jagroop Singh (Indian Arrows), Bello Razaq (Viva Kerala), Thoudam Joychandra Singh (Sporting Clube de Goa), Tanmoy Ghosh (United Sikkim FC), Snehashish Dutta (Techno Aryan Club), Crispin Chetri (Tollygunge Agragami), Gourshankar Dutta (Railway FC, Kolkata), Sena, Suhas S.N.
LEFT: Jerry Zirsanga, Nascimento Silveira, Melwyn Rodrigues (all Churchill Brothers SC), Noushad K., Asif K. (both Viva Kerala), Elijah Obagbemiro Junior (Salgaocar SC), Sunil Chhetri (Mohun Bagan AC), Branco Vincent Cardozo (East Bengal Club), Chika Wali (Pune FC), Safar Sardar (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Munna Mallick (Techno Aryan Club), Ram Malik (Kalighat Milan Sangha), Subhojit Majumdar (Bhawanipore Club, Kolkata), S. Santha Kumar (Integral Coach Factory), Swarup Das, Bibhash Ghosh, Subho Kumar, Sirajudeen C., Sergei Tokov, Young Il Choi
COACH: Sanjoy SEN (new)

PAILAN INDIAN ARROWS - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Ravi Kumar, Kamaljeet Singh, Deepak Devrani, Vishal Kumar, Lalrozama Fanai, Souvik Ghosh, Prathamesh Maulingkar, Bikramjit Singh, Tirthankar Sarkar, Shilton Sydney D'Silva, Jibon Singh, Malsawmfela
NEW: Naveen Kumar, Gurtej Singh Sr, Amarwant Singh, Gurtej Singh Jr, Ajay Singh (all JCT), Rajib Ghosh (East Bengal Club), C.S Sabeeth (Viva Kerala), Bijendra Rai (Royal Wahingdoh SC), Loukik Jadhav (Bengal Mumbai FC), Avinaba Bag (Kalighat Milan Sangha, Kolkata), Narayan Das, Shenaz Singh, Probit Das, Krishanu Banerjee, Lalnunka, Lalnunpuia, Holicharan Narzary
LEFT: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Abhishek Das, Raju Eknath Gaekwad, Subodh Kumar, Ongnam Milan Singh (all East Bengal Club), Sheikh Jewel Raja, Jagtar Singh (both Mohun Bagan AC), Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers SC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Pune FC), Jagroop Singh (United SC), Manandeep Singh (Air India), Ravindra Kumar, Inderpreet Singh, Akshay Kumar Mall
COACH: Sukhvinder Singh (TD)

VIVA KERALA - KANNUR/COCHIN
RETAINED: Sharath K., Charles Dzisah, Faisal T., Sherin Sam, Jimshad U., C.K. Vineeth, O.K. Javed
NEW: Krishnan Nair Ajayan, Gunashekar Vignesh, Manoj T.M. (all Pune FC), Noushad K., Asif K. (both United SC), Jagdeep Singh (Salgaocar SC), Pradeep Mohanraj (Mumbai FC), Shahbas Shaleel (ONGC), Gurjinder Singh (Peerless SC, Kolkata), Arindam Ghosh (Kolkata), Alex Carioke (Moto Club de Sao Luis, BRAZIL), Isaac Boakye (Young Africans SC, TANZANIA), Michael Matricciani (MetroStars, AUSTRALIA), Shyjumon
LEFT: Shahinlal Meloly, Karma Tsewang (both Pune FC), P.K. Anil Kumar (Dempo SC), Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep (Mohun Bagan AC), Bello Razaq (United SC), C.S Sabeeth (Indian Arrows), Muhammed Shafi M. (Air India), Bimanyu Bimal Birua (Peerless SC, Kolkata), Felix Chimaokwu
COACH: P.K. KUNHIKRISHNAN

AIR INDIA - MUMBAI
RETAINED: Haobijam Napoleon Singh, Collin Abranches, Hringsolal Thomte, Allan Dias, Bijay Baspore, Manjit Singh, Soccor Velho
NEW: Lamine Tamba, Sandeep Gadkare (both Pune FC), Ramandeep Singh Randhawa, Ezeh Nna Henry (both Mumbai FC), Manandeep Singh (Indian Arrows), Muhammed Shafi M. (Viva Kerala), Pawan Kumar (JCT), Sandeep Sangha (ONGC), V. Prem Kumar (United Sikkim FC), Oken Singh (Kenkre FC), Harshad Meher (Bengal Mumbai FC), Abhishek Matthew (Union Bank of India, Mumbai), Nisthar Kali Alaudeen (Central Excise, Chennai), Satvinder Singh (Punjab State Electricity Board), Royston D'Souza (Mahindra United Under-19), Takayuki Omi (Japan), Amit Nandy, Pratek Chaudhury, Bhuvan Krishna Joshi, Satwinder Singh, Abhishek Ambekar, Rahul Bhere
LEFT: Eduardo Chacon Coelho Lacerda, Soraisam Dharamjit Singh, Babin Biswas (all Southern Samity), Mohammad Dada Nabeel (Salgaocar SC), L. Dhanachandra Singh (Mumbai FC), Amrit Pal Singh (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Praneel Mendon (Mumbai Customs), Amulya Mondal (Peerless SC, Kolkata), Okorogor Nnabuike Praise, Yusuf Ibrahim
COACH: Santosh KASHYAP

HAL SC - BANGALORE
RETAINED: Pramod P., Femi Joseph Adeola, Liliyan Kennath, Goutam Debnath, Prakash Koley, Sargolsem James Singh, Rajendra Prasad, Abdullah Hamza Amaba, R.C. Prakash, Kshetrimayum Malamnganba Meitei, Satish Kumar Sr,
NEW: Sarbjeet Singh, Chandandeep Singh (both JCT), Bhola Prasad, Kaushik Bose (both ONGC), T.V. Biju Kumar, Muttath Sudheesh (both Vasco SC), Ramesh, J. Karthigeyan (both BEML (EM), Bangalore), Konsam Ajitkumar Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), Amar Deb (Mohun Bagan AC), Deepak Prakash (Mumbai FC), Bijoy Das (United Sikkim FC), Ethesham Bucks (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Sukalpa Mondal (Techno Aryan Club), Praveen Kumar (Josco FC), B. Prakash (Postal FC, Bangalore), Vinoth Kumar V. (Railway Wheel Factory, Bangalore), Aleksandar Sujdovic (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, BANGLADESH), Sunder Raj Rajan
LEFT: Y. Jaikumar, Xavier Vijayakumar (both Churchill Brothers SC), Ramu Srikanth (Pune FC), Joseph Muralidharan (Mohun Bagan AC), Deepak K. (Southern Samity), P. Karthik (Indian Bank), Rohit Chand (NEPAL), T. Karthikeyan, Vijesh Kumar, Sanath Kumar R., Shekar Muralidharan, Bengkok Nameirakpam, Arun S., D. Samuel Dhinakaran, B. Karthik, Shahas K., Meikinlung
COACH: -

JCT - PHAGWARA
LEFT: Naveen Kumar, Gurtej Singh Sr, Amarwant Singh, Gurtej Singh Jr, Ajay Singh (all Indian Arrows), Prasanta Dora, Barjinder Pal Singh, Parveen Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Jaswinder Singh (all Tollygunge Agragami), Rahul Kumar, Randeep Singh, Balwant Singh (all Salgaocar SC), Omkar Singh, Jatinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh (all Calangute Association, Goa), Thangjam Saran Singh, Jagpreet Singh (both Churchill Brothers SC), Sarbjeet Singh, Chandandeep Singh (both Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Baldeep Singh, Harish Sharma (both United Sikkim FC), Seiminl Doungel (East Bengal Club), Maninder Singh (Pune FC), Sakatar Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Pawan Kumar (Air India), Lalchuanmawia (Shillong Lajong FC), Nurain Kareem Omolaja (Royal Wahingdoh SC), Vijay Hooda (Hindustan FC, Delhi), Navtej Singh (Delhi United FC), Inderjit Singh (Shahdara FC, Delhi), Thangjam Manikanta Singh (USA, Manipur), Rajbir Singh (Mauri SC, Kolkata), Daljit Singh, Rakinderjit Singh, Sehij Pal Singh, R. Sriram, Abhishek Yadav, Mandeep Singh, Balraj Singh, Badru Keke Ibrahim

ONGC - MUMBAI
RETAINED: Bilifang Narzary, Krishna Shirodkar, A. Naresh, Bimal Minz, F. Lalmuanpuia, Kailash Patel, Kenistan C.
NEW: Sachin Gawas, Joel Sequeira (both Vasco SC), J. Modi, Reuben D'Souza, Wahid Mohammed, Ashish Pandey
LEFT: Kamal Thapa, Robin Gurung, Bikash Jairu (all Ar-Hima FC), Bhola Prasad, Kaushik Bose (both Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Tapan Maity, Surojit Bose (both Mohammedan Sporting Club), N.D. Opara (Churchill Brothers SC), Shahbas Shaleel (Viva Kerala), Sandeep Sangha (Air India), Gour Naskar (Southern Samity), K.V. Lalu (Josco FC), Sudipta Kar (Bhawanipore Club, Kolkata), Ricky Joy (Postal FC, Bangalore)
COACH: Caetaho PINHO (new)

