21 clubs to participate in 2nd Division I-League

The All India Football Federation has finalised the 21 clubs to participate in the 2nd Division I-League 2012/13, which is set to kick-off in March. The top two clubs will gain promotion to the next edition of the I-League.

The clubs have been selected on basis of the AIFF's professional club licensing process which started on November 21, 2012 when State Associations were asked to nominate clubs interested in participating in the 2nd Division I-League 2012/13.

AIFF received 47 nominations for the same following which the clubs were informed to submit the documents by December 22, 2012.

The final deadline for the clubs to submit the documents were extended to January 22, 2013 by the AIFF Executive Committee which met on January 15, 2013. Eventually twenty one clubs fulfilled the criteria and have been invited to play with the 2nd Division to be played in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.


The list of 21 clubs stay as follows

Mohammedan Sporting Club (Kolkata), Green Valley SC (Guwahati), Kalighat Milan Sangha (Kolkata), South United FC (Bangalore), Vasco SC (Goa), Royal Wahingdoh FC (Shillong), Delhi United Soccer Club, Kenkre FC (Mumbai), Hindustan FC (Delhi), Aryan Club (Kolkata), PIFA (Mumbai), Dodsal FC (Mumbai), Samaleshwari Sporting Club (Orissa), Aizwal FC (Mizoram), Rangdajied United FC (Shillong), Langsning FC (Shillong), DSK Shivajains FC (Pune), Kohima Komets (Nagaland), Simla Youngs FC (Delhi), Eagles FC (Kerala), George Telegraph SC (Kolkata)

I-League 2 - Group A: Southern Samity & United Sikkim qualify!

United Sikkim FC and Southern Samity have topped the preliminary Group A in the 2nd Division I-League to qualify for the final round of the league to be played in Shillong.

The Group A matches where played in Guwahati at the Nehru Stadium and SAI Centre ground over the last couple of weeks. It was an interesting and entertaining group with all teams having midway a real chance to qualify for the final rounds, but in the end the two favourites made their way through.

United Sikkim FC and Southern Samity topped the group with both 13 points, but the newly professionalised USFC top the group due to a better goal difference. Langsning FC and NISA were surprising third and fourth ahead of better known sides Golden Threads FC, Simla Youngs FC and Guwahati Town Club.


I-League Division 2 - Table & Results:

Group A - Guwahati (Assam)
#- Team------------------------ P W-D-L GF-GA GDF PTS
1. United Sikkim FC (Sikkim) -- 6 4-1-1 15-07 + 8 13
2. Southern Samity (Kolkata) -- 6 4-1-1 10-05 + 5 13
3. Langsning FC (Meghalaya) --- 6 3-1-2 11-07 + 4 10
4. NISA (Manipur) ------------- 6 3-0-3 09-07 + 2 09
5. Golden Threads FC (Kerala) - 6 1-2-3 05-10 - 5 05
6. Simla Youngs FC (Delhi) ---- 6 1-2-3 03-08 - 5 05
7. Guwahati Town Club (Assam) - 6 1-1-4 04-13 - 9 04

Round I
31/03/11: NISA 3-1 Golden Threads FC
31/03/11: Simla Youngs FC 0-1 Guwahati Town Club
31/03/11: Langsning FC 2-2 United Sikkim FC

Round II
03/04/11: Golden Threads FC 2-1 Langsning FC
03/04/11: Guwahati Town Club 1-3 NISA
03/04/11: Southern Samity 0-0 Simla Youngs FC

Round III
05/04/11: United Sikkim FC 2-0 NISA
05/04/11: Golden Threads FC 1-1 Simla Youngs FC
05/04/11: Guwahati Town Club 1-3 Southern Samity

Round IV
08/04/11: Langsning FC 1-2 Simla Youngs FC
08/04/11: United Sikkim FC 1-3 Southern Samity
08/04/11: Golden Threads FC 0-0 Guwahati Town Club

Round V
10/04/11: Southern Samity 1-0 Golden Threads FC
10/04/11: Simla Youngs FC 0-2 United Sikkim FC
10/04/11: NISA 0-1 Langsning FC

Round VI
12/04/11: Guwahati Town Club 1-4 United Sikkim FC
12/04/11: Southern Samity 1-3 Langsning FC
12/04/11: Simla Youngs FC 0-3 NISA

Round VII
14/04/11: NISA 0-2 Southern Samity
14/04/11: Langsning FC 3-0 Guwahati Town Club
14/04/11: United Sikkim FC 4-1 Golden Threads FC

I-League Division 2: Group A fixtures revised again

The fixtures of the preliminary Group A in the 2nd Division I-League has been changed and amended once more. Round 2 & 3 matches have been pushed back by a day, while from Round 4 to 7 the matches would be played two days later which does give the teams some time to recover. The group would now finish their matches on April 14.

The original match dates had kept the state elections in Assam on April 4 & 11 in mind, but since the first change the election date in the state capital Guwahati on April 11 has been sandwiched between two match dates.

