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Kamis, 28 Maret 2013

2014 AFC Challenge Cup: Laos & Turkmenistan get last spots!

Former champions India have failed to qualify for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in Maldives. That was known for some time, but due to the late pullout of Brunei it was not clear which two sides would qualify as the best two teams amongst the five qualification groups.

In the end Laos and Turkmenistan have received the tickets to next year's finals as the two best runners-up as they join hosts Maldives plus the five group winners Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Palestine and the Philippines in their quest to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

The non-participation of Brunei in Group E meant that the results of the matches in the four other groups between the runner-up and the bottom-placed team were declared null and void based on Article 16.1 and Appendix 2 of the tournament regulations.

The affected matches were as follows
Group A: India 2-1 Chinese Taipei
Group B: Macau 0-3 Tajikistan
Group C: Laos 1-1 Mongolia
Group D Bangladesh 4-0 Northern Mariana Islands

With these results no longer being factored into the outcome, Laos emerged as the best of the second-placed team with four points. Turkmenistan, AFC Challenge Cup runners-up in 2012 and 2010, took the second ticket to the Maldives, with their superior goal difference separating them from 2008 champions India, Bangladesh and inaugural winners Tajikistan of 2006, who all finished with three points.

Senin, 17 September 2012

SAFF Women's Cup - Stats: India triumph again!

The second edition of the SAFF Women's Championship was organised by the South Asian Football Federation and the tournament was held from September 7 to 16 at the CR&FC Place ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka with India defending their crown.

The Indian Women went into the tournament as the defending champions having won the inaugural edition with a 1-0 final win against Nepal in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in December 2010 and this time around they beat Nepal 3-1 in the final.

India were drawn in Group A along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and hosts Sri Lanka, while Group B contained Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan.


RESULTS

Quarterfinal League

Group A
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka

07-Sep-2012: India 3-0 Bangladesh
07-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka 4-0 Bhutan
09-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka 0-5 India
09-Sep-2012: Bangladesh 1-0 Bhutan
11-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka 2-1 Bangladesh
11-Sep-2012: India 11-0 Bhutan

Group B
Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan

08-Sep-2012: Nepal 8-0 Pakistan
08-Sep-2012: Maldives 1-1 Afghanistan
10-Sep-2012: Nepal 5-0 Maldives
10-Sep-2012: Pakistan 0-4 Afghanistan
12-Sep-2012: Nepal 7-1 Afghanistan
12-Sep-2012: Maldives 2-3 Pakistan

Semifinals
14-Sep-2012: India 11-0 Afghanistan
14-Sep-2012: Nepal 3-0 Sri Lanka

Final
16-Sep-2012: India 3-1 Nepal

Senin, 03 September 2012

2012 Nehru Cup - Results: India complete Hattrick!

India were and India are the reigning champions of the Nehru Cup, the third Nehru Cup title in a row. A great feat for the newly assembled squad under Dutchman Wim Koevermans.

The 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup was held from August 22 to September 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Besides host India the other four participating nations were Cameroon, Syria, the Maldives and Nepal.


FIXTURES & RESULTS

Round Robin League
22-Aug-2012: INDIA 2-1 Syria
23-Aug-2012: Maldives 2-1 Nepal
24-Aug-2012: Syria 2-2 Cameroon
25-Aug-2012: INDIA 3-0 Maldives
26-Aug-2012: Nepal 0-5 Cameroon
27-Aug-2012: Maldives 2-1 Syria
28-Aug-2012: INDIA 0-0 Nepal
29-Aug-2012: Cameroon 3-1 Maldives
30-Aug-2012: Syria 2-0 Nepal
31-Aug-2012: INDIA 0-1 Cameroon

Final
02-Sep-2012: Cameroon 2-2,4-5 India [penalties]

Sabtu, 01 September 2012

2012 Nehru Cup - Results: Cameroon top, India second

The 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup is being held from August 22 to September 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Besides the host and defending champions India the other four participating nations are Cameroon, Syria, the Maldives and Nepal.

Cameroon topped the round robin league group stage with 10 points from four matches ahead of India on seven points, the Maldives on six, Syria on four and Nepal finishing last on only a point. This means that tomorrow Sunday, September 2 Cameroon will meet India to play for the title of the 2012 Nehru Cup.

