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1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group A | Round 2 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune: Pune FC 0-1 Vasco SC Goal: 0-1 Agnelo Colaco (45+') PUNE FC: 1-Narshiman Balaji; 3-Gift Rai Khan (19-Abhishek Yadav), 5-K Rahul, 7-James Effiong, 8-Silvester Inyang, 9-Emeka Ogbonna Hyginus, 10-Bungo Thokchom Singh, 14-E Mahendra Mani, 16-Rakesh Babu R, 20-Bounoufou Edoa, 24-Jeje Lalpekhlua. Unused Substitutes: 22-Amit Naharkar, 2-Mohammed Bin Hassan, 6-Aditya Chatterjee, 11-I Raman Singh, 21-Umesh Sharma, 23-Javed Akhtar Ansari VASCO: 1-Juje Siddi, 2-Luciano Sabrosa, 3-Caitan Costa, 4-Kamal Thapa, 7-Roberto Bressa da Silva (17-Agnelo D'Souza), 10-Agnelo Colaco (28-Lalnun Puia), 19-Alvito Rodrigues (6-Joy Ferrao), 23-Sujay Mondal, 24-Fulgenio Cardozo, 29-Jose Colaco, 30-Menino Fernandes. Unused Substitutes: 22-Laxmikant Kattimani, 11-Donald Rocha, 12-Libu Phillip, 14-Joel Sequeira YELLOW CARDS: ... REFEREE: G Thambiraj (Tamil Nadu). ASSISTANT REFEREES: BS Negi (Delhi) NJ Sundi (Jharkhand). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Minagshu Bhattacharya (West Bengal). Match Report: Goa's Vasco SC brightened their chance to qualify for the next round when they doubled their win with a solitary goal over Pune FC in the I-League Division 2 at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune. The home side, Pune FC, dished out listless football and paid the price. This win was incidentally Vasco's third in a row against Pune FC in this season and second at the same venue. In the first-half, the game drifting to a scoreless draw, Agnelo Colaco broke the deadlock. With the Goans earning a free-kick just outside the box on the right, medio Colaco who stepped up, did well to utilize the gap created by the Roberto Bressa in the Pune FC's human wall to give his team the lead in injury time. Bressa's movement was enough for Colaco to send his right-footer that beat the outstretched hands of keeper' Narshiman Balaji, who was caught on the wrong foot for not anticipating the strategy. Pune FC played in spurts and heavily depended on international Bungo Singh, who at times limped and constantly looked towards the bench to be substituted. The win took Vasco's tally to six points, while PFC have one loss and one with and sport three points.

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 2 | Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium, Kolhapur: Mumbai FC 1-0 New Delhi Heroes Goal: 1-0 Noel Anthony Wilson (85' pen) MUMBAI FC: 13-Kalyan Chaubey; 14-Anthony Michael Fernandes, 3-James Cobblah Dissiramah, 5-Selwyn Fernandes, 19-Sanjay Parte; 12-Alex Mario Ambrose (25-Papiah Jagadish Kumar), 24-Subhas Chakraborty, 8-Noel Anthony Wilson [C], 7-Sampath Kumar Kuttimani (21-Aseem K); 11-Michael George Osei, 10-Felix Aboagye (9-Abhishek Yadav). Unused Substitutes: 22-Amit Singha Roy, 2-Anas Edathodika, 16-L Romenjit Singh, 26-Nishant Mehra, NEW DELHI HEROES: 1-Rajat Guha; 30-Amjad Ali Khan, 24-Prashant Jaggi, 27-Stanley [C], 18-Vanlalmawia Ralte; 7-Bhuvan Krishna Joshi, 22-Nwaeke Harrison Nwabueze (86' 23-Praveen Rawat), 13-Amjad Hussain, 14-Gyan Moin Thapa; 4-Babathunde Oladele, 15-Harvinder Singh. Unused Substitutes: 12-Rashid Mehdi, 3-Shariyat Raza, 6-Pradeep D Chopdekar, 9-Joe Colaco, 21-Crispin Chetri, 28-Pradeep Gurung YELLOW CARDS: Subhas Chakraborty (Mumbai FC). RED CARD: Babathunde Oladele (New Delhi Heroes). REFEREE: Benjamin D'Silva (Goa). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Francisco Fernandes (Goa), Yaima Singh (Manipur). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Andrew Shekhar (Karnataka). MATCH COMMISSIONER: Inayatullah Khan (Karnataka). Match Report: Mumbai FC registered their second successive victory in the I-League Division 2 Group A at the Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium, Kolhapur. The decider came late of a penalty by captain Noel Anthony Wilson to beat New Delhi Heroes, Delhi. The match was an interesting one. Both teams had performed in their last matches hence the spectators gathered today in thousands at the Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium. But the league also saw the first red card shown to Babathunde Oladele of the New Delhi Heroes. In the first half, Mumbai FC was the more attacking of the two sides. Their Ghanians Michael Osei and Felix Aboagye were marked well by the ND Heroes. Therefore midfielder Subhas Charaborty took two/three attempts but the due wrong direction of kicking the ball it missed the target. Another player who tried his luck was Mumbai FC captain Noel Wilson but also his two shots didn't get the desired result. The ND Heroes also had their attempts, but nothing to worry former India keeper Kalyan Chaubey. In the second half, Mumbai FC's Sampath Kumar Kuttimani attempted three shots amongst which one was a very simple opportunity to score but he missed. Referee Benjamin D'Silva gave Mumbai FC a penalty when Nwaeke Harrison Nwabueze tackled Kuttimani in the box. Mumbai FC captain Noel Anthony Wilson walked upto the spot and scored past Rajat Guha in the ND Heroes goal in the 85th minute. The defeat shocked the ND Heroes coach Chima Okorie so badly that he argued with the match referee Benjamin D'Silva after the match and suddenly start crying on the field. This surprised not only the ND Heroes players but also the fans and others at the ground.