No official reason was given by the AIFF for the move, but one could be that Southern Samity yesterday played the third place playoff in the IFA Shield and they need time to get from Kolkata to Guwahati.


I-League Division 2 - Groups A fixtures/results

Group A - Guwahati (Assam)
NISA (Manipur), United Sikkim FC (Sikkim), Langsning FC (Meghalaya), Guwahati Town Club (Assam), Southern Samity (West Bengal), Golden Threads FC (Kerala), Simla Youngs FC (Delhi)

Round I
31/03/11: NISA 3-1 Golden Threads FC
31/03/11: Simla Youngs FC 0-1 Guwahati Town Club
31/03/11: Langsning FC 2-2 United Sikkim FC

Round II
03/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Langsning FC
03/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - NISA
03/04/11: Southern Samilty - Simla Youngs FC

Round III
05/04/11: United Sikkim FC - NISA
05/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Simla Youngs FC
05/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - Southern Samity

Round IV
08/04/11: Langsning FC - Simla Youngs FC
08/04/11: United Sikkim FC - Southern Samity
08/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Guwahati Town Club

Round V
10/04/11: NISA - Southern Samity
10/04/11: Langsning FC - Guwahati Town Club
10/04/11: United Sikkim FC - Golden Threads FC

Round VI
12/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - United Sikkim FC
12/04/11: Southern Samity - Langsning FC
12/04/11: Simla Youngs FC - NISA

Round VII
14/04/11: Southern Samity - Golden Threads FC
14/04/11: Simla Youngs FC - United Sikkim FC
14/04/11: NISA - Langsning FC

I-League Division 2: Group A fixtures revised

The AIFF has released the revised fixtures of the preliminary Group A. The Group A matches were supposed to be played from March 27 to April 9 in Guwahati, but they have now been changed to March 31 to April 12.

The original match dates had kept the state elections in Assam on April 4 & 11 in mind, but with elections in the state capital Guwahati only on April 11 the qualifiers where supposed to be finished before that day. Now the dates have been changed with the elections sandwiched between two match days. One of the reasons could be the chance of Southern Samity to make it to the semifinals and final of the IFA Shield which will be played on March 28 and 31.


I-League Division 2 - Groups A fixtures

Group A - Guwahati (Assam)
NISA (Manipur), United Sikkim FC (Sikkim), Langsning FC (Meghalaya), Guwahati Town Club (Assam), Southern Samity (West Bengal), Golden Threads FC (Kerala), Simla Youngs FC (Delhi)

Round I
31/03/11: NISA - Golden Threads FC
31/03/11: Simla Youngs FC - Guwahati Town Club
31/03/11: Langsning FC - United Sikkim FC

Round II
02/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Langsning FC
02/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - NISA
02/04/11: Southern Samilty - Simla Youngs FC

Round III
04/04/11: United Sikkim FC - NISA
04/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Simla Youngs FC
04/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - Southern Samity

Round IV
06/04/11: Langsning FC - Simla Youngs FC
06/04/11: United Sikkim FC - Southern Samity
06/04/11: Golden Threads FC - Guwahati Town Club

Round V
08/04/11: NISA - Southern Samity
08/04/11: Langsning FC - Guwahati Town Club
08/04/11: United Sikkim FC - Golden Threads FC

Round VI
10/04/11: Guwahati Town Club - United Sikkim FC
10/04/11: Southern Samity - Langsning FC
10/04/11: Simla Youngs FC - NISA

Round VII
12/04/11: Southern Samity - Golden Threads FC
12/04/11: Simla Youngs FC - United Sikkim FC
12/04/11: NISA - Langsning FC

Abhijit Kadam Memorial Football Cup

The sixth edition of the Abhijit Kadam Memorial Football Cup will kick-off tonight in Pune with eight teams taking part in this years edition of the tournament with the final slated for March 8. The tournament will be played at the floodlit Bharati Vidyapeeth Education Complex Ground in Dhankawdi.

With the I-League currently going on the organisers couldn't invite any of India's top sides, so they had to fall back on four I-League Division 2 teams amongst a field of eight sides. The notable one's are Sporting Clube de Goa and Shillong Lajong FC, who last year played in the I-League. These eight teams have been split into two groups of four teams each.

In Group A defending champions Pata Kadil Talim Mandal (Kolhapur) will face Simla Youngs FC (New Delhi), Guwahati Town Club (Assam) and Shillong Lajong FC (Meghalaya). Group B meanwhile will see JCB Bhillai Brothers (Madhya Pradesh), Sporting Clube de Goa, last time runners-up Amanora Deccan XI (Pune) and Golden Threads FC (Kerala) in action.

The Abhijit Kadam Memorial Football Cup is being conducted by the Abhijit Kadam Memorial Foundation under the aegis of the Pune District Football Association and the Western India Football Association with the tournament recognized by the All India Football Federation.

The champions would take home Rs 151,000 (1,51 lakhs), while the runners-up would get Rs 100,000 (1 lakh). There would be awards and a cash incentive of Rs 10,000 for the Best Player of the Tournament as well as the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament.