30. April
8th National League - Goa: Vasco SC 0-0 Mahindra United - Goals: none.
Vasco SC held Mahindra United to a goalless draw in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Vasco now have 24 points from 20 matches, while Mahindra's points tally swelled to 37 points from the same number of matches. For Vasco the point has nearly ensured their survival in the NFL, while for Mahindra the draw was a setback in their quest for a second place finish in the league as they remain two points behind Dempo, who are currently second.
Mahindra started well into the first 15 minutes but as the first half progressed Vasco had more of the chances but Brazilian striker Marcos Pereira didn't get the support he needed upfront. But that changed in the second half as Vasco brought on Nigerian striker Amaechi Nwabunwanne Tochukwu, who made a good partnership with Marcos but they couldn't score. Then the woodwork denied both teams a goal. First Vasco's Vinu Jose's long-ranger hit the crossbar in the 71.minute, then Mahindra captain James Singh nine minutes from time also hit the crossbar with a curling shot. But in the end both teams settled for a draw.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Stage I, Group A: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 4-0 Assam State Electricity Board - Goals: 1-0 Rajendra Prasad (21'), 2-0 Dayanand (42'), 3-0,4-0 Xavier Vijayakumar (71',79').
They played bad, missed chances galore, but still won with aplomb. The 4-0 victory margin might look good enough on paper, but that they could have won by at least thrice that figure despite playing like toddlers, gives a good picture of their rivals on the day. Local giants Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC virtually toyed with the Assam State Electricity Board defence in their National Football League 2.Division match here at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Friday, but in no way should it be taken as the beginning of their resurgence. For the better part of the match they looked a disjointed lot. Enticing crosses went abegging, shots went wide with the post wide open, or were shot straight to the goalie, but nevertheless, they dominated the match throughout.
After a slow start, and a string of misses, HAL's Satish Kumar was brought down inside the box while rushing in and referee Syed Yasin didn't think twice in pointing to the spot. Rajendra Prasad did the rest (1-0). The urgency, till then missing, suddenly struck the City side after the goal and a minute later they had another close look at the Assam goal, only for Satish to enact one of his numerous fumbles of the day. The second goal came in the 42.minute, with Rajendra sending a neat lob to his skipper Dayanand who only had to tap it in. HAL went into the breather leading 2-0.
The second session saw no change in the script. Assam goalie Dinesh Basumatary had a hectic day at office, but it was more due to the generosity of the HAL strikers that the tally never got a chance to increase. The 'comedy of errors' continued till the 71.minute before Xavier Vijayakumar, after a plethora of misses, finally struck off a goalmouth melee to make it 3-0. Another span of eight minutes saw at least half a dozen misses, before HAL struck again, this time through Satish who neatly connected a Xavier cross (4-0).
The Assam side had a forgettable outing. They never got a chance to have a close look at their rivals' goal, barring one solitary attempt from the hard-working Utpal Basumatary, whose curling left-footer missed the post by a whisker. Their defence looked in disarray throughout, and their forwards were too slow to pose any threat for their more-fancied opponents. The long whistle must have come as a relief for the North-Eastern side.
On Saturday, FC Kochin take on Hindustan Club of Delhi, in what promises to be an exciting contest.

2.Division National League - Shillong - Stage I, Group B: EverReady Association 5-0 Manipur Police SC - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Eugene Grey (20',26'), 3-0,4-0 Ernest Chukwuma Jeremiah (48',75'), 4-0 Surajit Chakraborty (52')
2.Division National League - Kochi - Stage I, Group C: State Bank of Travancore 5-1 Titanium XI - Goals:1-0 MA Abdul Hakkim (5'), 2-0 Lanel Thomas (6'), 3-0 Asif Saheer (40'), 4-0 Sylvester Ignatius (72'), 5-0 Mohammed Rafi (77'), 5-1 Ebin Rose (84').

Note-1: The latest Club World Ranking released by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics sees NFL champions East Bengal Club placed at 242 (last ranking 387). East Bengal is ranked above teams like Middlesbrough FC, Chievo Verona, Hertha BSC Berlin and Boavista Porto. Second Indian club in the ranking is Mahindra United at 266. AC Milan tops the rankings, followed by Real Madrid and Celtic Glasgow.

Note-2: INDIA U14 players Sanjoy Boro and Uppada Shyam Sunder Reddy have been felicitated by the Young Star Football Coaching Centre at a function held in the Assam Olympic Association office for their outstanding performances at the AFC U14 Football Festival 2004.

Note-3: The Guwahati Sports Association has set the date for local inter-club transfers for Super Division, first and second Division clubs from May 21 to 23. May 24 is the last day of withdrawals.

29. April
8th National League - Ludhiana: JCT Mills 0-0 Mohun Bagan AC - Goals: none.
JCT Mills were held to a goalless draw by relegation fighting Mohun Bagan AC in a National league match at the floodlit Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana. JCT now have 31 points from 20 matches, while Bagan have 20 points from the same number of matches. Bagan remain two points away from the relegation zone with two matches to go.
Bagan had more of the match initially as the midfield created some chances but the best of chances from Brazilian striker Eduardo Rebeiro was denied by the woodwork. JCT needed time to settle down and after the first quarter of an hour they had settled down to created nuemrous chances to score. The first chance for JCT was set-up by Indian international Jo Paul Ancheri for Jaswinder Singh but he shot straight into Bagan keeper Prasanta Dora. Before the breather Sukhjinder Singh could have scored of a header but he missed the goal. After the breather JCT continued to create chances with Jaswinder having the best chance but his shot hit the crossbar. In the end both sides had to settle for a goalless draw.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Stage I, Group A: Jammu&Kashmir Bank 1-2 Hindustan Club - Goals: 0-1 Probin Rai (69'), 0-2 Sanjeev Yadav (79'), 1-2 Deepak Sangral (88').
Chances galore, and misses overshadowing the chances. In the end, whoever made the lesser number of 'misses' won the day. In short, that was the tale in Hindustan Club's 2-1 win over Jammu&Kashmir Bank in a Phase I match of the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Thursday.
After a goalless first half, Probin Rai drew first blood for the Delhi men in the 69.minute, with Sanjeev Yadav consolidating the lead 10 minutes later. For the Kashmir side, the hard-working Deepak Sangral reduced the margin in the dying minutes, but by then it was too little, too late. While the first session was lacklustre, barring a couple of close calls for the J&K side, the match picked up tempo in the second half as the Delhi men showed some urgency. The impressive Nigerian Felix Chimaokwu took the lead in raiding the rival citadel, having missed a sitter in the first session, as the match picked up pace. Felix, in tandem with Probin, launched some good moves and the duo's perseverance paid off in the 69.minute when Probin tapped home the first goal for his side following a weak clearance by a J&K defender. The credit for the goal should go to Felix, who dodged through the till-then compact J&K defence, but shot straight to the 'keeper who fumbled in the collection. Probin, who was lurking there, tapped home the rebound.
The goal seemed to spur the Delhi side as they went on a full-scale assault. Felix was again the guiding force behind the second goal, breaking through the J&K defence to unleash a cross for Sanjeev Yadav who made no mistake in banging it in. There were a couple of more moves but the chances went abegging.
J&K, who looked resigned to their fate till then, regrouped towards the end, but by then it was already late. Deepak Sangral, who missed quite a few opportunities in both halves, to some extent made up for his lapses to slot home the only goal for the bankmen towards the fag end of the match. They never got a second chance as the long hooter followed soon after. Waseem Feroz of J&K got a yellow card from referee Raghunath Gosavi of Goa for deliberately delaying a free-kick. Barring that, the entire 90 minutes passed off peacefully.
In Friday's match, local hope Hindustan Aeronautics Limited take on Assam State Electricity Board.

2.Division National League - Shillong - Stage I, Group B: Border Security Force 2-2 Indian Telephone Industries - Goals: 1-0 Santosh Kujur (16'), 1-1 RP Ashok Kumar (20'), 2-1 Samrat Choudhury (23'), 2-2 Gopinath (45').
2.Division National League - Kochi - Stage I, Group C: Punjab Police 1-3 Air-India - Goals: 1-0 Parminder Singh (2'), 1-1 Bashiree Mohammed Abbas (3'), 1-2,1-3 Mohammed Rizwan (8',43').

Note-1: The relationship between India and Pakistan over the last few month's has improved by leaps and bounds. After tours of the Indian cricket, hockey, polo and snooker teams plus the SAF Games now it is said to be the turn of the Indian football team to visit Pakistan.
According infos we at IndianFootball.Com have received from our friends of FootballPakistan.Com and other sources, the Indian national team would visit Pakistan for three friendly matches in August. The Pakistan Football Federation had send an invitation to the AIFF and the AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco send a positive reply. The dates of the matches would be decided later as PFF secretary General Arshad Khan Lodhi informed. The AIFF couldn't confirm any dates as INDIA chief coach Stephen Constantine has gone on his annual leave to Europe and only in consultation with him the dates would be set.
So hopefully these matches will take place and give INDIA some needed match practice ahead of the 2006 World Cup qualification match against Japan on September 8 in Calcutta

28. April
EAST BENGAL CLUB are the 8th NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!
Congratulations from the IndianFootball.Com team to East Bengal Club - officials, players, members and fans!

8th National League - Calcutta: East Bengal Club 3-0 Indian Bank - Goals: 1-0 Baichung Bhutia (19'), 2-0 Douglas da Silva (73'), 3-0 Dipankar Roy (83').
Reigning champions East Bengal Club won 3-0 against relegated Indian Bank in a National League at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta to defend their NFL title. With today's win East Bengal are on 46 points from 20 matches, seven points ahead of closest rivals Dempo SC with only two matches to go and as the first team in the NFL eight year history East Bengal have been able to retain their title, their third overall NFL title, also equaling the record of archrivals Mohun Bagan in the most number of NFL title. And to finish off our statistics lesson, it was the sixth time that the NFL title has gone to Calcutta out of the eight editions.
The match pitted the best against the worst team of the current NFL and away in Chennai Indian Bank had held East Bengal to a one-all draw. The 3-0 scoreline doesn't show how close the match was at times but it could have been worse for the Bankmen. Baichung Bhutia was in the thick of the action right from the start, also having the first chance. Nigerian Mike Okoro set-up the first goal in the 19.minute when he lopped the ball from centre field to the left side with Alvito D'Cunha in pursuit of the ball, getting the ball and making a perfect crossing into the centre for Baichung Bhutia to score with a left-footer. East Bengal had further chances to double the lead before the breather but were denied by the woodwork or the Indian Bank defence. After the breather Indian Bank regrouped came out strongly and Alvito, playing a good match, had to be replaced due to a strained hamstring with East Bengal's attack suffering. East Bengal were lucky to get away when the referee denied the Bankmen a penalty on the hour mark and then coach Subhas Bhowmick strengthened his midfield by bringing on Chandan Das for a scarred Cristiano Junior. It worked for East Bengal, the loopholes were plugged and East Bengal went for the kill, especially influential Brazilian midfielder Douglas da Silva. It was Douglas who scored the second goal in the 73.minute of a Malswam Tulunga cross. The third and final goal was a co-production of the two substitutes Bijen Singh and Dipankar Roy. Bijen crossed the ball into the centre with Dipankar slotting home in the 83.minute, though many thought the ball had gone out before Bijen crossed the ball.
Thereafter it was partytime at the Saltlake Stadium for the East Bengal fans, who had come in numbers with one-third of the stadium full.
EAST BENGAL: Sangram Mukherjee, Debjit Ghosh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Malswam Tulunga, Sasthi Duley, Douglas da Silva, Alvito D'Cunha (Dipankar Roy), Mike Okoro (Bijen Singh), Cristiano Junior (Chandan Das), Baichung Bhutia.
INDIAN BANK: Felix Edward, Joseph Anandavasan, Rajesh Kumar Pandey, Anthony Noel, AV Willy (M Sudeesh), Mahendra Mani, D Ravanan, Mohammed Bin Hassan (Amjad Hussain), Ravi Babu (KG Joseph), K Aseem, Syed Shabir Pasha.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Stage I, Group A: FC Kochin 1-2 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited - Goals: 0-1 Satish Kumar (12'), 1-1 Mohammed Shafeeq (66'), Dayanand (90+').
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC skipper S Dayanand always seems to reserve his best for the last. Like the fabulous goal that sealed the match in his team's favour in the final of the BDFA Super Division last year or the excellent header which gave his team a 2-1 victory over FC Kochin today in the first match of the Group 'A' 2.Division National League Phase One here at the Bangalore Football Stadium.
Dayanand was the only thing which separated both the teams, who are considered to be the top two in this group. After Satish Kumar had opened the scoring for HAL in the early stages of the match, FC Kochin captain Mohammed Shafeeq, who had a superb day in the field, levelled the scores in the second half and Dayanand got the winner for the home team, who were playing their first competitive match of the year. It was an even contest all the way with both the teams having their chances and HAL managing to convert the ones they got. It was also a match where both the teams were reduced to 10 men - FC Kochin's Rocky Kom was sent off for punching HAL's Santosh Kiran and HAL defender Obinna Winners Onya got the marching orders for a rough tackle on the opposite player.
It was action time from the opening moments and HAL's Rajendra Kumar missed an easy chance when his attempt was blocked by FC Kochin goalkeeper V Santosh. But Satish made up for the mistake by sending in a fine right-footer into the net from inside the box in the 11.minute off a pass from the left. On the other hand, FC Kochin too were making raids into the rival defence and an attempt by Rocky was blocked by the HAL custodian. After an even first half which saw both the teams failing to make the finishing, the second half started on a bright note for the Kerala team. They managed to get more ball possession and their captain Shafeeq turned the saviour by scoring the equaliser in the 66.minute. Running from the left, Shafeeq netted the ball in, taking advantage of the collision between the HAL goalkeeper Balaji and Satish Kiran. As a result, the former was forced to leave the field and was replaced by Amit Singha Roy in the goal. At the other end, Satish goofed up an easy chance off a Dayanand pass and a few minutes later Santosh brought off a fine save off a Rajendra Kumar attempt.
But the best was saved for the last. Placed in the left flank, Dayanand received a pass from the Rajendra from the right, beat two FC Kochin defenders and headed the ball in, much to the jubilation of the crowd who were egging on for their players.

