VIDEO - NDTV: Indian Women's team defends SAFF title

The Indian Women's national team defended their SAFF Women's Cup title on Sunday in Colombo with a 3-1 victory against Nepal. And it is good to see that NDTV send down a crew to cover the final match and get some reactions after the triumph.

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

SAFF Women's Cup: India beat Nepal 3-1, defend title!

Defending champions India retained their title by defeating Nepal 3-1 in the final of the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship at the CR&FC Place ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Nepal took a surprise third minute lead through a Dipa Adhikari strike off a Anu Lama pass, but favourites India weren't shocked and equalised only five minutes later through a Supriya Routray goal. Thereafter it was an open game with better chances for India, but it remained one-all at the break as the Nepal defence was able to fend off the Indian attackers.

Nepal came out as the better team after the break, but they couldn't score of their chances and after about 10 minutes India took control of the game but missed a few chances before captain Oinam Bembem Devi put India ahead in the 66th minute. It remained an open game thereafter as Nepal missed a couple of chances, but India secured their victory with a goal from midfielder Yumnam Kamala Devi in the 83rd minute to make it 3-1.

In the end the Indian Women won 3-1 to win the 2nd edition of the SAFF Women's Championship and continue to dominate women's football in South Asia, but Nepal played a good match and tournament to pose a challenge to our Indian Women.


INDIA
Sita Sharma - Ashem Romi Devi, Kangujam Rebika Devi, Alochana Senapati, Suprava Samal - Supriya Routray, Yumnam Kamala Devi, Oinam Bembem Devi [C], Tuli Goon - Sasmita Malik, Irom Prameshwori Devi

NEPAL
Namita Dali - Bhagwati Thapa, Usha, Jamuna, Dipa Adhikari, Chandra, Anu Lama, Pramila Rai (Krishna Khatri), Niru Thapa, Sajana Rana (Laxmi Poudel), Ghim Kumari

SAFF Women's Cup: India look to retain title today

Defending champions India are looking to retain their SAFF Women's Championship title when they face neighbours Nepal this afternoon at the CR&FC grounds in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Anything but an Indian victory would be an upset as our Women are currently far superior then the rest of the South Asian region, but arrogance should be avoided.

After a slow start India has been on fire in the tournament beating Bangladesh (3-0), hosts Sri Lanka (5-0) and Bhutan (11-0) in the group stage before Afghanistan (11-0) in the semifinals. India has scored an impressive 30 goals with no goals conceded so far.

India were tested a little in their opener against Bangladesh, but thereafter the team led by Oinam Bembem Devi has been impressive in their display and they could have scored even more goals.

Nepal are hoping to score an upset by defeating India in the final. And the Nepali Women have had a good tournament of their own, the question is if they can challenge India and maybe get an early goal to upset their more famed rivals.

But coach Mohammed Shahid Jabbar is careful as he praised Nepal ahead of the final especially their hard working midfield and strikers, but also mentioned that Nepal does seem a little weak in defence which India will seek to utilise.

Coach Jabbar will surely prepare his team for the challenge ahead and one hopes that at the end India will lift their second SAFF Women's Cup title to maintain their unrivaled dominance in the South Asian region.

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]

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

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)

2012 Nehru Cup: Nepal hold India to goalless draw

Defending champions India were held goalless by Nepal in their third match of the 2012 Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. India started the tournament with back-to-back victories against Syria and Maldives and now have seven points from three matches, while Nepal gained their first point of the competition.

India coach Wim Koevermans made two changes to his starting line-up with injured Nirmal Chetri replaced by Denzil Franco as right wing-back, while Sanju Pradhan was replaced by the more experienced Anthony Pereira on the right wing.

Due to the continuing monsoon rains the match kicked-off 30 minutes late, but it didn't help a struggling India against a fighting and committed Nepali team. In the first session India wasn't able to recreate what it has shown against Syria and the Maldives as Nepal were the more attacking of the two sides though goal chances were a rarity at both ends.

Wim Koevermans changed from his preferred 4-4-1-1 to a more classic 4-4-2 formation bringing on tall Robin Singh for winger Clifford Miranda after the breather to try and add weight upfront.