The matches are all being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and with kick-off officially at 19.00 IST with Neo Prime showing all matches live and exclusive.


FIXTURES & RESULTS

Round Robin League
22-Aug-2012: INDIA 2-1 Syria
23-Aug-2012: Maldives 2-1 Nepal
24-Aug-2012: Syria 2-2 Cameroon
25-Aug-2012: INDIA 3-0 Maldives
26-Aug-2012: Nepal 0-5 Cameroon
27-Aug-2012: Maldives 2-1 Syria
28-Aug-2012: INDIA 0-0 Nepal
29-Aug-2012: Cameroon 3-1 Maldives
30-Aug-2012: Syria 2-0 Nepal
31-Aug-2012: INDIA 0-1 Cameroon

Final
02-Sep-2012: Cameroon - India

Jumat, 31 Agustus 2012

AIFF name Bem Bem Devi as India captain for Women's SAFF Cup

The All India Football Federation has named Bem Bem Devi as the captain of the Indian national women's team for the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship to be played from September 7 to 16 at the Longden Place ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Indian Women go into the tournament as the defending champions having won the inaugural edition with a 1-0 final win against Nepal in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in December 2010.

India have been drawn in Group A along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and hosts Sri Lanka. India face Bangladesh in their opener on September 7, then play the hosts Sri Lanka on September 9 and then face Bhutan on September 11. The other Group B contains Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan.


INDIA Women's Probables

Goalkeepers
Sita Sharma (Orissa), Aditi Chauhan (Delhi)

Defenders
Ashem Romi Devi (Manipur), Loitongbam Ashalata Devi (Manipur), Kangujam Rebika Devi (Manipur), Alochana Senapati (Orissa), Suprava Samal (Bihar), Tuli Goon (West Bengal)

Midfielders
Yumnam Kamala Devi (Manipur), Yumlembam Premi Devi (Manipur), Montessori Chanu (Manipur), Oinam Bembem Devi (Manipur), Supriya Routray (Orissa), Lochana Munda (Orissa)

Forwards
Irom Prameshwori Devi (Manipur), Salam Rinaroy Devi (Manipur), Laishram Naobi Chanu (Manipur), Raju Suganya (Tamil Nadu), Pinky Bompal Magar (Orissa), Sasmita Malik (Orissa)

Officials
Shahid Jabbar (Chief Coach); Pratima Biswas (Assistant Coach), Mutum Surmala Chanu (Assistant Coach); Ranjita Mohanty (Goalkeeping Coach); Poulami Ghosh (West Bengal); Khyati Sharma (Physiotherapist); Sudeshna Mukherjee (Manager)

Rabu, 29 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Cameroon beat Maldives, seal final against India

Tournament favourites Cameroon beat the Maldives 3-1 in their penultimate round robin match to seal a place in the finals against hosts and defending champions India in the 2012 Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Cameroon are now top with seven points from three matches, while the Maldives are out of the competition with six points from their four matches.

The Africans had the better start putting the Maldives defence on the backfoot and after missing some early chances Cameroon took the lead in the 12th minute through a crisp Kingue Mpondo volley. It looked like another rout as against Nepal could be on the cards, but the Maldives are a stronger side then their south Asian counterparts. The islanders equalised in the 26th minute when wing-back Abdul Akram overlapped and played a one-two to slot home past the Cameroon goalkeeper. Camroon looked stunned for a few minutes, but then regrouped and Kingue Mpondo was again on target in the 39th minute following a corner.

With the result at 2-1 at the interval the hope was to see a close encounter, but Cameroon sealed the match in the 50th minute itself as they earned a penalty which Ebanga Bertin blasted into the Maldives goal. After awarding the penalty the referee was questioned by the Maldives player and Ashaad Ali was given marching orders for touching the referee.

Nothing much happened thereafter and the match ended 3-1 for Cameroon, which means that the Africans meet India in their final round robin match on Friday, August 31 and then again in the final on Sunday, September 2.

Senin, 27 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Maldives score an upset against Syria

The Maldives scored a historic 2-1 victory against Syria, the islanders first-ever victory against an Arabian nation, in the 2012 Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. With the win the Maldives move to six points from three matches and now have a real chance to reach the finals; while Syria, the 2007 and 2009 finalists, are out with only a point to their name so far.