2.Division National League - Kochi - Stage I, Group C: Titanium XI 0-1 Fransa FC - Goals: 0-1 Naushad Pari (45').

Note-1: Has anyone heard the name of Jojar Dhinsa yet? If not, you will soon hear more about him.
Just two week the UKs largest Asian newspaper, the Eastern Eye, announced the winners of the Asian Business Awards 2004 at a special ceremony held at the London Hilton, Park Lane on April 13. The winner in the Newcomer of the Year category was Jojar Dhinsa, a multi-millionaire in Britain, who launched his career as a paper boy and progressed to trading lawnmower parts.
Dhinsa is now worth an estimated 40 million pounds and is the founder and chief executive of the Athlone group. The company that he set up in February 2002 is a private equity firm investing in technology, media and telecommunications. It also has interests in hotels, hot spas in real estate in Eastern Europe, Russia, China and India.
Dhinsa was born and grew-up in Conventry and now Dhinsa is said to make a bid to takeover English first division club Coventry City FC and propel the club back into the Premier League. The club is seen with a lot of potential in England as the new 32,500-seater stadium in the Foleshill area of Coventry is in planning. The building of the stadium is one of the few critiria Dhinsa has for the club to invest in it. At the moment Coventry City FC hasn't been contacted by Dhinsa nor by anyone in his name, so the club are expecting to be contacted soon.
An NRI owner of an English club. If it happens great news as this was needed in England and maybe also help the cause of Asian footballers in the UK!

Note-2: Sporting Clube de Goa coach Clifford Chukwama has been banned by the AIFF from sitting on the substitute's bench and from performing any football related activity following the incidents on Sunday in Mumbai.
The notice received by the secretary of Sporting Clube, states that coach Clifford had abused the match officials, threatened them and incited the spectators resulting in stone-pelting and assault on the match officials at their match against Mahindra United at Cooperage in Mumbai on Sunday, AIFF sources said here today. The notice also states that some supporters of Sporting Clube had man-handled the fourth official. A disciplinary proceedings case has been finalized against him, they said. The supporters are being identified from the photographs appearing in Mumbai newspapers and other material to be submitted by the local organizing committee.

Note-3: The era Jamshed Nassiri at Mohammedan Sporting Club is over. The Iranian coach due to reasons we reported yesterday didn't turn up for training today and finding a replacement in the situation the club is in the NFL is close to impossible. So the team trained without a coach.

27. April
Some matches from the last rounds of the 8th National League have to be rescheduled due to Parliamentary Elections in India and the counting of votes.
The JCT Mills-Mahindra United match has been put back by a day and will be held on May 11, as on May 10 elections would be held in Punjab.
The matches Mahindra United-Tollygunge Agragami and Dempo SC-Mohammedan Sporting Club will be played on May 14, where the decision on relegation is likely to take place.

2.Division National League - Shillong - Stage I, Group B: EverReady Association 0-0 Border Security Force - Goals: none.
2.Division National League - Kochi - Stage I, Group C: State Bank of Travancore 2-1 Punjab Police - Goals: 1-0,2-1 Lanel Thomas (12',60'), 1-1 Parminder Singh (44').

Note-1: An oHerald report: The AIFF today issued a show cause notice to Sporting Clube and their coach Clifford Chukwama for the fracas that ensued after Sporting Clube's encounter with Mahindra United. "We have given them seven days time to file the reply," AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco told Herald, when contacted this evening. After receiving the replies from both Sporting Clube and Nigerian coach Clifford Chukuwama, the AIFF will refer the matter to the Disciplinary Committee. "The final decision will be taken by the disciplinary committee," Colaco disclosed. The AIFF disciplinary committee is chaired by Hardev Jadeja with NA Khan, Mohan Raj, Rakesh Bakshi and LR Natarajan as members.
The AIFF issued the notices after going through the report of match commissioner Gulab Singh Chauhan. The contents of the match commissioner's report was not available.
Sporting Clube president Peter Vaz, in the meanwhile, was surprised at the AIFF show cause notice. "Why are we being show-caused, " Peter Vaz asked when Herald contacted him, before continuing, "I do not know what the show cause is all about. I will be able to make further comments only tomorrow."
Even if none of the Sporting Clube officials were directly involved in the fracas which saw fourth official Ramesh Babu being at the receiving end of the "mob fury", Sporting Clube can still be hauled up, as per the FIFA disciplinary code. According to Article 50 (Unidentified aggressors) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the disciplinary committee can sanction the captain and the club, which the aggressors belong, "if, in the case of a group of people involved in violence, it is not possible to identify the instigator(s)."
Clifford Chukwama, the Nigerian coach of Sporting Clube, has been show-caused for arguing with referee Subrata Sarkar, which according to reports, sent wrong signals among the fans. "I just told him that he was unfair to us. There was never an argument as such," Clifford Chukwama told Herald.

Note-2: Mohammedan Sporting are currently fighting the threat of relegation in the National League and soon might have to look for a new coach as current coach Jamshed Nassiri is unwilling to continue due to personal reasons. Nassiri, who is an Iranian, has an ailing mother in Teheran and she will be travelling to Mumbai in the coming days for treatment, so one can understand that Nassiri has other things in mind than football.
Sporting want Nassiri to continue for the last three matches, but the club is said to also talk with other coaches to be prepared, just in case. The club is said to have approached among others Aloke Mukherjee, who is officially still Mohun Bagan coach, though he isn't going to the club anymore.

26. April
The 8th National League finishes on May 13 and a week later on May 20 the INDIA probables camp for the tough away match against Japan in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers would kickoff. So national coach Stephen Constantine would get 20 days to prepare the boys for INDIA's toughest away match in years against the strongest team we have played in years. At least on paper it is so, but Japan seem to be in not so good form and surprises are part of football.
Meanwhile in Goa at the CRCC Sports Complex Ground, Chinchinim, 35 probables of the INDIA U17 team are sweating it out under the watchful eyes of coach Johar Das and his assistants Carlton Chapman, a former India captain, and Suresh Babu plus goalkeeping coach Virender Singh.

Note-1: What we only got to know today and couldn't report yesterday from Mumbai was that crowd trouble erupted after the end of the Mahindra United-Sporting Clube de Goa match at the Cooperage Ground.
Sporting Clube de Goa officials, players and fans weren't happy with certain decisions of the referee Subrata Sarkar, assistant referees Bishwajit Bera and K Venkateshwaran, also involving fourth official Ramesh Babu in heated discussions and blamed the referee of being biased towards Mahindra. After the match Sporting Clube coach Clifford Chukwama is said to have had discussions on the match with him clearly showing that he wasn't happy with a number of decisions which went against his team. Somehow Sporting Clube fans got into the playing area and physically attacked fourth official Ramesh Babu in whose rescue Mumbai District Football Association officials rushed to the spot and got things in control. But it was an apparent lapse of security at the Cooperage ground, which cannot be allowed to happen at Indian football stadiums. If we are honest the Cooperage Ground shouldn't be called a stadium and isn't worthy as a football venue for a city like Mumbai but sadly nothing seems to happen there.
Meanwhile Sporting Clube president Peter Vaz claimed that the fans who went on the rampage yesterday weren't known to him and believed them to be Goans from Mumbai. Not even sure if they are Sporting Clube fans but clearly stated such behaviour of fans cannot be tolerated. But the Sporting Clube president continued to say that the AIFF would need to act against bad refereeing.
The AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco couldn't comment on the issue as he awaited the match commissioners report on the match and the events afterwards

Note-2: Today at the IFA governing body meeting a decision on the punishment of East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick was to be taken in front of TV cameras. But the conclave came to no final decision and the cameras were kept outside, as otherwise members feared to say anything. After a 45 minute closed door meeting the body decided that it was left to IFA secretary Subrata Dutta to take a decision with the new incoming office bearers. The IFA AGM would be held on May 2 with elections of office bearers on May 5 and 7. So the new office bearers and the governing body would be consulted before a final decision is taken, keeping in mind the request from East Bengal and the public sentiments, and a final decision would have to be taken before May 16, the date on which the old punishment of a two years ban from the technical area was set to begin.
Meanwhile the East Bengal executive committee today decided and confirmed that Subhas Bhowmick would remain their coach for the new 2004/05 season, thinking that the ban would be lifted and changed into some other punishment.

Note-3: Calcutta Super Division side Mohammedan AC have named former internationals Rehmatullah Khan as coach and Moheul Islam as their technical director for the 2004/05 season. The two would now go recruiting and searching for players for the team for the new season.

Note-4: The All-Assam Football Players' Association has extended financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to Assam State Electricity Board goalkeeper Shankar Barman for treatment of his left knee in Mumbai. Barman, who sustained the injury turning out for Assam in the first Talimeren Ao Trophy football tournament last year, will leave for Mumbai on Wednesday. Barman's club ASEB is bearing all expenses for his treatment.

25. April
8th National League - Calcutta: Mohun Bagan AC 1-2 East Bengal Club - Goals: 1-0 Ashim Biswas (16'), 1-1 Baichung Bhutia (53'), 1-2 Cristiano Junior (60').
East Bengal Club in their quest to defend their National League title scored an important 2-1 victory against archrivals Mohun Bagan in a floodlit Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. While East Bengal need only another win to claim the title, while Bagan remain in danger of relegation. East Bengal now have 43 points from 19 matches, while Mohun Bagan remain in the danger zone with only 19 points from 19 matches.
It was the weekend of derbies around the world - be it Real Madrid Vs CF Barcelona in the Primera Division, Tottenham Vs Arsenal in the English Premier League or the Munich derby 1860 Vs Bayern in the German Bundesliga. And we had our very own Calcutta derby between East Bengal Vs Mohun Bagan in the National League.
Both teams wanted and needed a win and what a derby it turned out to be. It will not be remembered as the best of match but it was always interesting and tense, with three goals scored, a penalty, two red card expulsions, six yellow cards, the underdog taking the lead and the favourites coming back strongly after the breather to win.
East Bengal went into the offensive from the word go and had the first chances early against an ultra-defensive Mohun Bagan, who wanted to defend with all they had and kicked the ball out of danger whenever needed or sometimes just possible. One of those clearances resulted in a counter attack which allowed Bagan captain Renedy Singh to break free on the left, Renedy crossed the ball into the center where Mehtab Hussain went for the ball but sold a dummy to Deepak Mondal leaving it for striker Ashim Biswas, who pounded on the ball from behind past East Bengal keeper Sangram Mukherjee. It stayed 1-0 for Bagan until the breather, though East Bengal had their chances. East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick seems to have given his players the right vocal tonic in the lemon break as his team came back into the field with the right attitude and the proper ammunition to tear down the defensive Bagan wall. Baichung Bhutia failed with his first attempt in the 50.minute but three minutes later the India captain scored the equaliser, his 11th goal of the NFL campaign. A Douglas da Silva through finds compatriot Cristiano Junior but Junior's shot comes of the post, which Baichung places in goal past Palash Karmakar on the goalline. On the hour mark Junior is brought down by Bagan's Brazilian Leonardo Monnerat D'Almeida and Junior makes no mistake to equalise, his 13th goal. Then an unwanted scene resulted in both teams being reduced to 10 men. A demotivated Renedy Singh kicked Surkumar Singh, Baichung tried to intervene but Surkumar by then had retaliated and referee Walter Pereira was left with no option but to send both players off. This incidence showed that the derby atmosphere doesn't stop infront of friendships like that of Manipuris Renedy and Surkumar. East Bengal then had some chances to increase their lead but their just couldn't use their chances. Late in the match Mehtab Hussain and Dipankar Roy also exchanged some blows but both were lucky to get away with yellow cards.
MOHUN BAGAN: Prasanta Dora, Lorendra Singh (Sunil Chetri), Debkumar Sashmal, Leonardo Monnerat D'Almeida, Palash Karmakar, Renedy Singh, Mehtab Hussain, Basudeb Mondal (Harpreet Singh), Noel Tafadzwa Kaseka, Abhay Kumar (Hardip Singh Gill), Ashim Biswas.
EAST BENGAL: Sangram Mukherjee, Surkumar Singh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Debjit Ghosh (Dipankar Roy), Mahesh Gawli, Douglas da Silva, Alvito D'Cunha (Surya Bikash Chakraborty), Sasthi Duley, Malswam Tulunga, Mike Okoro, Cristiano Junior, Baichung Bhutia (Kalia Kulothungan).

8th National League - Mumbai: Mahindra United 3-1 Sporting Clube de Goa - Goals: 1-0,3-1 Raphael Patron Akakpo (31',90+'), 1-1 MacPherlin Dudu Omagbemi (44'), 2-1 Felix Aboagye (69').
Mahindra United scored a 3-1 victory against debutants Sporting Clube de Goa in a National League match at the Cooperage Ground, Mumbai. Mahindra United now have 36 points from 19 matches, while Sporting Clube de Goa remain on 26 points from 19 matches.
Mahindra took the lead in the 31.minute when Raphael Patron Akakpo from Togo dogged past two defenders and scored past the keeper. Sporting Clube equalised a minute from the breather through their striker MacPherlin Dudu Omagbemi. Mahindra got a penalty in the 68.minute when Sporting Clube keeper Felix D'Souza brought down Felix Aboagye. Keeper D'Souza got marching orders and the Ghanian striker Aboagye scored himself of the penalty to give his team the lead. Akakpo added another goal in injury time for the 3-1 win of the Mumbai Jeepmen.