India got more of the action after the break with Nepal tiring the longer the match lasted, but India could not really utilise this fact. India had a chance in the 53rd minute as Sunil Chhetri held on to the ball, dribbled and then Mehtab let fly with the ball going over.

Both teams continued to face problems with the difficult ground conditions and India's best chance of the match came in the 81st minute when substitute Jewel Raja broke lose from the right, but his shot just about missed the goal. The following corner also caused worry for Nepal, but their alert keeper Kiran Chemjong collected a good timed shot from Robin Singh.

Towards the end Nepal tried delay tactics to keep the draw intact, but referee Vladislav Tseytlin from Uzbekistan took no nonsense and handed out to yellow cards before giving a red card to Bikash Singh Chhetri for arguing following a free-kick given to India.

It ended goalless with Nepal happy about the result, but the first setback for India under new coach Wim Koevermans as India was never able to adopt to the difficult ground conditions and couldn't switch to a more direct approach the trying to play possession football.

India's next opponent will be Cameroon on Friday, August 31.


MATCH STATS

India 0-0 Nepal - Goals: none

India
1-Subrata Pal - 2-Denzil Franco, 3-Raju Gaikwad, 19-Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, 22-Syed Rahim Nabi - 14-Anthony Pereira, 20-Mehtab Hussain, 6-Lenny Rodrigues (77' 28-Jewel Raja Sheikh), 15-Clifford Miranda (46' 24-Robin Singh) - 26-Francis Fernandes - 11-Sunil Chhetri [C]

Nepal
16-Kiran Chemjong - 19-Sagar Thapa [C], 32-Rohit Chand, 3-Biraj Maharjan, 5-Bikash Singh Chhetri, 13-Sandip Rai - 15-Raju Tamang, 23-Jagjeet Shrestha, 17-Bhola Nath Silwal (90+2' 10-Anil Gurung) - 11-Jumanu Rai (88' 9-Santosh Sahukhala), 21-Bharat Khawas

Referee
Vladislav Tseytlin (Uzbekistan)

2012 Nehru Cup: India looking to seal place in final

Team India go into tonight's Nehru Cup match knowing that a victory against Nepal would seal their passage to their third straight final in the competition. Two wins from two matches, India has impressed so far.

Wilhelmus Jacobus Koevermans, better known as Wim Koevermans, has had a strong, positive effect on his new wards, who in only 17 days of pre-tournament practice plus those days in-between matches have made the transition from direct to passing football, which the Dutch coach finds very encouraging though more work needs to be done in training.

Koevermans' team has been labelled 'New India' for their new found style of play, but the team is not willing to let complacency step in. "There's no point in thinking about future matches. We face Nepal in the next match and a win will take us to the final. It's perhaps, the most important match for us," said an inform Syed Rahim Nabi.

"This Indian side is a stronger one that played in the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu earlier this year. There are many young players in the side and they are physically strong. The players look to be sharper. Upfront, Sunil Chhetri also looks more aggressive," Nepal coach Krishna Thapa observed.

"The level of their performance is going up with every match. Against Maldives, India were too good. But that doesn't mean Nepal can't beat India. In fact, both the teams are of the same standard," he quips further though that has to questioned after the two teams performances in the tournament so far.

'Adjustments' Koevermans stresses in the Team Meeting. "You need to flexible on the field. We have tried various systems so far. You always need to make those adjustments. I will always keep on asking it from you," he goes on. The boys listen. "You need to dominate and redominate."

Against Maldives, finding the 'spare man' in the midfield stayed the priority. Winning the 'second ball' also stayed the priority as did 'pressing'. One sole formation stays taboo for the entire 90 minutes, we all know by now. And so far Koevermans isn't asking too much of his wards.

Captain Sunil Chhetri has turned himself into the Pied Piper of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Hard to keep pace with him when he walks, there's always a horde of fans following him almost everywhere. Seven matches on the trot he has been declared the Man-of-the-Match (five in 2011 SAFF Cup, 5 at 2012 Nehru Cup) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, a new record of sorts.

You can't just blame the world record holder if he carries a piece of the Stadium grass with him as his lucky charm or have put another piece on the trophy cabinet back home.