SHILLONG LAJONG FC - SHILLONG
RETAINED: Lalthuammawia Ralte, Gumpe Rime, Aibor Khongjee, Wailadmi Passah, Zomingliana Ralte, Rodingson Sangma, M. Subhas Singh, C. Lallawmzuala, Mashangva Genius Zenith, Samson Ramengmawia, Boithang Haokip, Lalramluaha, James Giblee, P.C. Lahlimthara Mahlima, Samuel Shadap, Racy Khiangte Lalrengmawia, Saikhohau Tuboi, Lalnunmawia
NEW: Henry Gangte, L. Romenjit Singh (both Bengal Mumbai FC), Lalchuanmawia (JCT), John D. Menyongar (United Sikkim FC), Eugeneson Lyngdoh (Ar-Hima FC), Tuishim Mashangva (Southern Samity), Iyikwobe Christopher Chizoba (Kalighat Milan Sangha/Mohammedan Sporting Club), H. Lalmuamkima (Sport & Youth Service, Mizoram)
LEFT: Marcus Basumatary, Keleche Okoye (both Ar-Hima FC), Marlanki Suting (Royal Wahingdoh SC), Ochei Emeka Michael (George Telegraph SC), Thanggoulal (AIM, Manipur), Jonathan Mgochukwu Kingsley (Nagpur FC), Anil Gurung (Manang Marshyangdi Club, NEPAL), Kryshan Lyngshing, Niwan-O-Gatphoh, Roming Thanga, Henry Marboh, Jenga Rongmei, Gaiham Rongmei, Million Mwenge Butshire
COACH: Pradhyum REDDY

SPORTING CLUBE DE GOA - GOA
RETAINED: Gerald D'Mello, Fulganco Cardozo, Boubacar Keita, Mathew Gonsalves, N. Samananda Singh, Singam Rojen Singh, Rovan Pereira, Konthoujam Boboi Singh, Michael Faleiro, Joyner Lourenco, Adil Ahmed Khan, Mauricio Freeman Peixoto, Jovel Martins, Pedro Gonsalves, P. Niroshan Mani, Lairenjam Bisheshwor Singh, Wilton Gomes, Mackroy Peixote, Angelo D'Souza, Joseph Pereira, Rowlinn Borges, Avelino Fernandes, Ningthounjam Pritam Singh, Valzinho Fernandes, Stephen Barretto
NEW: Milagrio Medeira, Prajot Naik (both Vasco SC), Dawson Fernandes (Salgaocar SC), Warundeep Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), Ogba Kalu Nnanna (Dempo SC), Ashok Singh (Ar-Hima FC), Charanjit Singh (Kenkre FC), Gabriel Fernandes (Sesa Football Academy), Mohammed Ali (Calangute Association, Goa), Victorino Fernandes (Santa Cruz Club of Cavellosim), James Moga (Mukti Joddha Sangsad, Bangladesh), Kailo Karpeh (Bayswater City FC, AUSTRALIA)
LEFT: Bibiano Fernandes, Mario Mascarenhas, Daison Cardozo (all Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, Goa), Elvino Fernandes, Agnelo Colaco (both Vasco SC), Felix D'Souza (Churchill Brothers SC), Thoudam Joychandra Singh (United SC), Ayeni Bidemi Daniel (United Sikkim FC), Steven Fernandes (Sesa Football Academy), Siddesh Morje (Goa Velha SC), Ashokan Guru (Integral Coach Factory, Chennai), Thangjam Itomba Singh (Tiddim Road Athletic Union, Manipur), Joston Pereira, Koushik Ghosh, Sena Liandala, Jeswil D’Souza, Randell Dias, Gary D'Mello, Mackenze Fernandes, Emmanuel Akwuegbu, Joshua Maguire
COACH: Ekendra SINGH (new)