Note-1: The draw for the PHASE I of the 2.Division National League has been revamped and updated by the AIFF. The request from Assam State Electricity Board to postpone their opening Group A match on April 27 against Jammu&Kashmir Bank has been accepted by the AIFF. Now the Northeastern team would open their campaign against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on April 30, while the match against Jammu&Kashmir Bank would be played on May 7. ASEB would start their trip to Bangalore from Guwahati on April 27 by train. In Group B in Shillong the Tata Football Academy would not be taking part making the group a four team affair. TFA had to pull out as after their convocation for their recruits they have released their senior batch of trainees. Group C in Kochi will remain unchanged.
>> 2.division nfl 2003/04 - phase I schedule

24. April
8th National League - Calcutta: Tollygunge Agragami 0-0 Salgaocar SC - Goals: none.
Tollygunge Agragami held former champions Salgaocar SC to a goalless draw in a National League match at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. Tollygunge now have 19 points from 20 matches, while Salgaocar have 23 points from the same numer of matches. Both teams aren't clear of the relegation places yet with especially Tollygunge still in danger as they are only a point ahead of 11th placed Mohammedan Sporting.
The action was mainly confined to the middle of the Saltlake Stadium turf. Salgaocar had more of the match in the first half with especially Indian international Tomba Singh in the thick of the action but the strikers couldn't use their chances. In the second half Tollygunge had more of the match but their strikers failed against a strong Rajat Ghosh Dastidar in the Salgaocar goal.
TOLLYGUNGE: Samit Debnath, Kabijit Khotel, Isiaka Awoyemi, Ebi Bar Bar, Gautam Debnath, Chinmoy Sarkar, Sandip Das, Shamshi Reza, Napoleon Singh (Temjen Kibang), Manik Burman (Amitava Chanda), Akeem Abul Alem.
SALGAOCAR: Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, Remus Gomes, Anthony Pereira, Roberto Fernandes, Bello Rasaq, Ragui Singh, Tomba Singh, Climax Lawrence (Dharamjit Singh), Jatin Singh Bisht, Felix Ibrebru, Freddy Mascarenhas (Samson Singh).

23. April
The draw for the final Rounds 21 and 22 of the 8th National League are now online at IndianFootball.Com ! The matches of the last two rounds are scheduled jointly to let the NFL finish on May 13. As INDIA play Japan on June 9 in Tokyo, it looks likely that the preparatory camp of the national team would start soon after the NFL finishes, maybe with a short holiday for the players.
>> national league 2003/04 - Round 21/22 schedule

Note-1: Is the installation of Subrata Bhattacharjee as the "defacto" coach a boon, or a bane for Bagan? Though it is true that he is trying to instill new zeal into the team by having a camp at the Lake & County Club (near the Kona Express Highway) and the players are loving it, though captain Renedy Singh joined the team a day later due to family matters. But elsewhere a hell lot of problems have broken loose after the arrival of Subrata Bhattacharjee. It has been learnt that the assistant secretary of Bagan - Balaram Choudhury had been keeping contact with Baichung Bhutia for long, and Baichung had no problems to have another stint with Bagan. But after Subrata's arrival, Baichung has refused to have anymore talks with Bagan as his relations with Subrata aren't one of the sweetest. If rumours are to be believed, Bagan was using their coach Aloke Mukherjee with his assistant coach of the national team tag to rope in the national team players, but now that Aloke is no more for Bagan, the future of those players (as reported earlier) in Bagan are in jeopardy. It has also been heard that a fraction of these current crop of officials (among the numerous other factions) have demanded a public apology from Subrata for his previous misdeeds, if they are to take an active part in the recruitment program. So Balaram Choudhury is in for a tough time when he returns from Malaysia.
Meanwhile former longtime Bagan player and now assistant coach Satyajit Chatterjee is set to leave Mohun Bagan. Satyajit's next stint will be at an office club - Eastern CoalField which plays in the Calcutta Football League's first division Group A. Satyajit is no more at Mohun Bagan (though he will not send any resignation letter as such).

Note-2: East Bengal Club officials had a meeting with the UB Group vice-President Shekhar Rammurthy yesterday. East Bengal president Pranab Dasgupta "claimed in a Local News Channel" that UB has agreed to follow points:

Note-3: Is the career of 36 year old Tushar Rakshit coming to an end? It has been a long time since Tushar last made an appearance for East Bengal, and now he isn't even coming to practise anymore. Tushar is said to be in some kind of family crisis and is facing a lot of problems at his office too (a bank). The officials of East Bengal have been cooperative enough with him, and haven't forced him to be present at practice. So a carrer which saw him stay at East Bengal for a mammoth 13 years (equal to only that of Manornanjan Bhattacharya) is perhaps coming to a sad end.

Note-4: Shyam Thapa, Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy technical director, was in Nepal's capital Kathmandu earlier this month to see the INDIA U14 national team in action and spot talented youngsters. Thapa has been successful as four boys from the INDIA U14 would join the Academy on May 21. The four boys are Velukho Rakho from Nagaland, Sanjay Boro from Assam and the Mizoram duo of Lalnunpuia and Malsawmzuala.

22. April
8th National League - Goa: Dempo SC 2-0 Churchill Brothers SC - Goals: 1-0,2-0 RC Prakash (34',64').
Dempo SC kept their title hopes alive and the pressure on league leaders East Bengal with a 2-0 victory against Goan rivals Churchill Brothers SC in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Dempo have gathered 39 points from 20 matches, only a point less than East Bengal but the Calcutta club have played two matches less. Churchill Brothers meanwhile stay on 32 points from also 20 matches.
The Dempo victory was made possible through a brace from striker RC Prakash. RC Prakash shot Dempo into the lead in the 34.minute, when he received a pass from Liberian Sunday Seah, which Churchill defender Ghanian Osumanu Husseini couldn't intercept and Prakash moved into the box and shot the ball past keeper Mark Mascarenhas. Prakash doubled the lead in the 64.minute, when he scored of a rebound from keeper Mascarenhas, which resulted of a shot from Johnny D'Cruz. Churchill Brothers tried to reduce the score but weren't successful and in one of the Dempo counter attacks AS Firoze brought down Prakash and was given marching orders.

Note-1: The National League 2003/04 isn't still over but the rumours surrounding players transfers in the upcoming Inter-State Transfers for the 2004/05 season are making rounds across India. If the reports in the vernacular Bengali press and rumours we have heard are to be believed then Calcutta clubs are eyeing especially players from Goan clubs.
Churchill Brothers Ghanian NFL top scorer Yakubu Yusif is one of the top targets, along with Salgaocar midfielders Tomba Singh and Jatin Singh Bisht. Further said targets are Churchill Brothers midfielder Noel Wilson and defender Rajesh Meetei, Dempo captain Stanley Colaco and winger Sameer Naik, and Sporting Clube de Goa's Kashmiri defender Mehraj Din Wadoo.
Meanwhile elsewhere Mumbai giants Mahindra United are said to make an approach to some of India's top internationals to strengthen their squad and at long last win the National League title next season. Among the approached players are said to be India captain Baichung Bhutia and Mohun Bagan captain Renedy Singh.

Note-2: From tomorrow the Tata Football Academy will hold an intensive 12 day training camp for youth players from Jamshedpur. 29 Jamshedpur Sports Association associated clubs had been approached by the TFA management to give advanced training to five of their under-18 boys. The move to train local boys has been welcomed in Jharkhand as the state will surely gain by the training with the TFA coaches.

21. April
AFC Cup 2004 - Group B: Al Wahda (SYRIA) 5-1 Mahindra United - Goals: 1-0 Al Shihmih (36'), 2-0,3-0 Mando (39',53'), 4-0,5-0 Mousa Traouri (69',73'), 5-1 Felix Aboagye (84').

AFC Cup 2004 - Group E: East Bengal Club 3-0 Island FC (MALDIVES) - Goals: 1-0 Douglas da Silva (13'), 2-0 Cristiano Junior (36'), 3-0 Mike Okoro (84').
East Bengal Club scored an easy and never in danger 3-0 victory against Island FC from the Maldives in a AFC Cup Group E match at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. East Bengal keep their cent percent record in the AFC Cup intact, four wins out of four, but their closest rivals Singapore's Geylang United aren't too far away with nine points from the same number of matches as they also won today and East Bengal host Geylang in their next AFC Cup match on May 5, which will be the decider who tops the group. Meanwhile East Bengal improved their record against Asian club sides with their eight win in a row, and what makes this record even more special is that these wins came all in one season and more are possible.
East Bengals goals were spread across the match and were scored by their three foreign recruits. Brazilian defender Douglas da Silva opened the scoring in the 9.minute with a well-taken freekick but thereafter the makeshift East Bengal defence had some problems as Ismail Mohammed and Seydou Diallo had chances for Island FC. Coach Subhas Bhowmick went to that extend to substitute Subhashish Roy Chowdhury in the 34.minute with a half-fit Deepak Kumar Mondal to strengthen the defence. But then East Bengal's reliable Brazilian striker Cristiano Junior doubled the lead in the 36.minute off a pass from Malswam Tulunga. The fifth goal for Cristiano Junior in the AFC Cup so far. After the break the islanders attack didn't create any more real problems for East Bengal and the third goal came six minutes from time off a header from Nigerian Mike Okoro off a corner from Malswam Tulunga.
EAST BENGAL: Sangram Mukherjee, Surkumar Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury (Deepak Kumar Mondal), Muttath Suresh, Douglas da Silva, Malswam Tulunga, Mike Okoro, Debjit Ghosh, Dipankar Roy (Alvito D'Cunha), Baichung Bhutia, Cristiano Junior (Kalia Kulothungan).
ISLAND FC: Mohammed Iqbal, Shamweel Qusim, Mohammed Jamil, Mohammed Arif (Mohammed Farid), Ashraf Luthfee, Ali Omar (Ahmed Sunain), Ahmed Shafiu, Seydou Diallo (Ilyas Ibrahim), Ismail Mohammed, Ahmed Jazeel, I Amil.
REFEREE: Taib Hussain (Bangladesh).

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Integral Coach Factory 2-0 Controllerate of Inspection Electronics - Goals: 1-0 Manimaran (30'), 2-0 Jegan Jr (55').
Controllerate of Inspection Electronics' hopes of registering their first win suffered a setback as they went down tamely 0-2 to Integral Coach Factory, Chennai in the last Group III match of the 2.Division National League here at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Wednesday. The goalscores were Maniraman and Jegan Jr. With this loss, CIL ended their Group III campaign with a solitary point. The draw against Kerala State Electricity Board gave them the lone point while they lost three matches. On the other hand, ICF ended on a better note, with a victory, a draw and two losses for four points.
In an inconsequential match, the result of which would have helped neither of the teams, it was CIL who held the advantage in the opening half making some fine raids on the ICF defence. CIL's Kanikaraj was in great touch and made a few runs into the rival citadel, but did not get enough support from his teammates. In the 12th minute, he got a good chance to score a goal. Making a solo run from he middle of the field in the left flank, Kanikaraj had literally no one to beat except the goalkeeper. But, an alert Pragasam, the ICF custodian, thwarted his attempt. The first goal of the match came off a fine display by ICF's Manimaran. He showed fine sense by escaping an off-side trap, made a solo run and beat CIL goalkeeper N Venkatesh at the half-hour mark. While the first 15 minutes of the match was played under continuous showers, there was more light in the second half and this might have helped the teams.
Both CIL and ICF players stepped up the tempo and exchanged runs. Ten minutes into the second half, ICF got their second goal through Jagan Jr. After receiving a pass, Jagan, who was stationed almost near the goalpost, lobbed the ball towards the net. Unfortunately, CIL's M Vasigaran, who was standing between Jagan and the goalkeeper, did not react on time and after brushing him, the ball flew into the net. In the 62.minute, Pragasam was in the action again, bringing off a brilliant save, diving to his right off a Murali attempt. Later, Murali, who had a good chance to go for the target from inside the box, decided against it and gave a pass to Sarvanan. The latter failed to find the net as his attempt soared over the post. This was the best chance for CIL to score a goal.
On the other hand, In the last 10 minutes of play, Jagan missed scoring his second goal as his shot hit the right post and rebounded. His second attempt also was not successful.

20. April
8th National League - Chennai: Indian Bank 1-0 Tollygunge Agragami - Goal: 1-0 Syed Shabir Pasha (68').
Relegated Indian Bank scored a lone goal victory against Tollygunge Agragami in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Chennai. The win for the Bankmen is only of academic interest as they are already relegated but this was their second win in a row, only their second win of this NFL season. After it's first home win Indian Bank now have 8 points from 19 matches. For Tollygunge meanwhile the defeat meant the danger of relegation remains large as the team, 10th in the NFL, remain on 18 points from 19 matches but their better goal difference keeps them out of the relegation zone above Calcutta rivals Mohammedan Sporting.
For Indian Bank a win, a draw or a loss wouldn't make a difference but for Tollygunge the three points from today's match would have been vital in their fight for survival. Tollygunge initially showed that they wanted to win, even though captain Akeem Abul Alem was well guarded upfront. The best chance came of midfielder Shamshi Raza's long range effort but as the match progressed Indian Bank had more of the match and more chances. The Bankmen took the lead in the 68.minute through seasoned striker Syed Shabir Pasha off a pass from Mahendra Mani. Thereafter Tollygunge did try to get back into the match with striker Sheikh Habeeb Ali being denied twice just before the end of the match.

Note-1: A record eighth win against a foreign team is on the cards for East Bengal Club in their fourth AFC Cup Group E home match against Island FC from the Maldives but the main aim for the red-and-gold brigade will be to win tomorrow afternoon at the Saltlake Stadium and nearly ensure a quarterfinal berth in Asia's second-tier club competition. Coach Subhas Bhowmick and his boys cannot be complacent but anything else than a proper win would be a surprise against the wipping boys of the group, though East Bengal had a tough match two weeks ago in their 2-1 victory in Male. East Bengal will welcome back a number of their players, who are coming back from injury and also Brazilian Cristiano Junior comes back from a yellow card punishment.
Maldives FA Cup winners Island FC landed in Calcutta yesterday with a 19 member squad for wednesday's match. The Romanian Prodan Zaharia coached team from Male has in Seydou Diallo of Mali as their only foreigner in their team. Maldives football has last month scored one of the biggest upsets in World Cup qualifying history by drawing goalless against World Cup semifinalists South Korea. Seven players from Island FC were involved in that match and six of those players have made the trip to Calcutta, while one is injured.
East Bengal Club's management has been successful in romping in co-sponsors for this and the next AFC Cup home match in Tata Tea, UTI Bank, ICICI Insurance and Airtel.
DD Sports will telecast the match live from 15.30 h.