"I just give my best. That's my duty and I just can't shy away from it," Chhetri utters.

But it just isn't all about goals. Ask Robin Singh. The debutant came close to putting it past the line against the Maldives, but he isn't miffed. "It was my dream to play for India. If I carry out the instructions and improve, I will get more chances. The more the chances, the more will I get the opportunities to score," Robin says. "Chhetri has been exceptional. It's nice to play alongside him."

"Coach, don't you think you are already in the Final?" Koevermans was asked by a journalist the other day in the post-match press conference. The wit and humour, besides his height which separates him from the rest, Koevermans' reflexes were sharp. "You say it, I don't," he smiled as everyone in the room laughed. "Don't quote me. I haven't said it. No, we are not yet in the final," he maintained.

'Step by step, match by match,' stays the mantra of 'New India' and the next step can be taken against Nepal.

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

2012 Nehru Cup: Cameroon trash Nepal 5-0

African side Cameroon scored a convincing 5-0 victory against Nepal in their second 2012 Nehru Cup match this evening at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. With this win Cameroon are back in contention for a place in the finals after their opening day draw against Syria.

Two goals each from Kologny Vigny Merime (12th, 60th) and Ebanga Bertin (41st, 65th) plus one from Momaso Joseph (76th) was enough to win the match for the Indomitable Lions, while Nepal look to be out of the tournament.

Cameroon build early pressure on Nepal and took a 12th minute lead through a Kologny Vigny Merime header and they doubled their lead in the 41st minute through a tap in from Ebanga Bertin. It remained 2-0 at the breather.

It continued to be Cameroon all the way too after the break and they would go on to add three more goals to their tally. First Kologny Vigny Merime scored his second of the night on the hour mark, while only five minutes later Ebanga Bertin achieved the same. Four goals down Nepal were already beaten and Mosamo Joseph would add a fifth in the 76th minute to complete the rout.

Cameroon's 5-0 was the biggest victory of the tournament so far and with four points to their name they are now second in the table behind India.

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

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.

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 .

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."

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

2012 Nehru Cup: Neighbours Nepal to replace African side Kenya?

The 2012 Nehru Cup being held in the year of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the All India Football Federation, but it seems that the AIFF is facing one problem after another before the tournament which is set to be played from August 22 to September 2 at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

I had speculated last week ( 2012 Nehru Cup: Is African nation Kenya sure to come? ) if Kenya was 100% certain come to play in the Nehru Cup. Now it is confirmed that the Africans have pulled out and that they would rather play a friendly against Jamaica in the US then come to India.

This came a complete surprise to the AIFF, who could could take the late withdrawl to CAF (Confederation of African Football) and FIFA then they had all necessary confirmation.


And who could replace Kenya?

There has been speculation about the Philippines or Nepal taking the place of Kenya with the Philippines having shown initial interest to come to play the Nehru Cup earlier on, but then they took back their confirmation due to a change in their own preparations for other tournaments later in the year.

Meanwhile our neighbours Nepal, the All Nepal Football Association and their media, have confirmed their participation with no confirmation from the AIFF so far. But it now looks likely that Nepal would be the fifth nation in the tournament.

AFC U-14 Football Festival: India boys ready

A 22 member India Under-14 Boys National Football Team would be leaving tomorrow to participate in the AFC U-14 Football Festival to be held in the Nepali capital Kathmandu from May 17 to 25. Besides the hosts Nepal the young Indians would face national youth sides from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives.

India U-14 head coach Sajid Yousuf Dar said, "This is the new beginning for the development of football in India. All the boys and support staff worked tirelessly during the two month long Coaching Camp. Hope we would achieve our goal and stand up to the expectations of everyone."

"The Festival would be a turning point for these young talents. It would give them the much desired exposure to graduate their skills," he added.

Sajid Yousuf Dar also thanked AIFF National Team Director Shubhankar Mukherjee and Technical Director Regional Academies Scott O'Donell for providing all possible support to the successful conduct of the camp.

The coaching camp for 34 players was held in Kalyani, West Bengal recently and out of which the final 22 players were selected to represent the India Under-14 Team.