27th Shirui Lily Cup, Imphal - Final: TRUGPU, Nambol 2-2,3-2 YSWA, Utlou [penalties]

::: Baichung refuses to join Olympic torch relay :::
IANS report: To express solidarity with the Tibetan struggle for freedom, India football captain Baichung Bhutia has declined to be a part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch relay in India.
"I got an invitation from the Indian Olympic Association a couple of weeks ago to join the Olympic torch relay, but I turned it down as I want to express my solidarity with the Tibetans' struggle," Baichung, a Buddhist, told IANS Monday.
The torch, which reached Beijing Monday, is scheduled to arrive in India April 17, and the Tibetans have threatened a protest march that day.

::: Mohun Bagan's Shilton Pal abused :::
PTI report: Mohun Bagan player Shilton Pal was allegedly abused and harassed for not paying bribe to some employees of the district magistrate’s office here on Monday. According to a complaint filed by Pal, Prabhat Kumar Mishra, the footballer had gone to inquire about his voter identity card. When the employees sought money from him stating that he had no birth certificate, Pal refused to pay leading to hurling of abuses by a section of the office staff.

::: Youth FC, Rurka Kalan informs people through an online video :::
Youth FC, Rurka Kalan of Punjab, a football club and community organization has added a 22 minute video on their website www.yfcrurkakalan.org . The video can be found under the link YFC Documentary on their website. Highlights of the video include interview with the key founders and some coverage of the facilities provided to the youngsters at the residential football academy.

March 30

RESULTS & NEWS

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group A | Round 2 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC 2-3 Chirag United SC Goals: 1-0 Xavier Vijayakumar (9'), 1-1 Lalmalswama Hmar (11'), 2-1 Martin Frederick Okwagbe (20'), 2-2 Theodore Sunday Wrobeh (27'), 2-3 Gouranga Biswas (90+2') HAL: ... Unused Substitutes: ... CHIRAG UTD: ... Unused Substitutes: ... YELLOW CARDS: Alesha Shamaki (13', HAL); R Dhanarajan (6', Chirag Utd). REFEREE: Mohammed Kamil (Delhi). ASSISTANT REFEREES: ... FOURTH OFFICIAL: ... Match Report: Calcutta's Chirag United SC scored an injury time winner to beat Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC from Bangalore 3-2 in a thrilling I-League Division 2 encounter at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune. With today's win Chirag United for the moment moved to the top of the standings with now four points from two matches, while HAL's chances to make it to the final round are minimal with two losses so far. Four goals were scored in the first-half and the winning goal was converted from a half-chance. HAL were the first to go one-up when their skipper Xavier Vijayakumar (9th minute, 1-0) curled in a free-kick. Chirag timely responded by an equaliser from Lalmalsawma Hmar, (11th minute, 1-1) who deceived the 'keeper with a curling finish from 25-yards. Nine minutes later, again HAL took the lead through Martin Frederick Okwagbe's sneaky finish. A free-kick on the right taken by J Muralidharan failed to gain flight, instead awkwardly bounced before keeper Arindam Ghosh causing to fumble in clearance, and finally allowing Fredrick's (20th minute, 2-1) long reach to slot home. If Chirag's keeper was partially responsible to allow HAL to bask in glory, it was Bimal Minz who goofed-up when controlling a cross sent by Chirag's Dulal Biswas from the right. With the ball bouncing off his body, it was Theodore Sunday Wrobeh, (27th minute, 2-2) who in a flash placed the ball to the goal. It was the experience of Sasthi Duley, who came on as a substitute for Gouranga Dutta that paved the way for Gouranga Biswas to nod home from point blank range. Duley's cross from the right saw 'keeper Gumpe Rime caught in two-minds allowing Biswas, (90+2 minute, 3-2) who lurked behind Rime to take advantage of this split-second opportunity the 'keeper provided.