Note-2: Guwahati's Assam State Electricity Board might have to pull out of the 2.Division National League as the club so far hasn't received any infos nor an official communique from the AIFF about the scheduling of the 2DNFL Stage I matches, which we published at IndianFootball.Com yesterday. Therefore the club hasn't started it's training camp for the 2DNFL yet and the players are all in their respective home towns. Further the team would need days by train to travel from the Assam capital Guwahati to the venue Bangalore and ASEB are supposed to play the opening match against Jammu&Kashmir Bank on April 27.

Note-3: The All Manipur Football Association will hold inter-district and inter-club transfers of players of it's affiliated units from May 1 onwards.

19. April
The draw for the PHASE I of the 2.Division National League is now online at IndianFootball.Com . 15 teams from across India have been divided into three groups. The 15 teams are made-up of the two Premier Division relegated sides HAL and ITI plus the 10 teams who played the Phase II of last seasons 2DNFL and the three qualifiers from the qualifiers-leg. Group A would be held in Bangalore, Group B in Shillong, while Group C would be played in Kochi.
>> 2.division nfl 2003/04 - phase I schedule

8th National League - Goa: Churchill Brothers SC 2-1 Vasco SC - Goals: 1-0 Benjamin Ansah (45'), 1-1 Marcos Pereira (51'), 2-1 Yakubu Yusif (55').
Churchill Brothers SC scored a 2-1 victory against Goan rivals Vasco SC in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Churchill Brothers are now fourth with 32 points from 19 matches, while Vasco remain on 23 points from the same number of matches.
The prematch signs were different then the outcome. Churchill Brothers came on a low from two back to back losses against Mohammedan Sporting and Mahindra United, while Vasco came on a high as they had trashed Mohun Bagan in their last match. But it was Churchill Brothers who controlled most of the proceedings and if Vasco had Brazilian Rogerio Ramos not in goal the defeat could have been heavier. Churchill's Ghanian striker Benjamin Ansah shot his team into the lead just before the breather but the lead didn't last long as six minutes after the break Vasco's Brazilian Marcos Pereira scored of a Kamal Thapa freekick. Churchill's Ghanian striker Yakubu Yusif scored the winner in the 55.minute of a pass from Osumanu Husseini after a corner from Noel Wilson. For Yakubu it was his 14th goal of this NFL campaign, again leading the goalscorer charts and if he continues this way, Yakubu will top the NFL goalscorer charts for a record third year running.

8th National League - Ludhiana: JCT Mills 3-0 Mohammedan Sporting Club - Goals: 1-0 Baldeep Singh (2'), 2-0,3-0 Harvinder Singh (47',87').
JCT Mills scored a fluent and easy 3-0 victory against a relegation fighting Mohammedan Sporting Club in a National League match at the floodlit Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana. For JCT the win was revenge for their 1-3 away loss to Sporting earlier in the season. With the win JCT has nearly made sure of a top 6 finish but also a top 3 finish is still a possibility for the Phagwara Millmen as JCT now have 30 points from 19 matches. Meanwhile Mohammedan Sporting remain on 18 points from 19 matches and what is even more worrying for Sporting is that they remain 11th in the table, one of the two spots which will mean relegation at the end of the season and their goal difference got worse, which now stands at -16.
JCT got of to the perfect start as Baldeep Singh volleyed home a power shot with Sporting keeper Gumpe Rime beaten with around 100 seconds only played. Thereafter JCT had more chances with Baldeep, Manjit Singh and Jaswinder Singh missing and in between Sporting also had some chances through Nigerian Okoli Onyeka Odafa and Syed Rahim Nabi. After the breather JCT made sure that they didn't face a possible repeat of their last match against Tollygunge, were the Millmen failed to score a second goal and Tollygunge equalised before the match ended. It was another move initiated by the hard working Jaswinder Singh which gave JCT their second goal as his shot was not saved by Gumpe Rime and a nearby lurking Harvinder Singh scored. JCT not only could have but should have scored more after doubling their lead but it was only minutes from time that Harvinder Singh scored another goal, this time of a pass from substitute Charanjit Kumar.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Fransa FC 1-0 Kerala State Electricity Board - Goal: 1-0 Kishore Palkar (65').
Going into the match on Monday, all Fransa FC, Goa, had to do was to ensure that they drew the match if not win it. They continued their winning streak to post a solitary goal victory over Kerala State Electricity Board to qualify for Phase I from Group III in the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium here. The winning goal for the Goans was scored by substitute Kishore Palkar off an Emerson F Da Silva pass in the 65.minute.
In a match which provided little thrill, the Goans went on building the tempo in either half and created many scoring chances. The margin would have been more had the chances been converted. On the other hand, KSEB lacked the sting to take on the safe defensive line of their opponents, and got a few chances, which were rather easy, only towards the end of play.
Emerson, who finished the tournament as leading scorer with seven goals, was once again in the thick of things, making inroads into the rival citadel. He, however, received little support from his teammates, especially Naushad Pari, who looked a bit laid-back. Emerson also should be blamed for making some raids on his own without giving any passes. The match-winner came when Kishore, who came in for Mohammed Najeeb, sent in a header after receiving a pass from Emerson near the goal. Emerson had earlier tried to hit the ball into the net, but managed only to flip it and an alert Kishore beat the KSEB goalkeeper Nelson to do the rest.
While the opening 45 minutes were dull, the pace of the game increased in the second half and both the teams were on the lookout for goals. KSEB were unfortunate as they got two easy chances and goofed up both of them. The first was when Shiju missed an easy header off a Vinod pass from the left. The second was more easier. Sunil Kumar and Shiju took turns in failing to put the ball in. It was some excellent saving under the bar by Fransa goalkeeper Juje Siddi that denied the Kerala team the equaliser. Minutes later, Fransa's Gurbinder Singh's header off an Emerson pass hit the right bar.
It was also a match in which a host of players were involved in rough tackles and took turns in going in and out of the field. KSEB's Bineesh suffered a severe cut on his right cheek and had to be withdrawn from the field.
After a rest day on Tuesday due to the General Elections, home team CIL will lock horns with ICF, Chennai, in the last match of the group on Wednesday.

18. April
8th National League - Goa: Dempo SC 0-0 Salgaocar SC - Goals: none.
Dempo SC's title chances came to a near end today with a goalless draw against Goan rivals Salgaocar SC in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. To keep up the pressure on league leaders East Bengal, Dempo would have needed a win today but with the draw, Dempo with 36 points from 19 matches are now four points behind East Bengal, who have played a match less. For Salgaocar the point gained today will be vital to keep them in the NFL as they now have 22 points from 19 matches, four more than a relegation spot.
The action in the first half was mainly confined to the midfield but in the second half both sides had their chances to score. Dempo's Johnny D'Cruz set-up a number of chances for his side but his strikers either couldn't use the chances or didn't get to finish. Salgaocar had more close shaves as the match progressed. In the 67.minute Dempo keeper Abhijit Mondal denied Salgaocar striker Freddy Mascarenhas a goal, while later in the match Salgaocar captain Climax Lawrence's header hit the crossbar off a floater from Jatin Singh Bisht.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Haywards 2000-Holi Family 5-1 Controllerate of Inspection Electronics - Goals: 1-0,3-0,4-1 Urufe Rowland Abara (30',53',55'), 2-0 Prakash Patil (49'), 3-1 Kanikaraj (54'), 5-1 Richie Robert (89').
Haywards 2000-Holi Family shrugged off their indifferent form of earlier matches to outplay Controllerate of Inspection Electronics 5-1 in the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Sunday.
The match, right from the start, witnessed the domination of Haywards. With their midfield supplying the strikers, Urufe Rowland Abara and Yusuf Ibrahim on a regular basis, the Mumbai outfit pitched tent on the rival goalmouth. Their constant sallies bore fruit in the 30.minute when Abara collected a backpass from Ibrahim to beat CIL custodian N Venkatesh from close range. Never for once the Karnataka outfit managed to make a decent attempt on the goal in the first half.
In the second half also the scene was not any different. It was Haywards all the way. Every move of their's smelled goal and four minutes into the second half they doubled the lead. CIL keeper N Venkatesh fumbled while collecting a free kick from Ibrahim and Prakash Patil only had to tap the ball into the net. The next three minutes offered the most exciting moments in an otherwise lop-sided match. In the 53rd minute, Abara showed his striking prowess with a powerful right-footer from just outside the penalty area to make it 3-0 in favour of Haywards.
The goal, perhaps for an instant reminded CIL forwards of their duties. They orchestrated a speedy counter-attack and Haywards keeper Dennis Creado failed to grab a cross from Krishna Kumar. It was left to a waiting Kanika Raj to finish off the job that he did in the most effective of fashions while heading the ball home to reduce the scoreline 3-1. However, the joy of CIL players did not last long as Abara's right foot, seemed to be fitted with a laser-guiding mechanism, found the target from 35 yards. The goal doused whatever remaining spirit of CIL players and they seemed to have come to terms with their fate. An ill-functioning midfield and defence compounded their worries for most part of the match. If that was not enough, their forwards, whenever they got the rare chance to aim at the goal, instead preferred to mark the ball towards the sparse crowd in the galleries. CIL's dim attitude was visible when their players looked a contented lot chasing the opponents half-heartedly for the rest of the match. Haywards, sensing the apparent dullness in the rival ranks, stepped up the tempo in search of a fifth goal. Their unremitting probe was rewarded a minute from the final whistle. Richie Robert, grabbing a pass from the back, made a wonderful solo run from midfield and cast his spell over three rival defenders before defeating the CIL keeper with a deft touch. The goal invited cheers and applause that belied the thinness of a Sunday crowd.
On Monday, Fransa FC, Goa will take on Kerala State Electricity Board in a crucial encounter that will decide the top side from Group III.

17. April
2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Integral Coach Factory 0-1 Fransa FC - Goal: 0-1 Emerson Ivan Fiel Da Silva (51').
In a team game like football, individual flair can sometimes bring victory. Emerson Da Silva's performance on Saturday in the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium underlined this factor in the most emphatic of terms.
There was the distinct Brazilian flavour in his on-field moves and his dribbling skill was a reminder of the lofty Latin American pedigree. After squandering a number of scoring opportunities with the lavishness of a business tycoon, who does not mind the wind taking away some green bills, Emerson sealed Integral Coach Factory's fate with an acrobatic right footer in the 51.minute after collecting a cross from Naushad Pari.
The 1-0 scoreline hardly reflected Fransa FC's domination throughout the match. The game witnessed the Goan outfit's strikers competing with each other to throw away the scoring chances. In comparison, ICF were mainly trying to prevent Fransa, especially Emerson from scoring, a strategy which limited the action to ICF goalmouth. By far the best side in group struggled on the day to get their act together. In the 35.minute a powerful shot by Emerson from inside the penalty area was blocked by ICF custodian Prakasham, whom the Chennai team should thank immensely for saving many a dangerous shot.
After scoring the vital goal, Fransa increased the pace of their game and put the rival defence under constant pressure. In the meanwhile, any feeble moves which ICF managed to stitch together were crashed against Marcos Secco. The reliable Brazilian defender worked overtime in not only curbing the ICF's moves but in supplying the strikers with passes regularly. Fransa would have doubled their lead in 70.minute but Jose Carvalho's powerful right footer was denied by the woodwork. The victory added to Fransa's chances of qualifying from the Group III.

Note-1: In a somewhat surprise move Subrata Bhattacharjee has been appointed Technical Director of Mohun Bagan's football team. The appointment came a day after Bagan were trashed 5-1 by Vasco in Goa, the worst Bagan defeat since 1975 and the club management seems to make a last ditch effort to avoid the potential disaster of relegation.
With Subrata Bhattacherjee's becoming TD, he returns to his club a year after he was sacked as coach for anti-club activities and having a short stint as coach of Tollygunge Agragami inbetween.
The club had also approached Amal Datta, currently coach of 2.Division NFL outfit EverReady, but he had declined.
Meanwhile coach Aloke Mukherjee is said to be not happy with Subrata placed above him for the remainder of the season and if this status quo remain, Aloke is likely to step down at the end of the season.

Note-2: The East Bengal Club football team had a surprise but welcome guest today afternoon at it's training session at the Salt Lake Central Park ground. It was Indian Tennis star Leander Paes. Paes is a good friend of Baichung Bhutia and as his dad Dr. Vece Paes has been attached to the East Benfal team in the past, it was nothing so unusual to see Paes train the currently best club side in India. Paes took part in the whole session without problems and coach Subhas Bhowmick was impressed by Paes' humble ways and the fitness he had to get through the grind.