The match had to kick-off late due to continuing monsoon rains in the capital and it did hamper the two sides in the match. Surprisingly Syria adjusted better to the ground conditions while the Maldives needed some time then passing football was simply not possible, so both teams had to rely on aerial balls.

After a goalless first session the match came to life after the breather. Syria attacked a defensive Maldives, but the islanders took the lead through their striker Ali Ashfaq's header in the 59th minute. Syria now went all out into attack, but Maldives goalkeeper Mohamed Imran was often in the way or the strikers could not finish the attacks. In the 81st minute Syria did equalise through an acrobatic bicycle kick from Alaa Al Shbli, who was in an offside position but the ball came off a Maldives defender so the goal was legitimate and allowed.

With Syria equalising and continuing to put pressure on the Maldives defence it seemed only a matter of time when they would score the winner, but towards the end the match opened-up and the Maldives would score the winner of a counter-attack late in injury time when Ahmed Rasheed pushed the ball into an empty net from a Ali Ashfaq square pass.

The winner lead to a lot of discussions on the sidelines with Syria alleging the match was finished and over by then but the Maldives coach Istvan Urbanyi was sent off for dissent as he unnecessarily got involved in the sideline discussions.

Minggu, 26 Agustus 2012

Wim Koevermans: Only thinking from match to match!

It is a new beginning for Indian football under Dutchman Wim Koevermans as the Indian national team coach at the 2012 Nehru Cup and things look promising after the first couple of matches in the tournament.

But Wim Koevermans is not getting carried away by the two wins against Syria and the Maldives as the Dutchman said post-match, "It was a good win but we are taking one match at a time."

India is still learning on how Koevermans wants them to play, but their display against the Maldives was much better then against Syria especially after the breather. And that will have made Koevermans proud then his team was able to adopt to changes he made at half-time and the second session was good quality football from India, which has been rarely seen in the past.

Seasoned Syed Rahim Nabi came in for special praise from Wim Koevermans for his commitment, the overlapping runs and the important second goal for his team.

India now have six points from two matches, the final looks very likely from here on; but Koevermans knows that defeats against Nepal and Cameroon could still spoil everything that has been achieved in 180 minutes of football.

Therefore thinking from match to match is the right approach...

Sabtu, 25 Agustus 2012

India to defend SAFF Women's Cup title in Sri Lanka next month

The second SAFF Women's Championship will once again be organised by the South Asian Football Federation and the tournament will be held from September 7 to 16 at the Longden Place ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Indian Women go into the tournament as the defending champions having won the inaugural edition with a 1-0 final win against Nepal in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in December 2010.

India have been drawn in Group A along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and hosts Sri Lanka. India face Bangladesh in their opener on September 7, then play the hosts Sri Lanka on September 9 and then face Bhutan on September 11. The other Group B contains Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan.

Interestingly both these groups had been drawn with the same set of four teams as two years ago at the 1st SAFF Women's Championship.

30 Indian Women probables are currently sweating it out at the SAI Eastern Centre to make the final 20 players squad which will fly across to Sri Lanka. India go into the tournament as the big title favourites, especially after having scored 41 goals and conceded only one in their title triumph in 2010.


FIXTURES

Quarterfinal League

Group A
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka

07-Sep-2012: India - Bangladesh
07-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka - Bhutan
09-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka - India
09-Sep-2012: Bangladesh - Bhutan
11-Sep-2012: Sri Lanka - Bangladesh
11-Sep-2012: India - Bhutan

Group B
Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan

08-Sep-2012: Nepal - Pakistan
08-Sep-2012: Maldives - Afghanistan
10-Sep-2012: Nepal - Maldives
10-Sep-2012: Pakistan - Afghanistan
12-Sep-2012: Nepal - Afghanistan
12-Sep-2012: Maldives - Pakistan

Semifinals
14-Sep-2012: Winner Group A - Runners-Up Group B
14-Sep-2012: Winner Group B - Runners-Up Group A

Final
16-Sep-2012: Winner SF1 - Winner SF2

VIDEO: India's Three goals against Maldives!

India beat the Maldives 3-0 in the 2012 Nehru Cup tonight. Two goals from captain Sunil Chhetri and another from left wing-back Syed Rahim Nabi sealed the win for India. Here the goals for you all to watch!!!