VASCO SC - GOA
RETAINED: Julius Irabor Akpele, Agnelo Barreto, Subhankar Dey, Menino Fernandes, Aniket Dilip Jadhav, Jerose Oliveira, Jose Colaco
NEW: Milind Shinde, Rahul Kandulkar, Rohan Sagar (all Brasil Futebol Academia, Goa), Elvino Fernandes, Agnelo Colaco (both Sporting Clube de Goa), Aikan Dias (Dempo SC), Agnelo Noronha (Goa Velha SC), Sarvanand Korgaonkar, Sagar Bhatkande, Sunil Sharma, Andrew Igado
LEFT: Savio Fernandes, Koko Sakibo, Joy Ferrao (all Dempo SC), Sachin Gawas, Joel Sequeira (both ONGC), Milagrio Medeira, Prajot Naik (both Sporting Clube de Goa), T.V. Biju Kumar, Muttath Sudheesh (both Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Basileo Rego (Churchill Brothers SC), Xavier Estrocio (Goa Velha SC), Thomas Joaquim D'Souza (Calangute Association, Goa), Remus Gomes (Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, Goa), Martin Frederick Okwagbe
COACH: Valentine EZEUGO (new)

UNITED SIKKIM FC - GANGTOK
RETAINED: Pranesh Dewan, Sagar Rai, Potsangbam Renedy Singh, Martin Louis Joseph Daniel, Jiten Rai, Nim Tshering Lepcha, Quinton Norman Jacobs, Mayal Dok Lepcha, Baichung Bhutia, Tenzing Tsephel Bhutia
NEW: Arnab Das Sharma, Monotosh Ghosh, Syed Farid, Govin Moirangthem Singh, Khangembam Thoi Singh (all Salgaocar SC), Harpreet Singh, Karan Atwal (both Mohun Bagan AC), Baldeep Singh, Harish Sharma (both JCT), Sushil Kumar Singh (East Bengal Club), Hiralal Chetri (Mumbai FC), Ayeni Bidemi Daniel (Sporting Clube de Goa/Shillong Lajong FC), Mumtaz Akhtar (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Babatunde John Oladele (Techno Aryan Club), Ong Teshering Lepcha (Bengal Mumbai FC), Nganingmi Shimran (Denzong Boyz), Prantosh Roy (Calcutta Port Trust), Vikram Singh Gill (Youngmen SC, Delhi), Sanasam Basant Singh (Manipur), Afzal Ansari, K. Romen Singh, Mayosing Khongreiwo
LEFT: Debjit Majumdar (East Bengal Club), Tanmoy Ghosh (United SC), V. Prem Kumar (Air India), Bijoy Das (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), John D. Menyongar (Shillong Lajong FC), Lalrinfela (Southern Samity), Mutum Bijen Singh (NISA, Manipur), Sukhdeb Ghosh (Mohammedan Sporting Club), Tashi Tseten Bhutia, Nanjangud Shivananju Manju, Mituski Ichihara, Muttath Suresh, Sumit Thapa, APD Carvalho, Kalia Kulothungan, Pradip Hembrom, Joseph Lapira
COACH: Stanley ROZARIO

MOHAMMEDAN SPORTING CLUB - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Suman Dey, Debkumar Sashmal, Mohammed Adeola Hassan, Sudip Das, Mohammed Mukhtar, Han Wook, Gautam Kujur, Suraj Mondal
NEW: Sheikh Azim, Suman Datta, Surabuddin Mollick (all Mohun Bagan AC), Naseem Akhtar, Bikash Narzary (both East Bengal Club), Tapan Maity, Surojit Bose (both ONGC), Safar Sardar (United SC), P. Ummer Farooque (Viva Kerala), Amrit Pal Singh (Air India), Sukhdeb Ghosh (United Sikkim FC), Cyprian Stanley Okoroigwe (Techno Aryan Club), Sovan Das (Peerless SC, Kolkata), Gobinth Adhikari (Faria Strikers, Goa), Felix
LEFT: Manas Barua, Dipendu Biswas, Satyajit Bose (all Bhawanipore Club, Kolkata), Habibur Rehman Mondal, Nilendra Dewan (both Southern Samity), Saheb Ali Mondol, Zotin Liana (both Peerless SC), Karthik Kisku (Salgaocar SC), Ethesham Bucks (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Mumtaz Akhtar (United Sikkim FC), Tenzing Dhondup (Royal Wahingdoh SC), Priyant Kumar Singh (Tollygunge Agragami), Sarfaraz Khan (Calcutta Port Trust), Tharangachan Tungshang (Langsning SC), Satvir Singh (Ahbab FC, Delhi), Sandip Rai, David Mkandawire, Musibau Olenrewaju Adebayo
COACH: Aloke MUKHERJEE (new)