Note-3: David Beckham's popularity and his postive image seems to take a beating in India, as across the planet with the alleged sex scandals being revelled. Here an IANS report on what Indian fans think about the Real Madrid midfielder and England captain. And maybe Indian football might be the winner!
Soccer fan Karma Wangdi Barfungpa is giving his David Beckham posters a second thought. "I'm wondering how cool he really is after all," contemplated Barfungpa, a student of political science in Delhi.
For millions of soccer fans across India, like the rest of the world, the Real Marid star and England captain was the ultimate pin-up. Cool, and that often incredibly difficult to attain trait with coolness, happy, complete with a loving and famous wife and increasingly famous children. But in India, as across the world, fans have been stunned by revelations of Beckham's alleged sex romps with his former personal assistant and other women.
So Barfungpa is considering replacing his now "overwhelming" collection of the English superstar mid-fielder, renowned as much for his hairstyles as his "banana bend" free kicks, with some of Indian soccer great Baichung Bhutia. "See, I'm thinking that perhaps after all this sex romp stories, it's not bad or anything. I don't have a moral issue but it makes him, you know, common. Like all celebrities sleep around. He used to be different and special," said Barfungpa, who admits to sporting Beckham-style coifs a couple of times. "And Baichung is even from my state (Sikkim)."
"Hmm, it certainly never seemed like this," said Sonia Lal, public relations agent, sipping a tall latte at a Barista coffee parlour and reading afternoon papers detailing murky details of sex-loaded text SMS supposedly exchanged by Beckham and his mistresses. Lal has been collecting Beckham paraphernalia for the last one year and said she "identified a bit with the character in 'Bend It Like Beckham' who adores the footballer."
"Though, of course, I would never consider playing football myself. But, yes, you could say there are lots of Beckham images all around me. You meet him at every turn in my room." Lal, who attributes her love for soccer to her early life in India's football crazy city of Kolkata, added: "This entire men thing of cheating on wives is a bit sick, really. Well, actually it's slightly sexy too, that you know he is such a hunk and everything. "And given a choice, every woman would sleep with him. But it's still slightly weird."
From Kolkata, playwright Tathagatha Choudhury said he was quite amazed at the detail the scandal was taking. "I mean, here are these women who say they slept with Beckham, and they are just giving these intricate details of everything that happened. "It's almost surreal. And it does take a nip off the old Beckham aura, doesn't it?" he said of the football icon who turns 30 this year and has a fee of around $40 million.

16. April
8th National League - Goa: Vasco SC 5-1 Mohun Bagan AC - Goals: 1-0 Dennis Cabral (5'), 2-0,3-0,4-1 Marcos Pereira (16',34',50'), 3-1 Renedy Singh (48'), 5-1 Levy Coelho (?').
Vasco SC trashed former champions Mohun Bagan AC 5-1 in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. For the Goans the win was vital in their fight for survival in the NFL, while for Bagan it was another blow in their fight to stay in the NFL. Vasco now have 23 points from 18 matches, five points more than Mohammedan Sporting who are on a relegation spot; while Mohun Bagan only have 19 points from the same number of matches. The green-and-maroon outfit now are only a point away from a relegation spot and with the heavy loss today their positive goal difference is also something of the past.
Football is a game were stories are part of the game, which cannot be repeated or copied in other walks of life and one such story took place today on the field. Vasco's Brazilian striker cum attacking midfielder Marcos Pereira, who is on loan at the club from Mohun Bagan, scored a hattrick to put his former club in real relegation threath, while his current club have distanced themselves from the danger zone.
Both teams before the matches were in need of the three points but it was only Vasco who looked like they were willing to work hard to get those three points. Vasco took the lead in the 5.minute when midfielder Dennis Cabral lobbed the ball over Bagan keeper Prasanta Dora. Then the Marcos Pereira show started with the Brazilian scoring his forst goal in the 16.minute of a pass from Dennis Cabral, while Marcos scored his second in the 34.minute of a defensive blunder. After the breather in the 48.minute Bagan reduced the deficit when captain Renedy Singh scored of a penalty. Striker Ashim Biswas had been brought down by John Dias. Marcos completed his hattrick, when he scored of a Dennis Cabral freekick. Vasco striker Levy Coelho finished the rout with a goal from a Kamal Thapa floater from the right wing.

8th National League - Ludhiana: JCT Mills 1-1 Tollygunge Agragami - Goals: 1-0 Manjit Singh (11'), 1-1 Sheikh Habeeb Ali (88').
JCT Mills were held to a one-all draw by Tollygunge Agragami in a National League match at the floodlit Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana. JCT are now fifth with 27 points from 18 matches; while for Tollygunge today's point meant they now have 18 points from the same number of matches, the same as Mohammedan Sporting but due to a better goal difference Tollygunge are 10th, above the relegation zone.
JCT took an lead in the 11.minute when Indian junior international Manjit Singh made a long-range effort which hit the right post and went into the goal leaving Tollygunge keeper Chimnoy Banerjee with no chance at all. For youngster Manjit, a former JCT Academy player, it was his first-ever goal in the NFL. Thereafter it looked as if it was a matter of time that JCT would increase the lead, though Tollygunge had their chances in-between. JCT clearly missed seasoned IM Vijayan out due to injury as the young JCT attack messed-up numerous chances and when they didn't, then keeper Chinmoy Banerjee was there to clear the danger. When it looked that JCT would get away with a lone goal vixtory Tollygunge struck. It was two minutes from time when Tollygunge's Nigerian defender Isiaka Awoyemi came close to the area, passed to a free Sheikh Habeeb Ali, who made no mistake to score for the Calcutta team.

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Jammu&Kashmir Bank 1-0 Rail Coach Factory
J&K's Jammu&Kashmir Bank qualify with two wins and a draw from Group I of the Qualifiers for the Stage I Group A of the 2.Division National League!

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Haywards 2000-Holi Family 1-4 Kerala State Electricity Board - Goals: 1-0 Urufe Rowland Abara (1'), 1-1,1-2 Renjith (3',68'), 1-3 Girish (70'), 1-4 Rajeev (89').
Kerala State Electricity Board displayed clinical efficiency while converting their on-field dominance to a facile 4-1 win over Haywards 2000-Holi Family in the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Friday.
During their last encounter, they conceded a disappointing 1-1 draw to CIL even after dominating the entire match. However, the match began on a pessimistic note for the Kerala side as Haywards went ahead 1-0 in the very first minute. Urufe Abara made the KSEB defenders and custodian, Nelson, look like spectators while converting a direct free kick from just outside the penalty area.
The setback, however, worked as a catalyst for KSEB, who made counter attacks with vengeance. The repeated sallies fetched them results just two minutes later. Collecting a gem of a pass from midfielder Sunil Kumar which split the rival defence, Renjith tapped the ball past Haywards goalkeeper with ease to score the equaliser. Till the 22.minute of the first half both the teams slugged it out evenly. But once their midfielder Subhash Adilkar was given marching orders for elbowing KSEB's Joby, Haywards presence was curbed to aberrational forays. Earlier, Adelkar had received a yellow card for rough tackling. Haywards should profusely thank their keeper Rajkumar Thakur for not conceding more goals.
The second half witnessed a totally transformed Kerala outfit. They showed more purpose in their attacks. The strikers upfront were fed regularly by midfielder Renjith and Sunil Kumar. The duo also ensured that none of the Haywards' moves posed a threat to KSEB defence. In fact, their performance was the main difference between the two teams. This changed attitude saw KSEB earning scoring chances regularly. Sunil Kumar and Yesudasan muffed two golden chances to increase the lead just after the half-time. But the Electricity men did not have to wait too long to surge into the lead. Girish, who dribbled past a couple of rival defenders, feeded Renjith, who stood unmarked in the penalty box, with a telling pass. The stocky KSEB midfielder was left with the job of beating the Haywards custodian which he did with perfection in the 68.minute. The goal seemed to drench the spirit of the Mumbai outfit. With Haywards' mainstay in the midfield, Adilkar off the ground, their strikers, Abara and Yusuf Ibrahim, resembled a bunch of travellers lost in the jungle and their counter attacks were limited to lone flickers. The closest they came to score was when hard-working midfielder Melwyn Vaz's chip smooched the crossbar before going out.
In the 70th minute, Girish scored off a rebound from Sunil Kumar to make it 3-1 which effectively placed the match beyond the grasp of Haywards. Their agonies were doubled seconds before the final whistle when Rajeev completed the tally through a splendid solo effort.
KSEB will now face Fransa on Monday while Haywards will be pitted against CIL on Saturday.

15. April
AFC U14 Football Festival - Group C - Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu (Nepal): INDIA U14 1-1 Nepal U14 - Goals: 1-0 Sanjay Boro (28'), 1-1 Yukash Shrestha (54').
Had the INDIA U14 boys won today, we would have won the tournament today but with the third draw in a row, we finish third with nine points.

8th National League - Calcutta: Mohammedan Sporting Club 0-3 East Bengal Club - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Cristiano Junior (59',62'), 3-0 Baichung Bhutia (65').
East Bengal Club continue their march to defend their NFL title with a 3-0 away victory against Calcutta Maidan rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club in a National League match at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. East Bengal now have 40 points from 18 matches, five more than closest rivals Dempo SC; while Mohammedan Sporting remain on 18 points from 18 matches, just one point more than 11th placed Tollygunge, who have placed a match less.
Reports before the match suggested that East Bengal would have to take the field with a makeshift team but in the end all their stars played and were decisive in the match with a three goal blitz. The first half should be forgotten quickly and the complexion of the match only changed in the 58.minute as Alvito D'Cunha was substituted with Dipankar Roy. Dipankar went to the left flank, with Sasthi Duley switching over to the right. Dipankars first move in the 59.minute was met with success. Dipankar moved-up on the left, floated the ball into the middle and Brazilian striker Cristiano Junior headed the ball in. The second goal only three minutes later was a copy of the first, only that Sasthi Duley floated the ball this time but it was again Cristiano who scored. And only another three minutes later the goal blitz was completed by India captain Baichung Bhutia's class. Baichung received a pass from youngster Malswam Tulunga, lobbed the ball over Sporting defender Amandeep Singh and then volleyed the ball into the nets with Sporting keeper Gumpe Rime loking on. Sporting couldn't regroup as it looked their were left gazed by what had struck them.
MSC: Gumpe Rime, Amjad Ali Khan, Madhab Das, Satish Kumar Bharti, Amandeep Singh, Bhuvan Krishna Joshi, Dipankar Chatterjee (Syed Hussain, Arjan Ali), Abu Bakar Godwin, Okoli Onyeka Odafa (Hamza Zaheer Abbas), Manas Das, Dipendu Biswas.
EAST BENGAL: Sandip Nandy, Malswam Tulunga, M Suresh, Debjit Ghosh, Mahesh Gawli (Subhashish Roy Chowdhury), Sasthi Duley, Mike Okoro, Chandan Das, Alvito D'Cunha (Dipankar Roy), Cristiano Junior, Baichung Bhutia (Raman Vijayan).

8th National League - Mumbai: Mahindra United 2-1 Churchill Brothers SC - Goals: 1-0 Shanmugam Venkatesh (3'), 1-1 Roque Pereira (12'), 2-1 Odartey Lawson (45+').
Mahindra United scored a 2-1 victory against Churchill Brothers SC in a National League match at the Cooperage Ground, Mumbai. The title realistically seems out of reach for Mahindra, now with 33 points from 18 matches, so a second place finish is still possible being only two points behind Dempo SC but seven behind league leaders East Bengal with only four matches remaining. For Churchill Brothers the loss meant they have doomed their own chances for a top three finish with now 29 points from 18 matches.
Mahindra took an early 3.minute lead when Indian international Shanmugam Venkatesh scored of a pass from Ghanian striker Felix Aboagye. But Churchill Brothers hit back in the 12.minute when midfielder Roque Pereira scored of a pass from Riston Rodrigues. The winner for the Mumbai Jeepmen came in injury time of the first half, when Nigerian defender Odartey Lawson scored of a rebound as Churchill Brothers keeper Mark Mascarenhas had blocked an Aboagye header of a Khalid Jamil freekick. Churchill could have taken a point home but once more Mahindra keeper Kalyan Chaubey had a strong day under the bar.

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Uttar Pradesh Police 0-2 Indian Air Force, Delhi

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Fransa FC 7-0 Controllerate of Inspection Electronics - Goals: 1-0 Mohammed Najeeb (15'), 2-0,3-0,6-0,7-0 Emerson Ivan Fiel Da Silva (28',55',84',90+'), 4-0 Naushad Pari (59'), 5-0 Kishore Palkar (77').
Brazilian striker Emerson Ivan Fiel Da Silva slammed in four goals as Controllerate of Inspection Electronics succumbed 0-7 against a disciplined Fransa FC in a 2.Division National League match at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Thursday. The other goals for the Goan club were scored by Naushad Pari, Mohammed Najeeb and Kishore Palkar.
Just give Da Silva half a chance and he would spare no effort in scoring. The ease with which he cut through the CIL defence and outwitted the rival goalkeepers, N Venkatesh and Chand Pasha in the second half, perhaps set their rivals wondering as to what would be needed to stop this lanky striker. Da Silva's success was also due to the fact that Fransa's passing was precise in the midfield also. The Fransa defence also played well. Brazilian Marcos R Secco, skipper Bento Vaz, Caitan Costa and Creson J Antao did a fabulous job at the back. If by some chance, the ball did get past these able defenders, there was always the Fransa goalkeeper Juje A Siddi to foil the CIL plans. These strengths however did not stop the CIL team from trying. They did well to take the ball past the midfield but, at times, they seemed clueless as to what needed to be done next.
The only realistic chance CIL had to score was in the 29.minute. Saravanan crossed the ball to the left and Sreenivasan's kick sailed over the crossbar. Fransa were on the move right from the start. Fifteen minutes into the match, Najeeb scored the opening goal. This was from a Naushad Pari cross. Three minutes thence, Da Silva worked his magic. Taking the ball from the left flank till the post, he made an attempt to score but the CIL goalkeeper N Venkatesh sent the ball back. However, Da Silva's second try towards the far post met with success.
Da Silva continued his onslaught in the second half, though the third goal came only in the 55.minute. Midfielder Adewusi A Tokumbo's header hit the crossbar and bounced back and Da Silva headed the ball into the net. Next, it was Pari's turn to score. He did so in the 59.minute with a pass from Da Silva. In the 77th minute, Palkar got into the act and further extended the lead for Fransa. This goal was scored from a Creson J Antao cross from the right flank.By now, CIL seemed to be a tired lot. Nothing was really going their way. To add fuel to the fire, Da Silva scored two more goals, one in the 84.minute and the other in the injury time to seal Fransa's win.

Note-1: The information that has been circulated in India that Leicester City FC would be hosting East Bengal Club, Argentina's Boca Juniors and Germany's Borussia Dortmund for their 120th anniversary tournament in the summer is only partly correct. As things stand at the moment, Leicester City FC as hosts and East Bengal Club as their club partners would take part, while a south American giant and a famous club from Europe would complete the four team tournament. Talks are being held with Boca Junior and Borussia Dortmund but nothing has been finalised as of now.

