Prayag United SC squad for the 2012/13 season

Big spending Prayag United SC are one of the teams the Indian football fans can look forward to in the upcoming 2012/13 season. The side from Kolkata have signed some of the best talent available in India.

Star players like goalkeeper Subrata Pal, defender Gouramangi Singh and Nigerian striker Ranty Martins Soleye have joined the team, and with Costa Rican World Cupper Carlos Hernández Valverde, the club has made one of the biggest signings in the Indian football circuit in recent years.

It will be interesting to see if coach Sanjay Sen and his men can fulfil the clubs and their sponsors ambitions.


Prayag United SC

Goalkeepers
1-Subrata Pal (Pune FC), 21-Sangram Mukherjee (Mohun Bagan AC), 31-Ishan Debnath (Mumbai FC), 40-Arindam Ghosh (Chirag United Kerala)

Defenders
2-Chinta Chandrashekar Rao, 3-Ravinder Singh (East Bengal Club), 4-Gour Naskar (Southern Samity), 6-Bello Razaq, 17-Deepak Kumar Mondal, 18-Sukhen Dey, 19-Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), 25-L. Dhanachandra Singh (Mumbai FC), 29-Anupam Sarkar, 31-Dipak Mondal Jr (Techno Aryan Club), 35-Soumik Rai (BNR, Kolkata), 36-Bapi Saha

Midfielders
7-Baldeep Singh (Pune FC), 8-Lal Kamal Bhowmick, 11-Mundampara P. Sakeer (Churchill Brothers SC), 12-Gouranga Biswas, 13-James Lukram Singh, 15-Snehashish Dutta, 20-Asif Kottayil (Chirag United Kerala), 22-Lester Mark Fernandez (Pune FC), 24-Francis Xavier, 26-Thoudam Joychandra Singh, 27-Usman Ashik (Chirag United Kerala), 28-Shylo Malswam Tulunga, 30-C.K. Vineeth (Chirag United Kerala), 32-Tapan Maity (Mohammedan Sporting Club), 33-Bivas Sarkar (Pathachakra, Bengal),

Forwards
9-Ranty Martins Soleye (Dempo SC), 16-Carlos Hernández Valverde (Melbourne Victory, AUSTRALIA), 14-Mohammed Rafique, 23-Shankar Sil, 25-Shankar Oraon

Official
Sanjay Sen (Coach), Anjan Nath (Assistant Coach), Per Henrikson (Goalkeeping Coach), Djair De Miranda Gracia (Physical Trainer), Dr. Aniruddha Ghosh (Team Doctor), Sanjoy Das (Physio)


Players Released
Somnath Khara, Narugopal Hait, Jayanta Sen (all Mohammedan Sporting Club), Justine Stephen, Subhas Chakraborty, Yakubu Yusif (all Mumbai FC), Abhijit Mondal, Arnab Mondal (both East Bengal Club), Denson Devadas, Arjun Chatterjee (both Mohun Bagan AC), Sheikh Shabbir Ali (United Sikkim FC), Jagroop Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Soumik Chakraborty, F. Liandala, Crispin Chetri, Sena, Suhas S.N.Josimar da Silva Martins, Kayne Vincent

Ranty Martins Soleye: The dream to play for Nigeria!

Nigerian Ranty Martins Soleye is one of the best strikers on the Indian football circuit. The 25 year old Ranty after eight years with I-League champions Dempo SC has left Goa to join aspiring Kolkata side Prayag United SC for the new season.

But Prayag United isn't the only ambition for Ranty in the future as he dreams to play for the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, one day while continuing his club career in India.

Speaking to the local The Guardian Nigeria, Ranty praising the I-League said, "I know that many people will begin to say that what is in India league. But I want to say here that the league in India is very strong. It is stronger than what we have in Nigeria because it is improving every season."

"More so, I want the handlers of the national team (Super Eagles) to look at the quality of the individuals and not where they play. I know my quality as a striker and I want the coaches, particularly Stephen Keshi to give an opportunity to prove myself. I won’t disappoint him," Ranty added.

It will be interesting to follow if a Nigerian striker playing in India will be given a chance to play for the Super Eagles with their star players playing in some of the biggest leagues in Europe.

Interesting was also to read Ranty's high opinion of the I-League. He further said, "The Indian league looks tougher, even though we have a lot of power play in the Nigerian league. The league over there is more tactical than what we have in Nigeria. I watched one of the league matches in Nigeria recently and it does not really impress me."

2012 FPAI Awards - The winners...

The 4th edition of the Indian Football Awards organised by the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) was held at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa at Miramar Beach in Panjim, Goa last night.

The first announcement of the night was made about the FPAI Team of the Year which included Karanjit Singh; Deepak Kumar Mondal, Mahesh Gawli, Uga Okpara, Syed Rahim Nabi; Rocus Lamare, Douhou Sey Djidja Pierre, Roberto Mendes Silva, Penn Ikechukwu Orji; Odafe Onyeka Okolie, Ranty Martins Soleye. These eleven where chosen by their peers.

Awards were handed out in six different categories with the Dempo SC trio of Mahesh Gawli, Climax Lawrence and Samir Naik being felicitated for their service to the nations football after retiring from Team India independently over the last few months.


This Years Winners

FPAI Team of the Year
Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar SC); Deepak Kumar Mondal (Prayag United SC), Mahesh Gawli (Dempo SC), Uga Okpara (East Bengal Club), Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan AC); Rocus Lamare (Salgaocar SC), Douhou Sey Djidja Pierre (Pune FC), Roberto Mendes Silva (Churchill Brothers SC), Penn Ikechukwu Orji (East Bengal Club); Odafe Onyeka Okolie (Mohun Bagan AC), Ranty Martins Soleye (Dempo SC)

Best Young Player
Manandeep Singh (Air India)

Best Foreign Player
Ranty Martins Soleye (Dempo SC)

Best Indian Player
Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan AC)

Best Coach
Trevor James Morgan (East Bengal Club)

Fans Player of the Year
Francis Fernandes (Salgaocar SC)

Team of the Year
Dempo Sports Club

FPAI Announces nominations for "Fans' Player of the Year 2011"

The Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) has announced the nominations for the "Fans' Player of the Year 2011" for the third FPAI Indian Football Awards.

The players have been nominated for their strong performances for their respective clubs in the I-League in the 2010/11 season. Now the Indian football fans have the chance to chose their "Fans' Player of the Year 2011". The winner will be announced at the FPAI Indian Football Awards.

The players who have been named as the top five candidates all had a great season. There are two players each from champions Salgaocar SC and runners-up East Bengal Club, while one of the nominees plays for Dempo SC.


The Candidates

- Mehtab Hossain (East Bengal Club, India)

- Ranty Martins Soleye (Dempo SC, Nigeria)

- Tolgay Ozbey (East Bengal Club, Australia)

- Luciano Sabrosa (Salgaocar SC, Brazil)

- Yakubu Yusif (Salgaocar SC, Ghana)

You can all cast your vote at www.fpaofindia.com . I have done so and I wish all five players all the best!


About FPAI

The FPAI (Football Players Association of India), India's apex football players' body, was set up with Baichung Bhutia as its president in 2006 and represents the interests of all I-League and first division footballers. FPAI is formally affiliated to the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPro), the worldwide representative organization for professional football players.