SOUTHERN SAMITY - KOLKATA
RETAINED: Pronoy Roy, Rajib Ahmed, Gurpreet Singh, Mriganka Sharma, Chandan Das, Debayan Saha, Jamir Ali Mandal, Francis Xavier, Edmilson Marques Pardal
NEW: Eduardo Chacon Coelho Lacerda, Soraisam Dharamjit Singh, Babin Biswas (all Air India), Habibur Rehman Mondal, Nilendra Dewan (both Mohammedan Sporting Club), Nazimuddin Mollick (Mohun Bagan AC), Gour Naskar (ONGC), Deepak K. (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC), Lalrinfela (United Sikkim FC), Zico Zorengsanga (Ar-Hima FC), Prasanta Chakraborty (Peerless SC, Kolkata), Thang Somi Ruivah (BEML (EM), Bangalore), R.K. Jimmy Kazip (New Delhi Heroes), Prateek Joshi (RCF, Mumbai), Moirangthem Basanta Singh (RCU, Manipur), Matthew Mayora (Sydney Olympic, AUSTRALIA), Gopal Das, Abhijit Das, Sheikh Moidul, Sanku Debbarma, Eehe Zara, Kaushik Biswas, Basant Singh, Suman Ghosal, Sheikh Sanjib, Thuksuma Boy
LEFT: Manas Das, Marcos Alexandro de Carvalho Pereira (both Bhawanipore Club, Kolkata), Tuishim Mashangva (Shillong Lajong FC), P.T. Somy (Josco FC), Amit Singha Roy, Binod Mallick, Rahul Bhattacharya, Madhab Kumar Das, Anit Kumar Ghosh, Karthik Chatterjee, Mahesh Sarkar, Uken Debbarma, Sasthi Duley, Pradip Nag, Deepak Sharma, S. Heman Singh, Adebayo Tokunbo Adewusi
COACH: Carlos Roberto PEREIRA da SILVA (BRAZIL)

SESA FOOTBALL ACADEMY - GOA
RETAINED: Bruno Colaco, Neves Fernandes, Andrew Don Bosco, Jayganesh Goltekar, Shishuram Chutia, Valinton D'Silva, Amol Salgaocar, Charles Miranda, Gaurish Naik, Pratesh Shirodkar, Inacio Colaco, Marcus Fernandes, Valentino Rodrigues, Edwin Lucas, Lesly Fernandes, Rakshak Naik
NEW: Daniel Albert Vales (Salgaocar SC), Samson Fernandes (Dempo SC), Thokchom Roshan Singh (Pune FC), Steven Fernandes (Sporting Clube de Goa), Agnelo Quadros (Goa Velha SC), Shadab Shaikh (Calangute Association, Goa), Chikudi Chukwama (Sesa Juniors), Daniel Fernandes, Amritpal Singh, Jonychand Singh, Joston Lourenco, Richard Colaco, Felix Barreto
LEFT: Nicolau Colaco, Augostinho Fernandes, Gagandeep Singh, Vivek Singh Kaira (all Salgaocar SC), Sidroy Alfonso (Dempo SC), Gabriel Fernandes (Sporting Clube de Goa), Don Tshering Lepcha (Royal Wahingdoh SC), Jason D'Mello (Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, Goa), Pradeep Kumar (Indian National FC), Haolengou Kipgen (United Sports Association, Manipur), Shayan Roy, Ivo Fernandes, E. Shivamani, Richard Colaco, Anthony Fernandes
COACH: Clifford CHUKWAMA

GOA VELHA SC
RETAINED: Soma Korgaonkar, Valerio Vaz, Cruz Gomes, Randell Dias, Gary D'Mello, Nelson Fernandes, Alber Gonsalves, Saprem Diukar, Trevor Dias, Zico Costa, Augusto Monteiro, Clyde Dias, Cliff Fernandes, Donald Rocha
NEW: Wellington Fernandes, Tyson Fernandes (both Dempo Juniors), Joseph Rodrigues, Atish Shetgaonkar (both Holiday SC, Arpora, Goa), Siddesh Morje (Sporting Clube de Goa), Xavier Estrocio (Vasco SC), Pio D'Sousa (Raia Sporting Club), Elias D'Sousa (Goa Police SC), Bruno Fernandes (Penha de Franca, Goa), Parsuram Kaddinawar (Peddem Bomm, Goa), Denzil Pritto (AA de Moira, Goa), Nestor Dylan Dias (Saligao United, Goa), Morbimore Pinto (Young Boys of Dhobitala, Goa), Jolan Lourenco (St Sebastian, St Cruz, Goa), Gautam Kanconkar (Sao Miguel de Taleigao, Goa), Royden Camelo (Young Boys of Tonca, Goa), Volvino Rego, Freddy Oliveira, Kunal Rodrigues
LEFT: Loyed Mascarenhas, Gaurish Naik (both Calangute Association, Goa), Agnelo Noronha (Vasco SC), Agnelo Quadros (Sesa Football Academy), Vishant Pednekar (retired, Goa Velha assistant coach), Rowan Colaco, Edwin Carvalho, Joston Lourenco, Khan Paite, Michael Dias, Oliver D'Souza, Pankaj Fondekar, Stanley D'Silva, Savio Fernandes, Ramesh Martins Palkar, Samir Agarwadekar, Reagan Fernandes, Stanley D'Silva, Stanley Lopes, Joy Gonsalves, Elvis Lopes, Gauresh Mandrekar, Blake Haldankar
COACH: Lino PEREIRA

CALANGUTE ASSOCIATION
RETAINED: -
NEW: Omkar Singh, Jatinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh (all JCT), Loyed Mascarenhas, Gaurish Naik (both Goa Velha SC), Alesh Sawant, Faizal Sheikh (both Brasil Futebol Academia, Goa), Thomas Joaquim D'Souza (Vasco SC), Sugitesh Mandraker (Faria Strikers, Goa), Gurinder Pal Singh (Harbhajan SC, Punjab), Freddy Faria, Sukhdeep Singh, Preepal Singh Gill, Jatminder Somu Singh, Sukhwinder Kumar, Charanjit Singh, Sarjit Singh, Varinderjit Singh, Hanson D'Sousa, Amar Haldankar, Frazer Picardo, Selwyn Fernandes, Marc Fernandes, Lawrence Fernandes, Ryan D'Sousa, Joaquim Gonsalves, Lestern Martins, Drupesh Dessai, Dominic Fernandes
LEFT: Mohammed Ali (Sporting Clube de Goa), Shadab Shaikh (Sesa Football Academy), Sunford Cardozo (Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, Goa), Agnelo Fernandes, Richard Costa, Stanley Coutinho, Frankie Pereira, Vesvino Miranda, Pedro Gonsalves, Siddesh Kesarkar, Manuel Crasto, Haresh Diukar
COACH: Vishwas GAONKAR (new)

TATA FOOTBALL ACADEMY - JAMSHEDPUR
RETAINED: Bilal Khan, Suraj Kumar, Kamaldeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, S.K. Rohit, Jarmanjeet Singh, Rocky Singh, Sanjiv Kumar, Manas Sarkar, Harpreet Singh, Biswajit Sardar, Muniruzzaman Ansari, Chingkhei Meetei, Baidyanath Das, Amit Kumar, Vineet Rai, Deepak Tirkey, Mohammed Irfan Khan, Udanta Singh, Randhan Meetei
NEW: -
LEFT: -
COACH: P. Vijay KUMAR

VIDEO: See the real José Mourinho

Saw this interesting video series from German consumer product maker Braun. In this episode it is about Portuguese coach José Mourinho of Real Madrid. I found the video about 'the Special One' interesting, I hope you all like it!


Here a link to the video


India Women remain 54th in FIFA World Rankings

The world football governing body released the latest FIFA Women's World Rankings earlier today in which our India Women remain 54th in the world amongst 132 ranked nations. India now have 1438 points, five more then last month.

Amongst the 23 ranked Asian nations our India Women are 11th. Our opponents in the ongoing three match series Bahrain are ranked 75th in the world and 15th in Asia.

It is not clear if the first couple of matches of the three match Bahrain vs India series have been included in the rankings. On September 17 India had won 2-1, while on September 20 Bahrain had won 2-0, while today the third and final match will be played.

In the women's game the World Cup runners-up United States of America remain top of the rankings ahead of Germany, Brazil, World Cup winners Japan and Sweden.

Densill Theobald: Looking forward to play in India!

Trinidad & Tobago midfielder Densill Theobald is set to arrive in Goa in the coming days after he signed an eight month contract with Dempo SC. The long-time Trinidad & Tobago international, who captained his national side in an international friendly against India on August 21, had impressed interim India coach Armando Colaco, who also happens to be Dempo's club secretary and a deal was struck.

29 year old Densill Theobald is an experienced footballer, who has played in Scotland (Falkirk), Hungary (Újpest FC) besides playing in the local T&T Pro League for Joe Public and until recently Caledonia AIA.

Through my friend Shaun Fuentes, the T&T Football Federation Media Officer, I was able to do an interview with Densill before he left Port of Spain and arrives in Goa.


You are heading off to India, to a new chapter in your career. Tell us a little bit more about it.

It is a new challenge for me. I spoke to Cricketers Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo plus Cyd Gray (a footballer formerly with Pune FC) and they had only good things to say about Indian culture and its people. So it is something I am looking forward to!


Did you know anything about Indian football before the international friendly?