Note-2: One of the most prominent "Players of Indian Origin" Vikash Dhorasoo might be on his way to Italian giants AC Milan for the new season. Currently the 30 year old Dhorasoo, a French citizen and former French international, is with French champions Olympique Lyon but if agency reports from Europe are to be believed Dhorasoo will soon sign a two year contract with AC Milan. Dhorasoo's current contract with Lyon ends in June.

14. April

In the latest FIFA World Rankings released today, INDIA have moved up a place to 139th in the world and also gain a place in Asia, as we are now 27th!
Some will now surely say, how come? Last month we beat Singapore 1-0 and lost a place, while this month we move up a place though we got trashed 1-5 by Oman. The FIFA rankings are something really complex. FIFA's standings are based on a statistical analysis of a countries' results over an eight year period, weighted according to how recently the matches were played, the strength of the opponents and the importance of each match.

AFC U14 Football Festival - Group C - Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu (Nepal): INDIA U14 1-1 Turkmenistan U14 - Goals: 0-1 Relat Garliyev (28'), 1-1 Mohammed Moazzan (57').

8th National League - Goa: Sporting Clube de Goa 0-2 Salgaocar SC - Goals: 0-1 Remus Gomes (52'), 0-2 Freddy Mascarenhas (80').
Salgaocar SC scored a vital 2-0 away victory against Goan rivals Sporting Clube de Goa in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. While debutants Sporting Clube de Goa remained on 26 points from 18 points; Salgaocar SC moved on to 21 points from 18 matches, a bit away from the relegation places. It was Salgaocar's first win since January 11 against Tollygunge in Round 9. A long time for the former NFL champions...
The first half saw a lot of action in midfield with not many shots on goal taken. After a barren first half Salgaocar took the lead in the 52.minute when Remus Gomes collected a pass from Jatin Singh Bisht and chipped the ball over Sporting Clube keeper Felix D'Souza into the goal. Lead by a hard working Tomba Singh in midfield Salgaocar went in search of the second goal but got it only in the 80.minute, when a Tomba Singh pass found substitute striker Freddy Mascarenhas who shot past keeper Felix D'Souza. A much needed win for the men in green-and-white!

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Uttar Pradesh Police 1-3 Rail Coach Factory

2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: EverReady Association 1-0 Oil India Limited - Goal: 1-0 Earnest Jeremiah (78').
2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: Lajong SSC 3-0 NEROCA SC - Goals: 1-0 Ronald Pyngrope (67'), 2-0 Shapelyson Pyngrope (73'), 3-0 Babatunde Olakunle (82').
Calcutta's EverReady Association qualify with three wins from Group II of the Qualifiers for the Stage I Group B of the 2.Division National League!

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Haywards 2000-Holi Family 1-1 Integral Coach Factory - Goals: 0-1 Jegan Jr (47'), 1-1 Urufe Rowland Abara (65').
In a match devoid of thrills, Integral Coach Factory and Haywards 2000-Holi Family played out a one-all draw in the 2.Division National League encounter at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Wednesday. Jegan Jr scored in the 47.minute for ICF, while Urufe Rowland Abara equalised for Haywards in the 65.minute. Haywards were marginally better in the match and produced more chances than their rivals.
Haywards move up in numbers and created a number of threatening moves but failed to provide the finishing touches at the all-important end. This let them down badly. Striker Abara was particularly impressive at the front and narrowly missed on several occasions. But often, he or the other forwards found themselves alone in front with nobody to pass the ball to.
For ICF, on the other hand, chances came at a premium. A little organised effort would have perhaps yielded better results. They had a chance to take the lead as early as 12 minutes into the contest when a Jegan Jr passes back to Dhanues, but he failed to take a proper shot at the goal. To add to ICF's woes, their goalkeeper John David was injured while trying to collect the ball and had to be replaced with their other keeper, Prakash.
Abara was in the thick of the action in the 44.minute when he collected the ball just outside the box and shot it into the goal. But to Abara's dismay, the line umpire rules it offside.
ICF, though a subdued lot in the first half, scored just two minutes into the second session through Jegan Jr. The haywards defenders failed to clear the ball away and their goalkeeper Rajkumar Thakur charged forward to collect the ball in vain. However, Jegan Jr was alert enough to just tap the ball before the rival keeper could get to it. A dismayed and helpless Thakur watched the ball roll into the net. Needless to say, there was an urgency among the Haywards players to try and get the equaliser. The match came alive as ICF also tried to extend their lead. In the 65.minute Urufe Rowland Abara scored the equaliser for Haywards. Skipper Melwyn Vaz gave a cross to the right flank and Abara's right-footer found the mark beating ICF keeper Prakash.
The match picked up pace as the teams did their best to get the lead. Haywards were continiously on the move and so were ICF but neither team's efforts produced the desired results.

Note-1: Goan club Fransa FC will conduct football selection trials for under-16 boys, on April 16, at Colva ground, near William's Resort, at 15.30. Players born on 1-1-1989 and after should report to coach Eban Mesquita with full playing kit.

13. April
8th National League - Goa: Dempo SC 2-1 Mohun Bagan AC - Goals: 0-1 Renedy Singh (8'), 1-1 Sunday Seah (44'), 2-1 RC Prakash (46').
Title contenders Dempo SC scored a 2-1 victory against three-time champions Mohun Bagan AC in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. With this win Dempo keep their title hopes alive as they now have 35 points from 18 matches, only two points behind league leaders and defending champions East Bengal but the Calcutta Maidan giants have a match in hand. Meanwhile the other Maidan giants Mohun Bagan remain on only 19 points from 17 matches, only two points ahead of a relegation spot, so the danger of relegation is still around.
Bagan took an early lead in the 8.minute when captain Renedy Singh scored of a rebound from Dempo keeper Abhijit Mondal who tried to palm away an Ashim Biswas cross but failed in his attempt as the ball only reached Renedy. Thereafter Dempo had a chance to equalise through Liberian strikers Sunday Seah but his header missed the goal. Six minutes before the breather Bagan could have doubled their lead when a Renedy Singh freekick was head by Zimbabwean Noel Tafadzwa Kaseka towards the goal but keeper Mondal saved the ball. Just before the breather Dempo were able to equalise, as Bagan's Renedy Singh brought down Dempo striker RC Prakash in the area. Sunday Seah made no mistake in scoring. After the breather Dempo continued their endeavours to score and just after resumption in the 46.minute a RC Prakash shot from about 25 yards out went into the net. Bagan made some desperate attempts to at least take home one point from the match but they were denied by a strong Abhijit Mondal in the Dempo goal. Mondal had to be replaced five minutes from time due to an injury with former junior international VP Satish Kumar coming on. But the match ended without any more goals scored.

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Jammu&Kashmir Bank 3-2 Indian Air Force, Delhi

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Controllerate of Inspection Electronics 1-1 Kerala State Electricity Board - Goals: 0-1 Sunil Kumar (52'), 1-1 Ramkumar (68').
After going 1-0 up, all Kerala Electricity Board had to do was to see that they went through the remaining 38 minutes without any trouble to record their second victory. But an unnecessary tackle by KSEB's Shiju on Krishna Kumar of Controllerate of Inspection Electronics and the resulting penalty made sure that the home team, CIL, managed to hole KSEB 1-1 in a Group III match of the 2.Division National League at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Tuesday.
Going into the match with a victory behind them, KSEB held the upper hand though the CIL outfit was no pushover. After an even first half, where fortunes fluctuated between the two teams, the goals came in the 52.minute for the visitors and the equaliser for CIL in the 68.minute. Both CIL and KSEB got a few scoring chances in the first half and as it has been for the past two days, the players failed to finish off the opportunities. The closest CIL came to scoring in the first half was when M Vasigaran's header touched the top of the goalpost. On the other hand, in the 35.minute, KSEB's Rajeev made a shot at the goal from the left only to see CIL goalkeeper N Venkatesh block it, but Girish who was near the goalkeeper also failed to take advantage. In the 20.minute, an alert CIL defender Gopal Krishna made a fine goalline save off a Rajeev corner and later G Kanikaraj failed to put the ball in the net after receiving a cross from the left from Sarvanan.
Seven minutes into the second half, KSEB drew first blood through Sunil Kumar. On receiving the ball from a flag-kick taken by Shyam, Sunil who was stationed near the right of Venkatesh, headed home to the top of the post. The setback made the CIL players fight hard for the equaliser and they made a number of raids into the rival defence. On one such occasion, Shiju brought down Krishna Kumar just inside the box and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. The experienced CIL player Ramkumar took the shot and made no mistake in getting the equaliser for his team with a right-footer to the left of the goal as the KSEB goalkeeper Nelson dived towards his right.
The match went on even terms after the teams were locked at 1-1 and the attempts of both teams failed to produce a result. It was especially frustrating for the home team as they missed two easy chances and had to blame themselves while the attempts of KSEB players flew all over the post except inside it. In the 80th minute, Sreenivasan got a fine chance as the KSEB custodian was outside the post, but the latter managed to recover the ball.
Wednesday's match will see Haywards 2000-Holi Family take on ICF, Chennai.

Note-1: A few days ago rumour had come out in the Indian press, especially in Calcutta, that the England Tour of the INDIA U17 team to Leicester City FC in the summer was said to be in doubt. According to information received by IndianFootball.Com from England their is no problem on Leicester City's side. The final dates haven't been set yet but the AIFF has send tentative dates to Leicester, who are gearing-up to host the INDIA U17 boys and offer them a useful training camp ahead of the Asian U17 Championship in September in Japan.

Note-2: The Tata Football Academy held it's convocation ceremony today at the SNTI auditorium for it's outgoing cadets, the fifth batch since the TFA's start. The chief guest was the Tata Steel managing director B Muthuraman, who handed the convocation certificates to the graduating cadets. Defender Gurpreet Singh received the award for the Best Gentleman Cadet, an award which was instituted by TFA this year. All the graduates are said to be sought after by India's top clubs from across the country.
TFA graduates 2004: GK:Subhasish Roy Choudhury, Subrato Pal, Shambhu Mistry. DF: Debabrata Roy, Gurpreet Singh, Habibur Rahman Mondal, Subhas Mondol. MF: Gouramangi Moirangtem Singh, Jerry Zirsanga, Malsawma, Chandam Chitrasen Singh, Bhola Prasad, Praveen Rawat, Bimal Birwa, Chaitan Mukhi, L Karthigan, Sumit Thapa. FW: Vanlal Rova.

12. April
Something about ourselfs. Deutsche Welle Bengali Radio Service today did an interview with IndianFootball.Com joint Editor-in-Chief Arunava Chaudhuri for their Sports Programme. The broadcast of the interview in Bengali would take place tomorrow on Radio in West Bengal and Bangladesh. So if you have a radio and can understand Bengali, tune in to Deutsche Welle Bengali (Bangla) tomorrow!

AFC U14 Football Festival - Group C - Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu (Nepal): INDIA U14 0-0 Bhutan U14 - Goals: none.

8th National League - Calcutta: Tollygunge Agragami 0-1 East Bengal Club - Goal: 0-1 Baichung Bhutia (34').
East Bengal Club scored an important lone goal victory in their quest to defend their National League title in an away match against Calcutta rivals Tollygunge Agragami at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. East Bengal now have 37 points from 17 matches, five more than second placed Dempo SC; while Tollygunge remain on 17 points from 17 matches and on spot No.11, which at the end of the season would mean relegation.
On a hot and humid Calcutta afternoon East Bengal Club had to work hard in the first half against a fighting Tollygunge but after the breather with the sun decending, they could have come home with a large victory but it stayed 1-0. The decider came of India captain Baichung Bhutia, who scored the all deciding winner in the 34.minute of a freekick from Alvito D'Cunha, who had only come on a few seconds earlier.
TOLLYGUNGE: Chinmoy Banerjee, Goutam Debnath, Isiaka Awoyemi, Ebi Bar Bar, Amitava Chanda, Chinmoy Sarkar, Shamshi Reza, Napoleon Singh, Gauranga Dutta (Jiten Rai); Amit Das (Sheikh Habeeb Ali, Manik Barman), Akeem Abul Alem.
EAST BENGAL: Sandip Nandy; M Suresh, Debjit Ghosh, Surkumar Singh, Malswam Tulunga, Douglas da Silva, Mahesh Gawli, Mike Okoro (Dipankar Roy), Kalia Kulothungan (Alvito D'Cunha, Bijen Singh), Cristiano Junior, Baichung Bhutia.

8th National League - Goa: Vasco SC 1-2 Indian Bank - Goals: 0-1 K Aseem (6'), 1-1 Edson de Castro (30'), 1-2 KG Joseph (74').
Indian Bank can win matches in the National League! The Bankmen from Chennai won their first match of this NFL campaign in Round 18 away in Goa with a surprise und unexpected 2-1 victory against Vasco SC at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. But the first win comes too late as Indian Bank are already relegated and now have five points from 18 matches, while Vasco remain in danger of relegation with 20 points from 17 matches, although Vasco are seventh in the league table.
Indian Bank took an early lead in the 6.minute when K Aseem scored of a pass from Syed Shabir Pasha. Thereafter the action switched between the boxes as both sides could have scored but it was Vasco who equalised in the 30.minute of a penalty from Brazilian Edson de Crasto. The penalty was the result of Bankmen defender T Roopesh handling the ball of a Seby Dias header. Thereafter Vasco had numerous chances to take the lead but it was Indian Bank 16 minutes from the end who scored the winner. It was striker KG Joseph whose shot went in off a deflection of Vasco's Krishnan Ajayan.

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Rail Coach Factory 1-1 Indian Air Force, Delhi
2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: EverReady Association 4-1 NEROCA SC - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Earnest Jeremiah (4',32'), 3-0,4-1 Shankha Roy Choudhury (68',90'), 3-1 Lunmienlal Khongsai (71')
2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: Oil India Limited 1-2 Lajong SSC - Goals: 0-1 Ronald Pyngrope (10'), 1-1 Bhupen Gogoi (15'), 1-2 Babatunde Olakunle (34').