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 2 | Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium, Kolhapur: Amity United FC 1-1 Oil India Limited Goals: 1-0 Jatinder Singh (4'), 1-1 Francis Chibueze Maduako (78') AMITY UTD: 1-Chinmoy Banerjee; 2-Rotdingson Sangma, 11-Praveen Arora [C], 18-Jatinder Singh, 19-Odogwu Henry Nonso, 20-Monday, 22-Danny Lalduhawna, 24-Deepak Kumar Singh, 25-R Amla Francis Nova, 26-Sandip Malik, 28-Malsawm-Dawngliana Unused Substitutes: 21-Pradeep Kumar, 6-S Sudhakar, 7-Sandip Chakraborty, 12-Stanley Ikwuagwu, 17-Sanjeev, 27-D Samuel Dhnakaran OIL INDIA LIMITED: 21-Jitu Chetry [C]; 5-Ratui Sonowal, 19-Biplab Sonowal, 12-Raju Konwar, 16-Jayanta Basumatary, 7-Marlanki Suting, 25-Felix Abayomi, 10-Durga Boro, 8-HL Routa, 9-Francis Chibueze Maduako, 24-Aaron Cole. Unused Substitutes: 1-Durlov Gogoi, 4-Manoj Gogoi, 11-Mintu Boro, 13-Dhananjay Boro, 15-F Wary, 17-Khirod Das, 23-Mithun Basumatary YELLOW CARDS: Monday (70', Amity Utd); Minto Boro (71'), Felix Abayomi (86', both Oil India Ltd). REFEREE: A Rowan (Services). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Om Prakash Thakur (Jharkhand), Amjad Khan (Maharashtra). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Debratan Meetel (Manipur). MATCH COMMISSIONER: Inayatullah Khan (Karnataka). Match Report: Assam's Oil India Limited held Amity United FC, Haryana to a one-all draw. Amity United's Jatinder Singh scored the first goal of the match whereas Francis Chibueze Maduako of Oil India Limited scored the equaliser in the second half. From Amity United Sandip Malik missed an early simple opportunity. But he made amends in the 4th minute as in an interesting move Sandip gave a pass to Danny Lalduhawna, while Danny in turn played it on to Jatinder Singh who gave his team the lead. But Oil India Limited fought on to stay in the match and they were ably led by their foreign recruits Francis Chibueze Maduako and Aaron Cole, who played with a fighting spirit. They tried to scored many times but failed. Finally, Francis Chibueze Maduako scored the equalizer by beating four Amity United defenders.

March 29

RESULTS & NEWS

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 2 | Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium, Kolhapur: Mohammedan Sporting Club 0-2 Indian Bank Goals: 0-1 A Suman Raj (9'), 0-2 S Santha Kumar (88') MOHAMMEDAN SPORTING: 1-Naseem Akhtar; 6-Sheikh Azim, 3-Satish Kumar Bharti, 21-Seby Martins, 5-Mir Farooq Hyder, 19-Kalia Kulothungan, 12-Prasanta Chakraborty, 7-Roque Barreto, 27-A Jyothi Kumar, 9-Subair Muritala Ali, 10-Mike Okoro [C]. Unused Substitutes: 22-Tharngachan, 4-Subhas Mondal, 23-Rajib Ghosh, 14-Basudeb Mondal, 16-Mohammad Muneer KP, 18-Mohammed Mukhtar, 11-K Shyju INDIAN BANK: 1-S Felix Edward [C]; 3-T Karthikeyan, 29-Joseph Anandavasan, 12-Nanao Yomnam, 6-A Suman Raj, 28-Sayantan Das Roy, 4-Chanchal Saha, 9-S Santha Kumar, 5-M Subash Singh, 18-M Ramesh, 27-S Parthiban. Unused Substitutes: 21-A Vimal Raj, 22-S Sathish Kumar, 23-DC Joseph Anthony Noel, 8-Vokozo Zhotso, 17-Thingnam Roshan Singh, 24-M Karthikeyan, 11-Lalchhan Chhauaha YELLOW CARDS: ... REFEREE: Benjamin D'Silva (Goa). ASSISTANT REFEREES: A Rowan (Services), Andrew Shekhar (Karnataka). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Yaima Singh (Manipur). MATCH COMMISSIONER: Inayatullah Khan (Karnataka). Match Report: In somewhat of a surprise Indian Bank, Chennai defeated Mohammedan Sporting Club 2-0 in the I-League Division 2 at the Chhatrapati Sahu Stadium, Kolhapur. Indian Bank's A Suman Raj scored the first goal in the 9th minute of the game whereas S Santha Kumar scored the second goal after the break. Mohammedan Sporting played well but failed to convert their opportunities. The ball possession was 70% with Mohammedan but still they couldn't make this ball control count. On the other side, Indian Bank's defence cleared all the attacks from Mohammedan Sporting and were superb in their counter attacks. Both the goals came from counter attacks. Midfielder S Santha Kumar of Indian bank given a fine cross ball from left winger position to A Suman Raj on which he scored the first goal. From Mohammedan Sporting Sheikh Azim tried to score with a fine shot in the 10th minute but failed. In the second half, Mohammedan's Subair Muritala Ali and Mike Okoro made several attempts but failed to score, while Indian Bank doubled the lead through S Santha Kumar. Finally, Indian Bank won the match by 2-0 and earned three valuable points in the fight to the into the final round.