Honestly, not really.


You played last month against India at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. What are your observations from the game? What did you think about Team India?

Their football was decent, it was challenging and they gave us a good game, but our football is much stronger or rather I should say our national team is much stronger. But club football and national football is different, then when one brings international players into the league, it raises the level and that is something they seem to be doing in India.


So now you can be one of the ambassadors of Indian football back in the Caribbean?

Off course! Then I also see it as a business adventure and it's also about creating links between the Caribbean and India in football.


You have played in Scotland, Hungary and at home in the T&T Pro League; is this a challenge that you want at this stage of your career?

Most definitely! I wanted a new scenery, a new training atmosphere, new vibes and stuff like that. I just wanted to accept this challenge after talking to the people at Dempo's. This is a challenge that I am looking forward to with great confidence and I hope everything works out fine. Hopefully it is successful and I can open doors for other players from my country to come and play in India.


Regarding your national team, the Soca Warriors. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign is still on. Will you come back once the call is made?

Yeah, most definitely! I see it as an honour to represent my country. I made it clear to the club, if I do get a call from the national team it shouldn't be a problem for them to release me. It was agreed that national team comes first!


What did you learn about India and its football before signing for Dempo?

I did some research through the Internet. I have learned that they (Dempo) are one of the top teams in India. Have had success, played in the Asian Champions League and the AFC Cup. It's a well travelled team, a well known team in India and they have a good profile of the club, which augurs well for me.


What do you expect from your stint in India?

(laughs) Like I said before, I see it as a chance to be successful, make a name for myself and open doors for other players to come and play in the Indian league! Plus also help the club (Dempo) be successful during the season and win trophies.


I wish you all the best with Dempo's!

Thanks man!

Kamis, 22 September 2011

VIDEO: Srinivas Dempo speaks about Goa FA decisions

The president of the Goa Football Association Srinivas Dempo yesterday spoke to the media about decision of the GFA about organisation of I-League matches in the state, regarding venues and a visit of the Zambian national team to Goa in November.

Here a link to the video


33rd Federation Cup: Salgaocar & Prayag Utd qualify for semifinals

The Group B and D of the 33rd Federation Cup (India's version of the FA Cup) ended today with the third and last round of quarterfinal league matches. In both groups the favourites moved on, in Group B Salgaocar beat the Pailan Arrows youngsters, while Prayag United SC beat Sporting Clube de Goa. The semifinal line-up is now complete and the matches will take place on Sunday, September 25 and Monday, September 26. The first semifinal is between Shillong Lajong FC and Salgaocar SC, while the second semifinal will see East Bengal Club taking on local rivals Prayag United SC.


MATCHES OF THE DAY

Group B - Pune
Pailan Arrows 0-3 Salgaocar SC
Goals: 0-1 Chidi Edeh (3'), 0-2 Gilbert Oliveira (49'), 0-3 Balwant Singh (90')
I-League champions Salgaocar SC won 3-0 against the youngsters from the Pailan Arrows to move into the semifinals from Group B. The Goans took an early 3rd minute lead through a Chidi Edeh strike, while Gilbert Oliveira doubled the lead four minutes into the second half and Balwant Singh scored the 3-0 at the fag end of the game. The Arrows did have their chances in the game with the best chance falling to C.S. Sabeeth on the stroke of half-time.

Group B - Pune
Mumbai FC 2-1 HAL
Goals: 0-1 Sargolsem James Singh (41' pen), 1-1,2-1 Ebi Theophilus Sukore (79',89')
Mumbai FC needed two late goals from striker Ebi Theophilus Sukore to win 2-1 against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC in an inconsequential match of Group B. The Airmen from Bangalore took a 41st minute lead through a Sargolsem James Singh penalty, but Mumbai FC turned things around in the second session with a double strike from their African striker Ebi Theophilus Sukore in the 79th and 89th minute to finish third in Group B, while HAL finished last.

Group D - Kolkata
Prayag United SC 2-1 Sporting Clube de Goa
Goals: 1-0 Denson Devadas (5'), 2-0 Josimar da Silva Martins (83'), 2-1 Ogba Kalu Nnanna (88' pen)
Prayag United SC beat Sporting Clube de Goa 2-1 to qualify for the semifinals of the 33rd Federation Cup. The Kolkata side needed a win to top Group D and move into the semifinals of the Fed Cup for the first-time and they succeeded against Sporting Clube. Prayag United took an early 5th minute lead through a 5th minute Denson Devadas strike, but thereafter they simply could score though they completely dominated their opponents in the first session. The game before more open after the break but it was Brazilian Josimar da Silva Martins who doubled Prayag United's lead in the 83rd minute. Sporting Clube could only reduce the deficit in the 88th minute through a Ogba Kalu Nnanna penalty.