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Haywards 2000-Holi Family 0-3 Fransa FC - Goals: 0-1,0-3 Emerson Ivan Fiel Da Silva (20',87'), 2-0 Naushad Pari (77').
There is certainly something about Goa. The beaches, the nature's creations, the music and of course their football. For quite some time, the Goan football is posing a threat to the home of Indian football, Kolkata. Monday was one such day at the Bangalore Football Stadium here. The Goan club Fransa FC, had a rather easy outing against another favourites Haywards 2000-Holi Family, Mumbai and posted a convincing 3-0 victory in the second Group III match of the 2.Division National League.
The Goans displayed good skills and speed but they also committed some silly mistakes in the later part of the match. But their defence was safe, the midfield always on the lookout for chances and their strikers worked hard for the goals.
And the three goals they scored were a reward for their all-round display. Fransa's import Emerson Ivan Fiel da Silva pumped in two goals while Naushad Pari scored the other and set up the winner for Emerson. It was a contrast of sorts as Fransa attacked from the word go while Haywards 2000, who were expected to put up a tough fight, were content with a defensive game.
Naushad made the first foray into the rival defence with a cross from the left flank in the 20th minute. But, Rajkumar Thakor, the Haywards goalkeeper did well to stop the ball. Within a few minutes, Emerson pierced through the Haywards defence, beat two defenders and scored the first goal for his team with a fine right-footer. The next 25 minutes saw Fransa making some good moves only to goof up at the all-important end. Naushad was in his elements, constantly running into the rival citadel while Emerson too made some threatening attempts. In the second half, when much was expected from the Haywards players, it was surprising to see that they continued with the defensive ploy and save for a couple of attempts, they never really threatened the rival goal. For Haywards, Urufe Rowland Abara, another foreign recruit, came close to scoring in either half, but his attempts were well saved by Fransa custodian Vikrant Sharma. In the 77.minute, Naushad finally got the goal he deserved. An alert Peter Perreira, gave a precise cross to Naushad from the left flank and the latter made no mistake in finding the target. The final nail was hammered by Emerson, who this time, scored off a Naushad pass. In the 87.minute, running through the left, Naushad made an attempt at the goal, but the Haywards custodian was successful in stopping it, but he failed to hold the ball. Emerson, who was positioned close by, scored the winning goal to seal the match in his team's favour.
Local team Controllerate of Inspection Electronics will take on Kerala State Electricity Board on Tuesday.

Note-1: East Bengal Club will soon step take further steps to professionalize their clubs set-up.
So far East Bengal is used to give their players and coaches only one year contracts. From the new season onwards players and their coaching staff will be offered two to three year contracts.
Though earlier in the season Subhas Bhowmick was in danger of being fired after a series of not so good results, now the club wants to retain their coach for another season.
East Bengal has received an invitation by the ASEAN Football Federation to defend their ASEAN Club Cup title, though they haven't been informed when the tournament would be held.
In some interesting news, East Bengal Club is likely to take part in a tournament at Leicester City FC. As part of the LCFC-East Bengal deal, East Bengal are to travel to England. And as LCFC celebrates their 120th anniversary this summer, they will organise a four team tournament. Besides LCFC, club partner East Bengal, Argentinian giants Boca Juniors and German giants Borussia Dortmund will be seen in action.

11. April

AFC U14 Football Festival - Group C - Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu (Nepal): INDIA U14 3-1 Uzbekistan U14 - Goals: 0-1 Nishonov (5'), 1-1,2-1 Avijit Dey (40',42'), 3-1 Sanjay Boro (60').

8th National League - Goa: Salgaocar SC 1-2 Mahindra United - Goals: 1-0 Tomba Singh (31'), 1-1 Raphael Patron Akakpo (43'), 1-2 Abhishek Yadav (52').
Mahindra United kept their title hopes alive with a 2-1 away victory against former champions Salgaocar SC in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. While Mahindra now have 30 points from 17 matches and are four points behind league leaders East Bengal, who have played a match less; Salgaocar remain on only 18 points from 17 matches in ninth position with only a points more than 11th placed Tollygunge Agragami on 17 points. A dangerous scenario for the former champions, who have been able to gather only one point from six return-leg matches.
It was Salgaocar who the lead in the 31.minute with a gem of a goal from "Indian Footballer of the Year" Tomba Singh. Toomba hit a shot from 40 yards out which hit the crossbar before entering the net. But the lead wasn't to last as Mahindra's striker Raphael Patron Akakpo from Togo equalised in the 43.minute off a long lobbed pass from defender Odartey Lawson. India striker Abhishek Yadav scored the winner for the Jeepmen in the 52.minute, when he beat the offside trap.

2.Division National League - Srinagar - Qualifiers, Group I: Jammu&Kashmir Bank 0-0 Uttar Pradesh Police - Goals: none.

2.Division National League - Bangalore - Qualifiers, Group III: Integral Coach Factory 1-2 Kerala State Electricity Board - Goals: 1-0 Ravi (75'), 1-1 Rajeev (83'), 1-2 Yesudasan (90+').
Just when the match seemed to be heading for a draw, an excellent goal from zero angle by Kerala State Electricity Board's Yesudasan in the dying moments sealed the tie in his team's favour. KSEB posted a 2-1 victory over an off-colour Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, in the first Group III match of the 2.Division National League here at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Sunday.
After a drab first half, which had nothing much to write about, the match came alive in the second half with ICF scoring the opening goal and KSEB putting in two goals in the space of 10 minutes.
Of the two teams, the winners were clearly better equipped than their opponents in all departments and had the maximum possession of the ball. The Thiruvananthapuram team came close to scoring on a few occasions, but faltered while finding the target. On the other hand, ICF had very little to do, especially in the first half, as KSEB continuously raided their citadel. The passes were also very short and they almost never got an opportunity to score in the first 45 minutes. The slippery field did not help them much.
After the break, ICF pulled up their socks and created several scoring chances. The introduction of Ravi in the second half worked wonders for them as he, along with Jagan Jr, toyed with the rival defenders. When Jagan missed a sitter in the 65th minute, it looked as if the teams would share points. After beating three rival defenders and finding the rival goalkeeper Jitesh Kumar out of the post, all Jagan had to do was to put the ball in. But he faltered and so did striker Maniraman. But ICF made amends for this costly lapse as Ravi netted home the first goal of the match from 20 yards, beating Jitesh hands down. On the other side, the KSEB players were constantly threatening the rival goal and finally succeeded in getting the equaliser. The goal came after Girish, placed in the centre, gave a pass to Rajeev on the right flank. Rajeev then showed his skill in beating two ICF defenders and scored the goal in superb fashion. Then came the final blow in the dying minutes. On any other day, the ICF goalkeeper Johan David would have found no problem in blocking the ball. But this was not his day. The zero angle shot of Yesudasan was simply outstanding and it left David stunned. Apart from the two goal-scorers, Anil Kumar of KSEB was in his elements and was successful in creating a host of chances, though none of them could be converted.
On Monday, Fransa FC of Goa will play Haywards 2000-Holi Family.

10. April
IndianFootball.Com, the Premier Website on Indian football, celebrates its 6th anniversary today!
The Website was launched on April 10, 1998 and today completes six years in service for you, our site's visitors and users.
Also we would like to announce the launch of our new section: IndianFootball.Com LIVE , where you can find detailed infos on the events we have covered live with reports and pictures, and an outlook to events we would like to cover. The events will not always have something to do with Indian football, we would like to bring you all the best in football!
To go to the special click here

AFC U14 Football Festival - Group C - Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu (Nepal): INDIA U14 1-0 Pakistan U14 - Goal: 1-0 Sanjay Boro (41').

8th National League - Goa: Dempo SC 0-0 JCT Mills - Goals: none.
Dempo SC's title hopes were given a damper when they were held goalless by former champions JCT Mills in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Dempo could have caught-up with league leaders East Bengal today but with the draw they now have 32 points from 17 matches, while JCT now have 26 points also from 17 matches.
For Dempo it was a match of missed chances as they created numerous chances throughout the match but they just couldn't score, while JCT fought until the end to avoid a defeat but disaster nearly struck Dempo as JCT were always dangerous in their counter-attacks but Dempo keeper Abhijit Mondal had another good day in goal. JCT's attack was depleted today with IM Vijayan and seasoned Nigerian Stephen Abarowei out injured, while Jo Paul Ancheri played though still not fully match fit, so the Phagwara Millmen had to rely on their defence. But if they had used their chances, the Dempo attack could have come home with a solid win. All had their chances, be it Sunday Seah, RC Prakash, Mohammed Gaffar, Clifford Miranda or Francis Silveira but missed or where denied by a JCT player.

2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: EverReady Association 1-0 Lajong SSC - Goals: 1-0 Eugene Gray.
2.Division National League - Shillong - Qualifiers, Group II: Oil India Limited 3-2 NEROCA SC - Goals: 1-0 Birjab Mushahary, 1-1 Santosh Singh, 2-1 Bhupen Gogoi, 3-1 Bhim Kanta Sonowal, 3-2 David Kamson.

Note-1: Might the 59th Santosh Trophy planned to be held in Kochi, Kerala from May 1 to 15 have to be postponed?
So far the National state championships haven't been postponed but a number of surrounding factors speak for a possible postponement.
The two main reasons are the Lok Sabha (Indian parliament) elections in Kerala on May 10 and the counting of votes on May 13, and the unfinished 8th National League, where Round 21 and 22 are likely be held in early-May. This would mean that around election day security personal couldn't be deployed by the police due to other duties. And with the NFL not ending before the start of the Santosh Trophy, fears are there that the Indian top players wouldn't come to the tournament and maybe even that the NFL would be held simultaniously with the Santosh Trophy. Also India play Japan on June 9 in Japan, so the INDIA camp would start hopefully something before the end of May. All this would be too much football for our international players.
Also another potential problem is the weather in southern India, if the tournament is postponed into the second half of May as then the Monsoon would have arrived in Kerala. So if postponed likely dates could be September/October in the new season.
But so far the above is only speculative and decisions are awaited...

Note-2: The IFA secretary Subrata Dutta is continuing his work to strenghten grassroots football in Bengal.
One of India's oldest football tournaments, the Elliot Challenge Shield first held in 1894, is being restarted by the IFA. From April 12 to May 12, 24 colleges from seven West Bengal universities will vie for the title in the knockout tournament at the Calcutta University Ground. Duckback will be sponsor of the tournament, which had last been held in 2000 in Kalyani.
The best players from the tournament would be chosen to represent Bengal in the All-India University Tournament.
Meanwhile the AIFF has received a request from the National Council for the Universities to allow partcipation of an All-India University team in the National State Championships for the Santosh Trophy. The AIFF hasn't taken any decision yet, but there shouldn't be any problem for a national Universities team to take part like the Services and Railways.

9. April
The 2.Division National League finally kicks-off tomorrow with the regional qualifiers where 14 teams have been placed in three groups across India. Only the group winners move into Phase I, where the two NFL-relegated teams from last season plus the 10 Phase II teams from last seasons 2.Division NFL have been seeded. From there the top two teams would move into the final round Phase II, where the promotion into the National League would be decided. Two teams get promoted and the competition will be tough, as no team can allow to leave points on the sideway, as they then could be out.
Group I would be played in the Jammu&Kashmir capital of Srinagar with the five teams Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala; Indian Air Force, New Delhi; Jammu&Kashmir Bank, Srinagar; Uttar Pradesh Police; and Raj Milk FC, Patna playing to win the group. The Group has no clear favourites but Rail Coach Factory should be the best team ahead of Indian Air Force and hosts Jammu&Kashmir Bank.
Group II would be played in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, in Northeastern India. This group has only four teams involved in EverReady Association, Calcutta; Oil India Limited, Duliajan; Neroca SC, Imphal; and Lajong SSC, Shillong. Calcutta's EverReady are clear favourites to top the group and move into the next round, while the other three teams, all from the North-East are likely to be on a similar level.
Group III would be played in Bangalore. And Bangalore will feature the toughest group with Fransa FC, Goa; Haywards 2000-Holi Family, Mumbai; Controllerate of Inspection Electronics, Bangalore; Kerala State Electricity Board, Thiruvananthapuram; and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai fighting for the top spot. Goans Fransa are likely favourites but host and Bangalore champions CIL, and Haywards 2000-Holi Family from Mumbai can also have a say in the top spot, while Integral Coach Factory and KSEB can cause surprises on their day.

Note-1: Assam will be hosting the 2005 National Games and the Northeastern state is taking it seriously to prepare it's sportspersons in all possible disciplines to get the best possible results. This is also the case in football, where the men and women will be in numerous coaching camps. Also the coaching staff is being finalised. To oversee all planning former international Prasun Banerjee has been offered the job of Technical Director. A decision is awaited soon, if Prasun Banerjee would become Assam's TD.

8. April
Note-1: On the overage of Pakistani footballers at the SAF Games, IndianFootball.Com had contacted FIFA to get their view on the issue. Without going into detail, FIFA said it was upto the organising entity of the event to intervene in such matters, after getting a protest of the opponents.
Meanwhile in Calcutta Aloke Mukherjee, coach of the INDIA U20 team, was asked by the local press why the India contingent didn't intervene. Aloke said it was not upto him but the job of the manager to hand in a protest, in this case Rakesh Kumar Bakshi, but it didn't happen. Now it was upto the Indian Olympic Association to place a protest, if at all. Nothing seems clear...

Note-2: Mohun Bagan are back in the news for the wrong reasons again, the non-payment of salary.
Indian captain Baichung Bhutia, who was with Mohun Bagan last season, has send a letter to the AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco last week explaining to the AIFF that Bagan still owe him Rs 500,000 as salary. The AIFF has now asked Bagan in a letter send through the IFA to clear Baichung's dues.
Meanwhile Bagan again have been send a letter by the Fifa Football Status Committee for non-payment of salary to a foreign player. This time Nigerian George Ekeh had contacted FIFA a while ago, but no action was taken, now the status committee has ordered Bagan to immediately clear his dues of US-Dollar's 6,500.