::: AFC team to access India's eligibility for the AFC Professional League :::
The AFC Professional League's Ad-Hoc Committee will have one final meeting with each of the 15 proposed participating member associations, beginning their whistle-stop tour in Thailand tomorrow and ending on April 29 in Australia.
The two members of AFC Professional League Ad-Hoc Committee will visit India the second time on April 7 to assess whether India can send a club for the revamped AFC Champions League beginning 2009. The first visit across India had taken place in November 2007 with the Ad-Hoc Committee deputy chairman Tokuaki Suzuki and chief officer Satoshi Saito touring the country. The duo will now visit New Delhi again and discuss matters with AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and General Secretary Alberto Colaco besides once more scrutiny to see if India meets the entry criteria. If yes, then Indian club football will have to face the best in Asia.

::: 7th Convocation ceremony of Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur :::
The 7th Convocation Ceremony of the Tata Football Academy was organised yesterday where 17 Cadets graduated out after four years of specialised training. The chief guest for the occasion was Bandhu Tirkey, Human Resource&Development, Ministry of Art, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Jharkhand Minister who gave away Certificates of Achievement to the passing out group. Also present on the occasion was Partha Sengupta, Vice-President (Corporate Services), Tata Steel; Sanjay Choudhry, Corporate Communications Chief, Tata Steel; Satish Pillai, Corporate Sustainability Services Chief, Tata Steel and Sanjeev Singh, Sports and Tata Football Academy Chief, Tata Steel.
Tata Football Academy, through its specialised training and coaching has given 96 football players to the Indian football team. It is an achievement that even this year, twelve out of eighteen players in the India U19 team are TFA cadets. This speaks volume of TFA contribution to the sports fraternity. Last year they played 33 matches (including exhibition markets) and won 24, lost 6 and drew 3.
All 17 Cadets have been able to get lucrative contracts with top clubs. While eight have signed for Mohun Bagan AC, five signed for their city rivals East Bengal Club and two each signed for Churchill Brothers SC and Salgaocar SC.
Tata Football Academy - Batch 7: Chiradeep Chattopadhyay, Rino Anto, Rakesh Masih, Karan Atwal, Henry Gangte, Lalramlula, S Naveen Kumar, Branco Vincent Cardozo (all Mohun Bagan AC); Avijit Ghosh, Gautam Kujur, Jeevan Singh, Mumtaj Akhtar, Malswamkiema (all East Bengal Club), T Bineesh, S Muralidharan (both Churchill Brothers SC); Hiralal Chetri, Sushil Kisku (both Salgaocar SC).

March 28

RESULTS & NEWS

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group A | Round 1 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune: State Bank of Travancore 0-1 Vasco SC Goal: 0-1 Jefferson Rocha (73') SBT: 1-PV Harshal Rehman, 6-Kabir AB, 7-Rinil CJ, 8-TV Mohammad Harris, 11-Martyn John, 14-Jeribe Kelechi (85' 24-Faizal Rehman), 15-KM Abdul Naushad, 16-Alex Emeke Okoro, 17-MA Abdul Hakkim, 18-Dennis Mark Afam (87' 19-T Asif Saheer), 20-D Sajin Unused Substitutes: 30-Jean Christian, 4-Surjit VV, 5-Abhilash John, 26-Paul Anthony VASCO: 1-Juje Siddi, 2-Luciano Sabrosa, 3-Caitan Costa, 4-Kamal Thapa, 7-Roberto Bressa da Silva, 9-Jefferson Rocha (85' 30-Menino Fernandes), 10-Agnelo Colaco (90'+4' 28-Lalnun Puia), 11-Donald Rocha, 19-Alvito Rodrigues (57' 6-Joy Ferrao), 24-Fulgenio Cardozo, 29-Jose Colaco Unused Substitutes: 22-Laxmikant Kattimani, 12-Libu Phillip, 17-Agnelo D'Souza, 23-Sujay Mondal YELLOW CARDS: Luciano Sabrosa (90'+3', Vasco). REFEREE: BS Negi (Delhi). ASSISTANT REFEREES: NJ Shundi, S Shujauddin. FOURTH OFFICIAL: G Thambiraj (Tamil Nadu). Match Report: ...

::: Bharti-AIFF football academy runs into rough weather :::
IANS report: The state-of-the-art Bharti-All India Football Federation Academy, which was to be commissioned at Cuncolim in Goa by Monday, has run into rough weather with politicians jumping into the fray even as the local residents seek their pound of flesh. The intense rivalry between the Goa government's coalition partners has not helped matters either in seeing the prestigious Rs.1 billion academy going on stream as scheduled.
The ego clash between the housing minister Mickey Pacheco of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a coalition partner in the Goa government, and Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao, who is also the local legislator, has complicated matters. Incidentally, both the ministers have great interest in football and invested in Goan clubs.
Pacheco told IANS that the land still belongs to his ministry and in no way would he allow the academy to be built on it.
"The land belongs to the housing board and in no way I am going to give it to anyone. Let them go and have the academy somewhere else," Pacheco says.
It looked as if everything was in order when the AIFF announced earlier in the month that the Goa cabinet had allotted approximately 126,000 sq metres of land at Panzarcorne in Cuncolim, 20 km from Margao, and that work would start soon.
The allotted land belongs to State Urban Development Authority (SUDA), which is under the ministry of urban development headed by Alemao (Congress), who is also the president of Goa Football Association.
The problems started with Cuncolim residents objecting to the academy coming up in the area as they felt that there was no need for it. They also resented the entire land being allotted to the academy besides insisting on a 25 percent reservation for the local people in the jobs generated by it.
Sensing trouble, Alemao called a public meeting in Cuncolim. AIFF officials and Bharti representatives also attended it. The residents were assured that AIFF and its sponsors would take their approval for the project plan.
In the run-up to the June 2007 assembly polls, Alemao promised his Cuncolim constituents that professional technical colleges, a cultural bhavan and a swimming pool would come up on the sprawling SUDA land. After retaining his seat, he has retracted from his stand. He is now pitching for the academy.
It is also being whispered that the contentious land has been bought by SUDA from the housing board for Rs.50 million, but the transfer documents have not yet been handed over though the deal had been inked a year ago.
Ignoring all glitches, the Goa cabinet cleared the academy project at the insistence of Alemao. The GFA president, however, said that there was no problem over the land and they were examining how much job opportunities the project can create for the locals.
"There is no doubt that the academy will come up here. It is the decision of the Goa cabinet and no individual can change it," said Alemao.
Asked to comment on the claims by Pacheco, a miffed Alemao refused to answer any further question.
No senior AIFF official is even willing to concede that there are hiccups and. Its president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi announced in Calcutta this week that the proposed academy was well on its way and a formal announcement would be made in a day or two. The AIFF president said he would talk on the subject on his return to New Delhi, but secretary-general Alberto Colaco says there is no problem with the academy.
"You think there is some problem with the academy? I think there is no problem with it at all," he said.
The Bharti's, who were to make a power-point presentation to the stakeholders of the Goa academy, are waiting to hear from the AIFF - and from Goa.

March 27

RESULTS & NEWS

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group A | Round 1 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune: ONGC, Mumbai 0-0 Chirag United SC Goals: none ONGC: 30-Bilifang Narzary; 4-Krishna Shirodkar, 5-Nwoko Chinedu John, 9-Chukwekere N Henry (19-Dhanesh MC), 10-Nooruddin Saleh Olawale, 12-Gulidom Rongmoi (18-F Lalmunpuia), 14-Kaushik Bose, 22-Amandeep Singh, 23-Kabijit Khotel, 25-Jatin Singh Bisht [C], 28-A Naresh. Unused Substitutes: 1-Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, 6-Debkumar Sashmal, 7-Rakshak Naik, 11-Sanjeeva Rongpi, 16-Gour Naskar CHIRAG UTD: 1-Arindam Ghosh; 2-Louis Nigi Ebami, 4-Kingshuk Debnath, 5-R Dhanarajan, 6-Ejike Chika Chime, 7-Denson Devadas, 11-Lallawanzuala (25-Shankar Oraon), 15-Dulal Biswas, 17-Gouranga Biswas, 24-Theodore Sunday Wrobeh [C], 27-Lalmalswama. Unused Substitutes: 12-Subhas Singha Roy, 14-Shibram Dey, 16-Arnab Mondal, 20-Barun Oraon, 22-Muzaffar Rehman, 29-Achinta Saha YELLOW CARDS: CN Henry, Gulidom Rongmoi (both ONGC). REFEREE: Pratap Singh (Services). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Mohammed Kamil (Delhi), SK Gupta. FOURTH OFFICIAL: S Sajeesh Kumar. Match Report: Calcutta's Chirag United SC dominated most of the proceedings but failed to score goal against ONGC, Mumbai in their first match of their I-League Division 2 campaign at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune. In the first half, attacking from left to right and playing with the wind, Chirag United made some serious moves that tested ONGC's defence. Theodore Sunday Wrobeh's goalmouth attempt in the 25th minute which went wide and a swerving left-footer in the 35th minute saved by the ONGC custodian was the highlight of the first half. In the last five minute, ONGC was truly at the receiving end, when Chirag United forced two freekicks and a corner, however, they failed to convert the set-pieces. In the second half, Chirag added more sharpness in their attack by introducing talented Shankar Oraon. As a cohesive unit, Chirag United made many smart attacks but failed to convert any of them, and in the 75th minute Ejike missed an open net. The last four minutes of the injury time definitely belonged to ONGC, when they scared Chirag United with Jatin Singh Bisht's dangerously curling corner which beat custodian Arindam Ghosh, however, an alert Kinshuk Debnath proved saviour by clearing on the line. Chirag United's coach, Anjan Nath said that the open sitters missed by his wards deprived them off a win. ONGC's coach Irinio Vaz, commented that the ground conditions took them some time to settle down, he is concerned about the teams weak defence, but promised a better performance in the next match.

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 1 | Police ground, Kolhapur: New Delhi Heroes 2-2 Oil India Limited Goals: 1-0 Amjad Hussain (5'), 2-0 Babathunde (8'), 2-1,2-2 Aaron Cole (36',48') ND HEROES: ... Unused Substitutes: ... OIL INDIA LTD: ... Unused Substitutes: ... YELLOW CARDS: ... REFEREE: ... ASSISTANT REFEREES: ... FOURTH OFFICIAL: ... Match Report: In a clash of two I-League Division 2 newcomers the formidable New Delhi Heroes were held to a two-all draw by Oil India Limited, Duliajan in Kolhapur. The Delhi side took an early two goal lead, but still couldn't win the match as the side from Assam fought back galantly. In the 5th minute itself, Amjad Hussain of New Delhi Heroes scored the first goal by heading the ball in off a cross from Vanlalmawia Ralte. Only three minutes later Amjad Hussain gave a beautiful pass to Nigerian Babathunde who made no mistake to double the lead for the ND Heroes. After this opening burst people were thinking that now the New Delhi Heroes would win the match by a higher margin but when Oil India Limited's first substitute Arian Cole entered on the field the match came into an interesting mode as Cole reduced the margin. At the end of the first half the New Delhi Heroes were leading 2-1. In the second half Oil India Limited continued to play with the fighting spirit and created several moves. The ND Heroes too were trying to score again and increase their lead but they failed. Striker Gyan Moin Thapa missed simple opportunities to score. Finally Oil India got another opportunity to equalise the game through a penalty. And it was again Liberian Aaron Cole who got the goal for the Duliajan side to earn a point against their more fancied rivals.

March 26

RESULTS & NEWS

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group A | Round 1 | Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Complex ground, Pune: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC 1-2 Pune FC Goals: 0-1 Alesha Shameki (3', own Goal), 0-2 Bungo Thokchom Singh (13'), 1-2 Martin Frederick Okwagbe (34') HAL: 1-Gumpe Rime; 2-Sumit Thapa, 4-R Sreekanth, 7-Thiyam Raghuveer Singh, 8-Xavier Vijayakumar [C], 9-Dada Nabeel, 14-Rajendra Prasad, 23-Martin Frederick Okwagbe, 25-Alesha Shameki, 26-Femi Joseph Adeola, 27-J Muralidharan. Unused Substitutes: ... PUNE FC: 1-Narshiman Balaji; 3-Gift Rai Khan, 5-K Rahul, 8-Silvester Inyang, 9-Emeka Ogbonna Hyginus, 10-Bungo Thokchom Singh, 13-F Lal Rozama, 14-E Mahendra Mani, 16-Rakesh Babu R, 20-Bounoufou Edoa, 24-Jeje Lalpekhlua. Unused Substitutes: ... YELLOW CARDS: Srikanth (84', HAL); Narshiman Balaji (16'), James Effiong (76', both PFC). REFEREE: Minagshu Bhattacharya (West Bengal). ASSISTANT REFEREES: ... FOURTH OFFICIAL: ... Match Report: Newcomers Pune FC started their I-League Division 2 campaign on a winning note with a 2-1 victory against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC. Pune FC survived few scary moments in the second half from HAL, but at the end of the day bagged the valuable 3 points by beating HAL 2-1. In its usual fashion, Pune FC pressurized the defense of their opponents right from the beginning and meant business. The first goal for Pune FC came in the 3rd minute due to a defensive lapse from HAL's Alesha Shameki, later national star Bungo Singh scored the second goal from an excellent cross in 13th minute. Pune FC dominated the first 30 minutes of the game with excellent ball possession, however, later in the first half they ran out of steam and gave HAL a chance to come back in the game, Martin Frederick Okwagbe reduced the margin in the 34th minute. In the second half, the first 20 minutes were dominated by HAL, where they failed to score the equalizer from numerous chances. Later Pune FC came back into the game, but failed to increase the margin. Earlier, the "ONGC" I-League Division 2, phase I (Pune) was inaugurated by the Mayor of Pune, Rajlaxmi Bhosale at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Educational Campus ground, Katraj. Speaking to the IndianFootball.Com, Pune FC coach Bernard McNally said, "Folks turned naive at times and that almost slipped the match from our grip. Few lads lack experience at this stage, but again there is a steep learning curve for them, and should give them the needed confidence. However, I am glad that we started in a winning note and that would boost our confidence when we meet Vasco, in the next game." Vasco has proved a thorn in the flesh for Pune FC as Vasco defeated Pune FC in their last two encounters.

