India to play Azerbaijan in friendly

The AIFF has finalised another international friendly for Team India during the team's preparatory camp in Dubai for the upcoming 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. India will be facing Azerbaijan on February 27 in Dubai.

Azerbaijan, the Euroasian side from the Caucasus region, plays its football in UEFA (Europe) with former Germany coach Berti Vogts as their manager. The team is currently ranked 111th in the FIFA World rankings and they were in a group with Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Austria and Kazakhstan in the Euro2012 qualifiers.

The friendly is possible as Azerbaijan will be in Dubai at the same time as India for a camp of their own. While in Dubai Azerbaijan are set to play further friendlies against Singapore (February 24) and Palestine (February 29).

The camp in Dubai starts on February 15. The AIFF had earlier announced a friendly for Team India against Oman on February 23 in their capital Muscat.

VIDEO: Incredible Bicycle Scorpion kick goal

In the Bolivian Campeonata Clausura Nacional Potosi took on The Strongest (the team is really called so). In the match Erlan Mealla scored an incredible flying back-heel bicycle scorpion kick goal, which one rarely sees in football. Surely worth a watch!

Visiting Ten Sports' C2K show

On my way back from India to Germany over the weekend I had a stopover in Dubai and I always try to utilise the long stops to meet friends and contacts in football.

This time around I visited the offices-cum-studios of Ten Sports in Dubai's Media City. There I met production guys, saw how Ten produce their program, while I then had an enjoyable evening at the sets of the C2K show (Countdown 2 Kickoff), TenAction+ football show, with anchor Joe Morrison and experts-cum-pundits John 'Budgie' Burridge and Carlton Palmer.

As someone working in football media I am always interested to see the operations of a TV channel. And while being taken into production at Ten Sports I met Joe Morrison, with whom I have had numerous Twitter interactions and who told me that he follows my blog for Indian football. Good to know.

After the initial interaction in the production room, we went across to the set of C2K where Joe introduced me to Budgie and Carlton. All three are interesting individuals, who really enjoy doing the show! The three talk and discuss football - not in a cool, analytical way, but rather with flair and an entertainment aspect attached to it. Watching it from close quarters was really enjoyable.

There was also a football match in-between - Racing Santander vs FC Valencia. Not much happened in the first session, but a lot after the break. During the game we four had interesting discussions about football in general, but especially Indian football then these guys have to cover Indian football too these days. And at this stage I did most of the talking, a topic I speak about for hours...

The show ended, a small chit-chat thereafter and then I went back to my hotel. It surely was an enjoyable visit...


Here some photos on my Facebook Fanpage from the visit .

Under-14 Football Fest: Groupings for Format 2 finalised

The Format 1 is over and it's time for Format 2 at the AIFF Under-14 Football Fest in Kalyani, West Bengal. Under it, the 27 Participating Teams have been divided into five groups. Format 2 kicks-off today.

Group A and B which consists of five teams each have been comprised of stronger teams based on sustained performance in the first couple of days.

All matches in this Format would be of one-hour duration which would have two halves of 30-minutes each. The teams would be fielding two different Playing XI in both the halves.


The Groups

Group A: Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal

Group B: Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Goa

Group C: Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Bihar, Jammu&Kashmir, Tripura

Group D: Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa

Group E: Delhi, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh

Scott O'Donell: I have spotted some exceptional boys!

Even as 590 kids from all over the Country play football in the best ground of the country in the AIFF U-14 Football Fest, the AIFF spotters keep a close eye on all of them.

Scott O'Donell, the Technical Manager of the AIFF's Regional and Elite Academies spoke at length to the AIFF on the significance of the Fest, the plans ahead and other related issues like the upcoming Premier League Soccer in Bengal.


What is the significance of the AIFF U-14 Football Fest?

The Fest forms an integral part of the selection for the future (Indian) National Team. At the moment, we would be recruiting boys for the Regional Academies from the (AIFF U-14 Football) Fest. There are State Teams who are making a significant progress on the field as we are progressing. The momentum is picking up.


Are you impressed with the quality of the boys?

This is just the second day of the Fest. As we progress, we would be having stronger teams playing against each other. That would be fun. But yeah, the quality of some boys from Mizoram and Meghalaya, have been exceptional.


Do such Fests form the bedrock of developed Footballing Nations?

Not always. For example, in Australia, the National Championships form the platform for the future. In an ideal situation, the best talent was supposed to be at such a tournament. But I understand that doesn't always happen here. Hence, we are looking for more options.


What's your take on the Premier League Soccer?

I am amazed at the amount of money that's involved in it. The salary being offered to a single player can give us a few turfs for the kids to train. If there's any future of football in India, it lies in the Youth Development Programme. It needs to be a long-term plan. But sadly, not all realise that. I personally believe, if you invest in such a concept, it won't help Indian Football at all.

VIDEO: Asian Football Awards 2012

The first-ever Asian Football Awards were held on January 24, 2012 at the iconic Wembley Stadium's ballroom. Here a look back at the event and the winners!

2012 AFC Challenge Cup: India's 30 Probables named

Indian national coach Savio Medeira has named his 30 probables for his training camp ahead of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, which will be held in Nepal from March 8.

The probables camp for Team India will kick-off in Dubai from February 15. The squad will assemble in New Delhi on February 13 and leave for Dubai the next day. The final list of 23-Players for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup would be named towards the end of the camp.

Savio has called-up a number of players for the first time to a senior national team probables camp like Kingshuk Debnath, Arnab Mondal, Lester Fernandez, Manish Mathani, Lenny Rodrigues and Manandeep Singh; who have been performing well in the I-League. Others like Anwar, Anthony Pereira and Joaquim Abranches have been recalled.

The AFC Challenge Cup will also mark the first assignment for Team India with Baichung Bhutia, Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli having resigned.

A proposed camp in Blackburn organised by the Blackburn Rovers owners Venky's was turned down by the AIFF and once more Dubai was chosen as venue for the camp.


India Probables

Goalkeepers
Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers SC), Subhasish Roy Chowdhury (Dempo SC), Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar SC), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (East Bengal Club)

Defenders
Anwar (Mohun Bagan AC), Nirmal Chetri (East Bengal Club), Kingshuk Debnath (Mohun Bagan AC), Raju Eknath Gaikwad (East Bengal Club), Arnab Mondal (Prayag United SC), Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan AC), Sameer Subash Naik (Dempo SC), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), Gurjinder Singh (Pune FC)

Midfielders
Francis Fernandes (Salgaocar SC), Lester Mark Fernandez (Pune FC), Adil Khan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Rocus Lamare (Salgaocar SC), Manish Mathani (Mohun Bagan AC), Clifford Miranda (Dempo SC), Anthony Pereira (Dempo SC), Jewel Raja Sheikh (Mohun Bagan AC), Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers SC), Lenny Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers SC), Baldeep Singh (Pune FC), Reisangmi Vashum (East Bengal Club)

Forwards
Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC), Sunil Chhetri (Mohun Bagan AC), C.S. Sabeeth (Pailan Arrows), Manandeep Singh (Air India), Sushil Kumar Singh (Shillong Lajong FC)