Note-3: VIVA Kerala, the newly formed professional club in Kochi, Kerala is working to put it's house in order before entering the Indian football scene next season, which the club will do locally in the Ernakulam district league.
VIVA Kerala is the third professionally founded club in India. It was the idea and has now been formed by the leading businessmen of Kerala. Former Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry president P Bhaskaran will be the club's first president, while the current KCCI chief VM Liaquat Ali is the Managing Director of the new private limited company, Viva Sports (India), which is behind the club. The clubs Executive Director will be Babu Mather, a sports journalist and formerly with FC Kochin.
The club held a three day final selection trial in Kochi with 31 players chosen from the 52 present probables. The selection were held under the watchful eyes of TK Chathunny, who will be chief coach of the team, along with former international footballers CC Jacob, MM Jacob, Victor Manjila plus Kerala Sports Council coach PK Rajeev along with physical efficiency evaluation specialists AU Suresh and Narayana Menon. The club officials are holding talks with the Greater Cochin Development Authority to get the stadium ground as permanent practice ground.
The chosen players are aged between 18 and 25 with potential to develop further, while a list of 20 players has also been finalised as reserves.
SELECTED PLAYERS: GK: N Anoop (Palakkad), Sanju Cherian (Ernakulam), VK Thaizim, A Jaffer (both Kozhikode), TG Purushothaman (Thrissur). DF: NK Abdul Salam, C Shameel (both Malappuram), S Srinivas, V Pradeep (both Palakkad), KL Ameer (Thiruvananthapuram), KJ Lenin, VS Anoj, Robin Joseph, CO Johnny (all Thrissur), CB Shabeer (Kozhikode). MF: Joseph Perera (Wynad), T Sumesh, PT Somy, AM Sajeer, PV Sreejith (Thrissur), Sanjay Kumar Dey (Thiruvananthapuram), Mohammed Afzal (Malappuram), R Rajesh (Alapuzha), Vineeth Antony, Amjad Basheer (Ernakulam). FW: Rajesh Kumar (Wynad), PV Vijeesh (Thrissur), Rajesh Mathew (Kottayam), Jackson Sebastian (Thiruvananthapuram), Denson Devadas (Kannur), PA Javed (Ernakulam).

Note-4: The Assam state football team, which had won and defended their title at the Dr. T Ao NorthEast Football Trophy in Imphal, Manipur last month will be fecilitated by the Assam government in a function in Guwahati. When this will happen depends on the schedule of Assam's top clubs in the 2.Division National League.

Note-5: A Telegraph report: Guwahati's Assam State Electricity Board has come to the rescue of their goalkeeper Shankar Barman, who has lost one full season due to a nagging ligament injury. The ASEB Sports Club has promised to bear the entire expenditure for his treatment and allotted Rs 80,000 as advance payment for the purpose. Barman will travel to Mumbai for advanced treatment of his torn ligament, which might require surgery, later this month or in the early part of May. The advance money would be released within a week or two, senior ASEB official JK Borah said. "The ASEB will bear all his travel expenses and hospital bills for him and an escort," he added. The goalkeeper tore his right knee ligament during the first edition of the Dr. T Ao Trophy in May 2003. The player will consult Mumbai-based surgeon Ananth Joshi, who had examined the goalie in Calcutta and referred the case to his well-equipped hospital in Maharashtra. Barman, who was keeping for Assam in the football meet, had pleaded for financial assistance from the government and the Assam FA after sustaining the injury. However, Dispur and the FA did not show any interest in helping the keeper.

7. April
AFC Cup 2004 - Group B: Mahindra United 0-0 Al Wahda (SYRIA) - Goals: none.
Federation Cup champions Mahindra United held Syrian side Al Wahda from Damascus to a goalless draw in their AFC Cup Group B match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Mahindra have to play their home matches away as Mumbai's Cooperage Ground was found unfit by the AFC for Asian level competition. Mahindra now have four points from two matches, while Al Wahda have two points from the same numer of matches. Now Mahindra have two matches left, away first in Syria and then Oman. But they would at least need one win away to win the Group B to move on to the knockout stages.
Al Wahda had more of the match and more chances, while Mahindra mainly relied on counter attacks and had a strong and solid Kalyan Chaubey under the bar, who came to his teams rescue on a number of occasions, too often one would guess for Mahindra coach David Booth. The Mahindra defence was thought to be the weak link as the team missed Nigerian Odartey Lawson but the five-man defence of Sajay Parte, Arun Malhotra, Covan Lawrence, Peter Siddique and Jinto Jose fought hard until the end. It was rather the attack which led Mahindra down as they had a few chances but messed them up.

AFC Cup 2004 - Group E: Island FC (MALDIVES) 1-2 East Bengal Club - Goals: 0-1 Baichung Bhutia (36'), 1-1 Ahmed Sunain (74'), 1-2 Mike Okoro (90+').
National League champions East Bengal Club had to fight hard for their 2-1 away win against Maldives side Island FC in a AFC Cup Group E match in Male. Nigerian striker Mike Okoro scored the winner only seconds before the final whistle to give East Bengal their third win from as many matches. East Bengal continue to top the table in their group and brightened their chances to reach the knockout stages.
Earlier in the match East Bengal had more of the game before the breather and had their chances but Baichung Bhutia was only able to score the lead in the 36.minute. The other chances were wasted and after the breather Island FC worked harder for the equaliser. In the 74.minute Sandip Nandy brought down a Maldivian player and the resultant penalty was converted by striker Ahmed Sunain. But East Bengal were saved the blushed when Okoro struck the winner in injury time.
EAST BENGAL: Sandip Nandy, Surkumar Singh, Muttath Suresh, Debjit Ghosh (Kalia Kulothungan), Sasthi Duley, Mahesh Gawli, Douglas da Silva, Dipankar Roy (Chandan Das), Bijen Singh (Alvito D'Cunha), Mike Okoro, Baichung Bhutia.

Note-1: Might Brazilian Jose Barreto return to India next season?
According to news coming out of Goa, Brazilian Jose Barreto is being sought after by 2.Division National League club Fransa FC for the new 2004/05 season. And if Fransa FC president Mickky Pacheco, who is also Goa Sports and Tourism Minister, is to be believed then the chances look good. Mickky Pacheco told oHerald, "Preliminary talks with Barreto has already been held. He is happy with what we can offer and is willing to do duty for our club." An interesting and surprisingly development. But for Fransa FC becoming really interesting for Jose Barreto the club would have to get promotion to the Premier Division of the National League. Fransa FC's 2.Division campaign starts in the coming days in Bangalore.

Note-2: The second annual IFA Football Bazar would be held from tomorrow until Tuesday at the SAI Eastern Centre, Saltlake Sports Complex in Calcutta. More than 200 players from across Bengal and neighbouring states will showcase their skills and talent to the IFA affiliated Calcutta-based clubs. Also Mohammed Habib and Sujit Chakraborty will be on the lookout for talented players for the new IFA Academy in Haldia.

Note-3: Selection trials for the JCT Football Academy, Phagwara in Punjab will be held once again on April 12 at 9.00 h at the JCT Football Stadium, Phagwara. Young talented footballers from across India are eligible for the trials and are invited.

6. April
Note-1: Might Pakistan loose their just won SAF Games football gold medal?
Yesterday we received information from Abdul Mannan (Pakistan Sports Complex) from Islamabad and also got a confirmation from our colleagues from footballpakistan.com that Pakistan are said to have played the SAF Games with overage players. From this edition onwards the SAF Games football tournament has been declared an under-23 event, with India playing the tournament with an under-20 team.
The overage players are said to be captain Jaffar Khan, Burhan Ali, Atiq Rehman and Mohammad Essa. Their correct age are 27,25,25,27 repectively. The fake passports of four players are said to have been made by Pakistani coach Tariq Lutfi.
indianfootball.com passed on the received information to the AIFF to follow-up the issue, to see if the overage claims are true or not.
It isn't nice to win a match, especially a final, afterwards at the green table but age cheating is something which needs to be eradicated from football around the world!!!

Note-2: The focus was on the INDIA and INDIA U20 teams over the last week but now the focus shifts to our top clubs, who represent the country in the AFC Cup on the continental level tomorrow. Representing India are National League champions East Bengal Club and Federation Cup champions (Indian version of the FA Cup) Mahindra United. Here a preview on what lies ahead tomorrow.
Group B - Nehru Stadium, Margao; Goa: Mahindra United - Al Wahda (SYRIA):
Both Mumbai's Mahindra United and opponents Al Wahda from Damuscus go into their group B match tomorrow with no real knowledge on their opponents. Mahindra United started into the AFC Cup with a home win against the third team of the group, Dhofar FC from Oman, while Al Wahda had drawn against Dhofar FC. Mahindra United will go out to try to win the match to enhance their chance to reach the knockout stage of the AFC Cup. Mahindra will be missing international keeper Naseem Akhtar due to injury, while reliable Nigerian defender Odartey Lawson is out with a red card suspension. Kalyan Chaubey will be doing duty under the bar, though Kalyan is said to have a foot injury but is fit enough to play. The defence is likely to made-up by Arun Malhotra, Covan Lawerence, Jinto Jose and Peter Siddique; while for the midfield coach David Booth can choose between captain Khalid Jamil, internationals Shanmugam Venkatesh and James Singh, former international Jules Alberto or youngster Steven Dias. The Jeepmen attack of two strikers will be between Ghanian Felix Aboagye, Togo's Raphael Patron Akakpo or international Abhishek Yadav.
Al Wadha, who arrived in Goa on Sunday, are coached by Serb Nenad Stavric and they would also go out to collect three points.
Group E - Male: Island FC (MALDIVES) - East Bengal Club:
Like in the match above, East Bengal Club travel to Male to the unknown. East Bengal reached Male on Monday, after having left Calcutta on Sunday for Male via Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram but about Island FC the club management doesn't know much. The built-up hasn't been perfect for the Indian champions. Most of the East Bengal first XI played last week in INDIA's defeat to Oman, with some players returning injured, bruised or tired plus the psychological blow of such a haevy defeat. Further the team will miss Brazilian striker Cristiano Junior due to a yellow card suspension, Malswam Tulunga was at the SAF Games with the INDIA U20 team plus injuries to Deepak Mondal and Subhas Chakraborty. But Island FC aren't a calibre of Asian level having been trashed in their first two AFC Cup matches by Negri Sembilan and Geylang United, teams which East Bengal had beaten. But only last week Maldives football made worldwide news, when the national team drew World Cup semifinalists South Korea goalless in a World Cup qualifier. Another worrying factor is the heat and humidity at Male. So East Bengal need to be watchful.

Note-3: Keltron FC have won the 2004 Thiruvananthapuram District 'A' Division Football League Title. Keltron FC got 16 points from six matches in the seven team league. Thiruvananthapuram's top team State Bank of Travancore didn't take part as they are preparing for the 2.Division National League 2003/04.

5. April
9.SAF Games Football Tournament - Final - Islamabad: INDIA U20 0-1 Pakistan - Goal: 0-1 Abdul Aziz (30').
The INDIA U20 team lost by a lone goal against hosts Pakistan in the final of the 9th SAF Games football tournament and had to settle for the silver medal.
In the end the difference was a goal for Pakistan which came of a defensive blunder. In the 30.minute Muhammad Essa lobbed the ball into the penalty area and the only thing INDIA U20 defender Subhas Mondal had to do was to clear the ball but he thought otherwise and wanted to pass the ball to keeper Subashish Roy Chowdhury. Sadly for Subhas the pass was too weak, Abdul Aziz intercepted the ball and shot home past an onruching Subashish. Subhas had only come into the INDIA U20 team as dependable defender Habihur Rahman Mondal was out injured. Also missing was talented Malswama, who came in later, as he wasn't totally fit, while bruised captain Gouramangi and Jerry took the field from the beginning. And it showed today as the creativity was lacking in the team and when the boys got chances they misfired off target. Pakistan had more of the match in the first half, while INDIA had more of the ball in the second half but the strikers didn't create space, which they had in earlier matches.
INDIA U20: 1-Subashish Roy Chowdhury; 24-Subhas Mondal, 2-Gurpreet Singh, 15-Manju Nanjangud Shivananju (10-Malswama, 12-Vanlal Rova); 5-Debabrata Roy, 6-Gouramangi Moirangtem Singh, 17-Jerry Zirsanga, 23-Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep, 18-Shylo Malswam Tulunga; 14-Sunil Chetri, 7-Sutang Marlanki (11-Babin Biswas).
PAKISTAN U23: 1-Jaffar Khan, 8-Burhan Ali, 5-Muhammad Zahid, 6-Naveed Akram, 4-Ejaz Ahmed; 7-Zahid Hameed, 16-Attique ur Rehman, 14-Abdul Aziz, 3-Mehmood Khan; 11-Muhammad Essa, 18-Farooq Shah.

8th National League - Goa: Sporting Clube de Goa 4-1 Indian Bank - Goals: 1-0,3-1,4-1 Dudu MacPherlin Omagbemi (16',73',89'), 2-0 Abdullatif Seriki (48'), 2-1 Syed Shabir Pasha (57').
Sporting Clube de Goa scored a clear 4-1 victory against bottom of the league Indian Bank in a National League match at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. For Sporting Clube the win meant that they moved clear of the relegation zone and they might now look up to a top 3 finish, which is surely possible. For Indian Bank their 15th loss in 17 matches meant they are now relegated to the 2.Division NFL. Indian Bank have 16 points to a non-relegation spot but only five matches left with a maximum of 15 points on offer. A likely end to a terrible NFL campaign for south India's only representative from Chennai.
Sporting Clube controlled the match and opponent from the start. Nigerian striker Dudu MacPherlin Omagbemi was involved in three early chances for Sporting Clube which they wasted but he got onto the scorers sheet in the 16.minute after receiving a pass from fellow Nigerian striker Abdullatif Seriki. Ther