2012 Nehru Cup: India score convincing 3-0 against Maldives

Defending champions India won 3-0 against the Maldives in their second match of the 2012 Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The hosts had won their opening match 2-1 against Syria and are now top with six points from two games.

It was an even game early on with both teams testing each others defence though the game was mainly confined to the midfield. The Maldives had the best chance of the first session through their captain Ali Ashfaq but an alert Subrata Pal averted danger for India.

As the game seemed heading into a goalless break, a Syed Rahim Nabi shot on the stroke of half-time hit the hand of a Maldives defender inside the box and the referee showed to the dreaded spot. There was some arguments between the referee and the Maldives player, but the decision had been made and it was final. India captain Sunil Chhetri walked-up to the spot and send Maldives keeper Mohaamed Imran the wrong way to give India the lead. It is interesting to note that today like against Syria three days ago, Chhetri scored his goal in the second minute of the first half injury time.

India coach Wim Koevermans made a change at the break by taking off winger Sanju Pradhan and bringing his East Bengal team mate Robin Singh on. Robin getting his India debut moved into the lone striker position, Sunil Chhetri dropped back while Francis Fernandes moved into Sanju's position. And that would work for India.

India doubled the lead in the 53rd minute when a Clifford Miranda corner was headed in by Syed Rahim Nabi and thereafter India took charge of the game, but only in the 70th minute India would score their third. Again it would be captain Sunil Chhetri, this time with a great header to make it 3-0 off a perfect Francis Fernandes cross.

The Maldives were beaten and Sunil Chhetri could have gotten his third off the night but his strike from a counter-attack hit the left post, while Robin Singh also could have scored on his debut but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Mohammed Imran. Maldives towards the end tried to get their consolation goal, but that would not come.

Wim Koevermans will be a very happy man especially how India played the second session, but it was also a great substitution at half-time and change by the Dutch coach which resulted in the end result.

India's next opponent will be neighbours Nepal on Tuesday, August 28.


MATCH STATS

India 3-0 (1-0) Maldives - Goals: 1-0,3-0 Sunil Chhetri (45+2', penalty; 70'), 2-0 Syed Rahim Nabi (53')

India
1-Subrata Pal - 4-Nirmal Chetri (90' 2-Denzil Franco), 3-Raju Gaikwad, 19-Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, 22-Syed Rahim Nabi - 8-Sanju Pradhan (46' 24-Robin Singh), 20-Mehtab Hussain, 6-Lenny Rodrigues, 15-Clifford Miranda (77' 14-Anthony Pereira) - 26-Francis Fernandes - 11-Sunil Chhetri [C]

Maldives
25-Mohaamed Imran - 2-Abdulla Ahmed, 3-Mohammed Shifan, 4-Mohammed Umair, 17-Shafiu Ahmed - 8-Rilwan Waheed (60' 12-Rasheed Ahmed), 6-Mohammed Arif, 19-Mohamed Rasheed - 7-Ali Ashfaq [C], 14-Abdulla Asadhulla (73' 21-Ahmed Rasheed) - 10-Ashadh Ali (83' 15-Ismail Easa)

Referee
... (United Arab Emirates)

Jumat, 24 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: India face tough Maldives test tonight

Defending champions India take on the Maldives tonight in their second match of the 2012 Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. After the opening win against Syria, the hosts hope to continue their winning run but the Maldives themselves started the tournament with a win against Nepal.

"Past is past. The match against Syria is past at the moment," stressed Koevermans in the Team Meeting yesterday. "If you think about Syria, you will stumble. Maldives boast of some good players who can make a difference," was Koevermans' study of Maldives after their game against Nepal.

The islanders could be a real threat to the Men in Blue, then the Maldives showed glimpses of what they are capable off under difficult underfoot conditions. Especially Maldives star Ali Ashfaq with his runs, passing and dribbling caused problems to the Nepal defence and proved why he is one of the best players in Southasia.

Koevermans on Thursday watched the match from the upper tier of the stadium for a better overall view and took down notes to be able to prepare his team in the best possible way and need to ensure that complacency does not kick-in then another win could take India closer to another Nehru Cup final.