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 1 | Police ground, Kolhapur: Mumbai FC 3-0 Indian Bank Goals: 1-0 Felix Aboagye (36'), 2-0 Sampath Kumar Kuttimani (46'), 3-0 Papiah Jagadish Kumar (51') MUMBAI FC: 13-Kalyan Chaubey; ?, ?, ?, 19-Sanjay Parte; 26-Nishant Mehra (12-Alex Mario Ambrose), 8-Noel Anthony Wilson, ?, 7-Sampath Kumar Kuttimani (25-Papiah Jagadish Kumar); 11-Michael George Osei, 10-Felix Aboagye (9-Abhishek Yadav). Unused Substitutes: 22-Amit Singha Roy, ... INDIAN BANK: 1-S Felix Edward [C]; ?, 29-Joseph Anandavasan, ?, 24-T Karthikeyan (23-Joseph Anthony Noel); ?, 28-Sayantan Das Roy, S Santha Kumar, M Subash Singh; ?, 27-S Parthiban. Unused Substitutes: ... YELLOW CARDS: Sampath Kumar Kuttimani (37'), Noel Anthony Wilson (68', both MFC); Sayantan Das Roy (20'), M Karthikeyan (68'), Joseph Anandavasan (76', all Indian Bank). REFEREE: R Rowan (Services). ASSISTANT REFEREES: ... FOURTH OFFICIAL: ... Match Report: On the second day of ONGC I-League Division 2 Preliminary Group B Mumbai FC registered their first victory very gracefully by defeating Indian Bank, Chennai by 3-0. Mumbai FC's Michael Osei, Felix Aboagye, Noel Wilson and Papiah Jagadish Kumar combined well to play a superb game. Due to continuous rainfall in Kolhapur today also the match took place at the Police ground. From the beginning Mumbai FC took went into the attack. In the very first minute, Mumbai FC's Subhas Chakraborty crossed the ball of which Nishant Mehra tried to score by a header but missed. Noel Wilson got an opportunity through a freekick, but it was saved by Indian Bank goalkeeper Felix Edward. Mumbai FC took the lead when their Ghanaian import Michael Osei crossed the ball fantastically and Felix Aboagye kicked the ball by sliding on it. Thereafter Indian Bank's Subash Singh attempted a fine shot by beating three rival players but it was in vain. In the second half, Mumbai FC's Sampath Kumar Kuttimani missed a very simple opportunity to score, but immediately he got a second chance when Felix gave him fabulous pass. This time Kuttimani scored the second goal of the match. But after his goal he got substituted by Papiah Jagadish Kumar who netted the third goal of the match when Michael Osei send a through pass to him. In the last few minutes India striker Abhishek Yadav entered the field but failed to score or show his specility to the spectators.

::: INDIA U19 invited to the Champions Youth Cup 2008 in Malaysia :::
As the AIFF informed the media today the INDIA U19 national team has been invited to participate in the prestigious Champions Youth Cup 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to be played between August 2 to 17. And the AIFF has accepted the invitation to one of the best youth football tournaments with the top clubs from around the world and some Asian national teams taking part.
The participation has been made possible by the Asian Football Confederation with the AFC president Mohammed bin Hamman strongly supporting India's participation. He made it possible for AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi und General Secretary Alberto Colaco to meet the tournament promoters Gifted Group chairman Jonathan Rice at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur. Also an idea was discussed to maybe organise a similar U16 tournament in India in the future.
Confirmed participants in the tournament would be Manchester United FC (England), Chelsea FC (England), AC Milan (Italy), Juventus Turino FC (Italy), FC Barcelona (Spain), FC Bayern Munich (Germany), Ajax Amsterdam FC (Netherlands), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), FC Porto (Portugal), Olympique Lyonnais (France), CR Flamengo Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), CA River Plate Buenos Aires (Argentina), Malaysia U19, Qatar U19, India U19. Currently it looks likely that Japan's U19 would be the 16th team.
The training camp for the India U19 team will start from the 1st week of June 2008.