INDIA Under-14

Goalkeepers
Subrata Das, Sam Noronha

Defenders
M. Jayananda Singh, Jerry Lalrinzuala, T. Kishan Singh, Prosenjit Chakraborty, Amay Ganesh Ranawade, Amit Tudu, Mohammad Azhar, Schubert Mario D'Costa

Midfielders
Bodo Baoringdao, Bugde Vineet Vikas, Laishram Loyangamba Singh, Kyntiew Shaphrang Kharlukhi, Aaron Franklin Hermiz, Saravanan Kiran

Forwards
Sourav Chakraborty, Laishram Bedashwor Singh, Mohammed Hasil, Hoble Kapil Satish, Krishna Pandit, Zonunmawia

Officials
Sajid Yousuf Dar (Head Coach), Tarun Roy (Assistant Coach-cum-Manager), Mohamad Yusuf Ansari (Goalkeeping Coach), Vishnu Nair (Physio)

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

2012 AFC Challenge Cup: Turkmenistan & Palestine qualify for semifinals

The third and final round Group A matches were played at the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup simultaneously in Kathmandu today. While hosts Nepal took on Turkmenistan at the Dashrath Stadium, the Maldives faced Palestine in a do-or-die match to qualify for the semifinals.

Group A

Nepal 0-3 (0-1) Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan made sure that they would top Group A with a 3-0 win against the hosts Nepal in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup at the Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu. The game came to life for the first time in the seventh minute when Elman Tagayev slotted the ball past Kiran Kumar after Arslanmyrat Amanov's angled pass easily dissected the loose Nepali defence. Turkmenistan kept the pressure on the Nepali goal, but the scoreline remained only 0-1 at half-time. Nepal were better in the second session, but the Turkmen remained in control and doubled their lead in the 79th minute when Chonkayev slid in near the six yard box but Biraj Maharjan got the last touch for an own goal. A Guvanch Hangeldiyev strike made it 3-0 for Turkmenistan a minute from time. Turkmenistan topped their group due to a better goal difference then Palestine and they now await tomorrow's clash between Tajikistan and the Philippines to find out their semifinal opponents, while Nepal ended a disasterous campaign with a goal and a point.

Maldives 0-2 (0-0) Palestine
Palestine beat the Maldives 2-0 to qualify for the semifinals of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup at the Halchowk Stadium, Kathmandu. The islanders started the match knowing that a win was needed to see them through and they started like that as Palestine took their time to settle down. After wasting a couple of good chances Palestine finally broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when a lapse of concentration in the Maldives defence allowed Husam Wadi to open the scoring with a powerful header of a Mohammed Mohammed cross. The Maldives tried their best for the equaliser but there was no way through the well-organised Palestine defence and the islanders were caught out against the run of play when Ashraf Al Fawaghra scored with a fine individual effort in injury time as Palestine confirmed their second-place finish behind Turkmenistan and a semifinal match with Group B winners North Korea.

2012 AFC Challenge Cup: Host Nepal out, others target Semis

The second round Group A matches were played in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu today. While Palestine met Turkmenistan at the Halchowk Stadium, later in the day the Maldives faced the hosts Nepal at the Dashrath Stadium.

Group A

Palestine 0-0 Turkmenistan
Palestine and Turkmenistan played out a goalless draw in their second Group A match in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup at the Halchowk Stadium. With both teams now on four points and the Maldives on three it leaves the group wide open with the final round matches to be played on Monday. The first half was a dull affair with Turkmenistan having more of the ball, while Palestine was content to allow their opponents more of the possession. But things changed after the break as Palestine were suddenly in the game and had their chances, while Turkmenistan had chances for a late winner.

Maldives 1-0 (0-0) Nepal
Host Nepal are out of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup after 0-1 defeat against the Maldives at the Dashrath Stadium. The Nepalis have only themselves to blame as they dominated most of the match, but simply failed to score. Meanwhile the Maldives are back in the race for a semifinal spot as they have their destiny in their own hands against Palestine. After a goalless first session it was the Maldives that took the lead against the run of play, with Mohamed Rasheed capitalising on some slack Nepal defending to fire the ball low past Ritesh and in off his left-hand post. Nepal tried to get the equaliser, but it wasn't to be.