"Wim Koevermans comes from the Dutch School of thought. So it's understandable, he will try to implement the same in Indian football," maintained Maldives Coach Istvan Urbanyi. "It's impossible to comment on India at the moment. Rain played a major role in India's first match against Syria. So I just can't draw any comparison between this Indian side and former ones," the Hungarian continued. "It's too early to do that."

"India are trying to adapt to a different style of play. It was visible before the rain forced a brief halt in their first match against Syria," Urbanyi went on. "That we had many scoring chances against Nepal adds to our confidence. But at the same time, when you get so many of them, you ought to kill the match early," he dissects his own team and their opening game.

And Urbanyi added about his team, "Most of my players observed Ramadan and hence, I'm worried a bit about their fitness levels. But at the same time, you need to remember both my debutants scored against Nepal. Abdullah Asadullah is just 22 (he was declared the Man-of-the-Match against Nepal) and Easa Ismail is a super talent."

India will need to keep all this in mind as ahead of the match captain Sunil Chhetri spoke about a match plan which the team needs to follow.

Other senior India players also stay careful. Wing-back Syed Rahim Nabi said, "Maldives is a different match." Central defender Gourmangi Singh adds, "We have had a good start. We need to sustain the momentum."

That simply sums it up for India. Stay careful, cautious, keep the momentum going and play according to the ground conditions then possession football will bring the team nowhere on the water soaked Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium pitch.

The India vs Maldives match will kick-off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 19.00 IST and will be live on Neo Prime.

Kamis, 23 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Maldives win 2-1 against Nepal

In a south Asian match-up the Maldives got the better of Nepal 2-1 in the opening Nehru Cup match for the two sides, which also marked their debut in the tournament. Goals from Assadhullah Abdullah (7th minute) and Ismail Easa (77th minute) ensured full points for the Maldives, while Nepal could only pull one back through substitute Jumanu Rai in injury time.

The Maldives surged ahead as early as the 7th minute as Assadhullah Abdullah made the most of a goalkeeping error to tap the ball into an empty net. The Maldives looked more enterprising during the early part of the match. They defended sturdily and stringed together some good moves. Nepal, on the other hand, failed to live up to the expectations of their supporters who had turned up in numbers to cheer their team. Nepal not only lacked creativity in the middle of the park, but they were unable to cut past the Maldives back four.

Post the break, Nepal showed more intent upfront with the Maldives sitting deep and focusing on guarding their fort. Left winger Jagjeet Shrestha's cross at the hour mark was headed just wide by striker Bharat Khawas.

As the match entered its final phase, Nepal surged ahead in numbers testing the Maldives defenders who were caught off guard a few times. But luckily for the islanders who are ranked just above Nepal, luck was on their side as they sealed the fate of the match in the 77th minute when Ismail Easa prodded home from inside the box. Nepal though were finally rewarded for their spirited effort when substitute Jumanu Rai scored a consolation goal in injury time, but that was too little, too late.

The Maldives next take on hosts India in their second match on August 25, while Nepal take on mighty Cameroon on August 26.

Senin, 20 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Match Tickets on Sale online!

Tickets for the 2012 Nehru Cup in which hosts and defending champions India take on Cameroon, Syria, the Maldives and Nepal which will be played from Wednesday, August 22 to Sunday, September 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi are being sold online on the Kyazoonga platform.

Here the complete: 2012 Nehru Cup - Fixtures: India open against Syria

The tickets are being sold in two categories of prices of Rs 75 and 150. The Rs 75 tickets are for the North & South block behind the goals as well as the East block opposite the Main Stand. The Rs 150 tickets are for the West blocks' A8 to A11, which is next to the VIP stand.

As per the tickets being sold online only the lower tier of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be used for the 2012 Nehru Cup and the upper tier will only be opened if there is a need and demand for further tickets.

Here the direct link to the online ticket sales: http://www.kyazoonga.com/Sports/Nehru_Cup/412/4 .

Senin, 13 Agustus 2012

Neo Sports to broadcast 2012 Nehru Cup

Sports broadcaster Neo Sports has acquired the exclusive rights to show the 2012 Nehru Cup live from New Delhi. Neo will be showing the 11 match tournament on its new Neo Prime channel, the former Neo Cricket which it rebranded after losing the BCCI cricket rights.

The 2007 and 2009 editions of the Nehru Cup were shown on Zee Sports (now TenAction+), which team India had both won and on both occasions against Syria, whom they meet in the tournament opener on August 22. The Nehru Cup had been first held in 1982 as India's own international football tournament and has special significance as the AIFF is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

The 2012 Nehru Cup will be played from August 22 to September 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with all matches set for a 19.00 IST kick-off. Besides hosts and double defending champions India, the tournament would see African side Cameroon, Syria, the Maldives and Nepal in action. In the round robin group stage all five teams will play each other once and the top two sides will meet each other again in the final.

Prasana Krishnan, Neo Sports Broadcast COO, said, "Neo Sports has added yet another key event to our extensive football line up with Nehru Cup. TV ratings for football in India are growing exponentially, evident with the success of Uefa Euro 2012 on Neo Prime. With Nehru Cup being India’s only international football tournament, it is sure to garner high viewership. We look forward to serving Indian football fans with top class coverage of this celebrated event."

Ashu Jindal, IMG-Reliance COO, said, "With 2012 being the Platinum Jubilee of the AIFF and India returning as defending champions, we are extremely pleased to partner with Neo Sports for the broadcast of this historic edition of the Nehru Cup. This is a key tournament in our vision to radically restructure and popularize football in India. With double the prize money and an extensive production plan, the event will be bigger and grander."

Senin, 06 Agustus 2012

2012 Nehru Cup - Fixtures: India open against Syria

The 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup will be played from August 22 to September 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Besides host and defending champions India the other four participating nations are Cameroon, Syria, the Maldives and Nepal.

India have been drawn to play old nemesis Syria in the opening match of the 2012 Nehru Cup on August 22. India had won the last two editions of the Nehru Cup in 2007 and 2009 by beating Syria in the final on both occasions.

Each Team will play each other once in the Round Robin League matches with the top two, the Group Winners and the Group Runners-up advancing to the final which will be played on September 2.

The Indian squad is presently undergoing their preparatory camp at the KSFA Stadium in Bangalore and is likely relocate to Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida in mid-August.

The matches will kick-off at 19.00 IST.


FIXTURES

Round Robin League
22-Aug-2012: INDIA - Syria
23-Aug-2012: Maldives - Nepal
24-Aug-2012: Syria - Cameroon
25-Aug-2012: INDIA - Maldives
26-Aug-2012: Nepal - Cameroon
27-Aug-2012: Maldives - Syria
28-Aug-2012: INDIA - Nepal
29-Aug-2012: Cameroon - Maldives
30-Aug-2012: Syria - Nepal
31-Aug-2012: INDIA - Cameroon

Final
02-Sep-2012: Round Robin Winners - Round Robin Runners

Minggu, 29 Juli 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Is African nation Kenya sure to come?

The 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup is set to be a five nation affair with African sides Cameroon and Kenya plus Asian nations Syria and the Maldives besides hosts India set to take part. The tournament will kick-off on August 22 in New Delhi, but the All India Football Federation has still not confirmed the final line-up of nations to play in the tournament.

There have been confirmations from the Maldives (Football Association of Maldives) and Syria (Syrian Football Association) that their nations will participate in the tournament, while goal.com reported earlier in the day that Cameroon has confirmed their participation with a squad made-up of players from the local Cameroonian league.

But now the AIFF could face problems with the other African participant Kenya. It was clear from the onset that Kenya star Victor Mugabe Wanyama from Celtic Glasgow would not play in the tournament like other of their Europe-based players, but now there is a match which Kenya is supposed to play against Jamaica on August 25 in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the US.

The official Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Twitter account tweeted yesterday: August 25 - Jamaica vs Kenya @ East Rutherford CT

The August 25 date, which is also in the FIFA match calendar, would mean that Kenya would have an official international friendly during the Nehru Cup and if Kenya is considering of having two teams playing the Nehru Cup and the Jamaica friendly then surely the weaker side would be send to India, maybe the Kenya Football Federation is even thinking about sending a junior team.

Earlier Jordan had made a similar offer to send their Under-19 side, which the AIFF correctly turned down. I guess the AIFF need to communicate with Kenya to find out what they are thinking.

All this sounds similar to what happened in earlier editions of the Nehru Cup.

Kamis, 26 Juli 2012

2012 Nehru Cup: Which nations will participate?

The 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup will kick-off in less then a month's time in New Delhi, but the All India Football Federation has still not named the final line-up of nations to play in the tournament.

One thing is clear that the tournament will be a five nation affair and hosts India will be one of the participating teams. According to sources the AIFF have finalised the four other nations which would be Cameroon, Kenya, Syria and the Maldives with the names of the nations to be made public in the coming days.

Originally the AIFF had send out more then 10 invitations across Asia and Africa. After it became clear that Nigeria wouldn't like to take part, other African nations in Cameroon, Senegal and Kenya were approached with Kenya accepting the invitation quickly while Cameroon took its time to give a positive feedback.

Meanwhile within Asia the nations of Afghanistan, Jordan, Maldives, the Philippines, Syria and Thailand were approached with Jordan, Maldives, the Philippines and Syria all willing to participate. The AIFF then had to decide which two Asian nations it wanted in the tournament. By then the Philippines backed out, so it was Syria and the Maldives in the end.

Surely Syria were opponents of India in 2007 and 2009 finals, but the question remains if the west Asians would be appropriate to have in the tournament with all those political problems in their country.

Selasa, 10 Juli 2012

Who will participate in the 2012 Nehru Cup?

The All India Football Federation is set to organise the 2012 edition of the Nehru Cup from August 23 to September 2 at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Besides hosts India four other nations will take part in the Nehru Cup which will be held three decades after the first edition in 1982. Also it will be part of the AIFF celebrating its Platinum Jubilee (75th anniversary).

But there is confusion on who will participate in the tournament this year with invited country football associations telling their respective national media that they will participate after accepting the AIFF offer. The only thing which is clear is that the AIFF is preferring to have two African and two Asian sides joining India in a five team competition.

The AIFF had send out more then 10 invitations across Asia and Africa. After it became clear that Nigeria wouldn't like to take part, Cameroon and Kenya were approached with Kenya having since accepted the invitation while Cameroon had given positive feedback about an interest to participate. Another nation doing the rounds as possible back-up is Senegal.

Meanwhile within Asia the nations of Afghanistan, Jordan, Maldives, the Philippines, Syria and Thailand are said to be amongst the nations approached with Jordan, Maldives, the Philippines and Syria all willing to participate.

Currently the AIFF seems to favour Cameroon and Kenya plus Syria and Jordan taking part in the tournament. But the AIFF will soon have to take a final decision on who it would like to see participate in the tournament, so the search for a title sponsor and television broadcaster can go ahead in full flow, then on the 75th anniversary it wouldn't show Indian football in good light without one of these or even both.

Selasa, 20 Maret 2012

2012 AFC Challenge Cup: A look back & the stats

The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup was held in Kathmandu, Nepal from March 8 to 19, 2012. Defending champions North Korea once more won the title by beating Turkmenistan again in the final like in 2010. The final victory qualifies North Korea for the next 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia.

The 12 day tournament saw eight teams in action with the matches not always going as per script, but in the end the overwhelming favourites North Korea won the AFC Challenge Cup title for a second time.

For Team India the 2012 edition of the AFC Challenge Cup was a complete disaster. Three matches - no goals, eight conceded, no points. The simple stats speak a clear language about a very poor outing.


FIXTURES & RESULTS

Group A
Maldives, Nepal, Palestine, Turkmenistan

08-Mar-2012: Turkmenistan 3-1 Maldives
08-Mar-2012: Nepal 0-2 Palestine
10-Mar-2012: Palestine 0-0 Turkmenistan
10-Mar-2012: Maldives 1-0 Nepal
12-Mar-2012: Nepal 0-3 Turkmenistan
12-Mar-2012: Maldives 0-2 Palestine

Group B
India, North Korea, Philippines, Tajikistan

09-Mar-2012: North Korea 2-0 Philippines
09-Mar-2012: India 0-2 Tajikistan
11-Mar-2012: Tajikistan 0-2 North Korea
11-Mar-2012: Philippines 2-0 India
13-Mar-2012: North Korea 4-0 India
13-Mar-2012: Tajikistan 1-2 Philippines

Semifinals
16-Mar-2012: Turkmenistan 2-1 Philippines
16-Mar-2012: North Korea 2-0 Palestine

3rd Place Playoff
19-Mar-2012: Philippines 4-3 Palestine

Final
19-Mar-2012: Turkmenistan 1-2 North Korea