Group D - Kolkata
Air India 3-2 Chirag United Kerala
Goals: 1-0 Soccor Velho (11'), 2-0 Takayuki Omi (31'), 2-1 Michael Matricciani (40'), 3-1 Ezeh Nna Henry (53'), 3-2 Manoj T.M. (80')
Air India beat Chirag United Kerala 3-2 in another inconsequential quarterfinal league group match. The Airmen ensured their third place with four points, while the Kerala side finished bottom of their group without a point. Air India went ahead through a Soccor Velho strike in the 11th minute which their new Japanese recruit Takayuki Omi doubled in the 31st minute, but Chirag United Kerala's Australian recruit Michael Matricciani reduced the deficit in the 40th minute. After the break Nigerian Ezeh Nna Henry made it 3-1 for Air India in the 53rd minute and Chirag United Kerala could only reduce the deficit in the 80th minute through a Manoj T.M. strike.

AIFF ExCo: Decides on Future Course of Indian Football

The Executive Committee of the All India Football Federation met today with AIFF president Praful Patel presiding over the meeting held at Udyog Bhawan in New Delhi. A lot of pending issues were addressed, decisions taken and an outlook given to the future. Key decisions were in connection to youth development and funding of regional centres, India to bid for the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup and a series of international friendlies to prepare Team India ahead of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in March next year.


Here a list of all decisions taken by the AIFF ExCo

1. The Committee approved the overall Grassroot and Youth Development Programme which was created in conjunction with FIFA including setting up of the four Regional Academies in Kolkata, Bangalore (Goal Project), Delhi/NCR and Mumbai/Navi Mumbai.

2. The Committee also authorised AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das to start negotiations with Rob Baan for the position of Technical Director.

3. The President also mentioned that India may make a bid for hosting the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup.

4. AIFF’s Marketing Partners IMG-Reliance (who were part of the meeting for a while) made their presentations on the Broadcasting Partners for the forthcoming I-League. A likely announcement on the Telecast Rights will be made by the end of the month. Around 70-75 matches are supposed to be broadcast live as compared to the earlier 50 odd matches.

5. The Committee authorised the Emergency Committee to take a decision on the National Team Coach within the next few days.

6. Meanwhile, the Committee approved the increase in Total Prize Money in I-League from Rs. 11 Million (1,1 crore) to Rs. 15 Million (1,5 crore). The Committee also ratified the Asian Football Confederation's recommendations to set-up an I-League Committee which will have a representative from each of the 14 Clubs playing the I-League.

7. Besides, the Executive Committee ratified the decision of the Emergency Committee of not relegating the AIFF's Developmental Team Pailan Arrows from the I-League.

8. The Committee also ratified that I-League Players (other than foreign players) cannot play more than 40 domestic club matches.

9. The AIFF also granted an annual sum of Rs. 5 Million (50 lakh) to be distributed between the State Football Associations to organise Football Developmental activities in their states. The decision for releasing such money would be taken by the newly formed Committee for evaluating funding criteria for the states in line with the Local League and Developmental activities being carried out.

10. The dates and breaks for future tournaments stay as such:

i. The Super Cup will be held at the Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi between East Bengal Club and Salgaocar SC on October 18, 2011.

ii. The I-League kicks-off at Kolkata's Saltlake Stadium on October 22, 2011.

iii. The SAFF Cup will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi from December 2 to 12, 2011. The Preparatory Camp for the tournament will be held from November 21-30, 2011. The I-League won't be given a break for the SAFF Cup and Clubs will be playing three rounds without National Team Players.

iv. The Indian National Team would be travelling to Johannesburg to play an International Friendly against South Africa in the first week of January 2012.

v. The National Camp for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup which is the gateway to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup would be held from February 13-29, 2012. In that case, the I-League would be given a break from February 13 to 23, 2012. The AFC Challenge Cup is slated to be held from March 3 to 22, 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

11. The Committee took the decision that in future all International Matches concerning National Teams or Clubs must be under the aegis of AIFF. The Committee also decided that it was important to honour the Contractual Obligations with IMG-Reliance whereby no third party agency would be allowed to host such International Matches without the explicit approval of AIFF and IMG-Reliance.

12. The Committee also approved the regulations framed for hosting International matches which comes into effect immediately and which will be circulated to all State Associations.

13. The Executive Committee also authorised the General Secretary to form a separate Committee for AIFF's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations scheduled next year.