I-League Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

1st "ONGC" I-League Division 2 - Group B | Round 1 | Police ground, Kolhapur: Mohammedan Sporting Club 2-0 Amity United FC Goals: 1-0 Roque Barreto (11'), 2-0 Mohammed Muneer KP (79') MOHAMMEDAN SPORTING: ... Unused Substitutes: ... AMITY UNITED: ... Unused Substitutes: ... "ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Roque Barreto (Md Sporting). YELLOW CARDS: A Jyothi Kumar, Seby Martins (Md Sporting); Monday, Stanley Ikwuagwu (both Amity Utd). REFEREE: Benjamin D'Silva (Goa). ASSISTANT REFEREES: ... FOURTH OFFICIAL: ... Match Report: Calcutta giants Mohammedan Sporting Club made a perfect start to their I-League Division 2 campaign with a 2-0 victory against newcomers Amity United FC at the Shahu Maharaj Stadium in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. For Sporting it was the perfect start into their I-League Division 2 campaign. But due to heavy rain fall for the last 2-3 days in Kolhapur, the venue Chh. Shahu Maharaj Stadium had to be replaced by the Police Ground. Due to this a majority of spectators missed the opening match. There were only 3000 spectators present for the match. The match got of to a quick start with Mohammedan Sporting's experienced players taking control. Their moves were very noteworthy with Nigerians Subair Muritala Ali and Mike Okoro taking several attempted on goal. Finally seasoned Roque Barreto scored a fantastic goal in the 11th minute. The Amity United goalkeeper Chinmoy Banerjee failed to save the goal. In the second half Mohammedan Sporting continued to control as newcomers Amity United played slightly under pressure. There were very few times they attempted at scoring and their half-line players were playing too easy. On the other side, Mohammedan Sporting's boys were trying to score more and more. Finally Sporting's Mohammed Muneer KP scored the second goal from zero angle in the 79th minute.

::: Hyderabad approved for AFC Challenge Cup finals :::
The Asian Football Confederation has approved Hyderabad's Gachibowli Stadium as the main venue for the AFC Challenge Cup 2008, which is scheduled to be held from July 30 to August 10. The Lal Bahadur Stadium will be the second ground, while training grounds are also available in the Andhra Pradesh capital.
Hyderabad has been chosen over the capital New Delhi which does not have the necessary facilities to host such a tournament, but Delhi could be a candidate for the 2010 edition of the tournament with the then available 2010 Commonwealth Games infrastructure. The AFC Challenge Cup 2010 will again be held in India
The selection of Hyderabad is against the wishes Indian national coach Bob Houghton, who had favoured Delhi due to the support Team India received at the Nehru Cup.
The decision of Hyderabad as the host city was ratified at the AFC Challenge Cup Organising Committee meeting at AFC House yesterday and follows a comprehensive inspection visit to Hyderabad by AFC officials.

::: Mahindra United officially refute Alvito interest and transfer allegations :::
Mahindra United officials became aware of certain reports in the online media quoting East Bengal midfielder Alvito D'Cunha that he has been approched by the Mumbai club. The report also alleges that Mahindra United are indulging in a wrongful practise of approaching players who are already contracted to certain clubs. In response to this, the club officials felt it appropriate to send out a message to the general public and football community at large, so as to prevent any misconceptions as to their practices and intentions.
Mahindra United team Secretary, R Natarajan, says for the record, "Regarding the news item on Mahindra United's interest in Alvito, I would like to categorically deny any approach on our part. Furthermore, as alleged in the report, we do not indulge in approaching players who are under contract for the long-term with other clubs, and expect the same in return. We as a club follow the idealogy set by the President, Mr. Alan Durante, and will never stoop to this level. We would like the public to be aware of our committed stance on such an issue. Once again, we feel that such an erraneous report's publication is baseless and unwarranted, and is only being used to serve the vested interests of certain people."

::: New Delhi Heroes aim to bring the I-League to the capital :::
The New Delhi Heroes have had a good season so far winning the Delhi Senior Division title and giving good account of themselves in tournaments across India. Now the Osian's owned club wants to bring the I-League to the capital where Premier Division football has so far never had a home. A tough task for the Chime Okorie coached team, but surely not impossible.
New Delhi Heroes: Goalkeepers: 1-Rajat Guha, 12-Rashid Mehdi; Defenders: 3-Shariyat Raza, 16-Anuj Kumar, 24-Prashant Jaggi, 25-Inderjeet Sharma, 27-Stanley; Midfielders: 6-Pradeep D Chopdekar, 7-Bhuvan Krishna Joshi, 13-Amjad Hussain, 18-Vanlalmawia Ralte, 21-Crispin Chetri, 22-Nwaeke Harrison Nwabueze, 23-Praveen Rawat, 28-Pradeep Gurung, 30-Amjad Ali Khan; Forwards: 4-Babathunde, 9-Joe Colaco, 14-Gyan Moin Thapa, 15-Harvinder Singh, 17-Amit Ganguly.
Coach: Chima Okorie; Assistant Coach: Bhupinder Rawat; Goalkeeping Coach: Martin.

::: Emeka Ezeugo next Churchill Brothers coach? :::
Nigerian Emeka Ezeugo is said to be the hot candidate to succeed Karim Bencharifa as coach of Churchill Brothers SC. The former World Cup, who has played for East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting, had played in Europe and North America thereafter.
Currently Emeka is coaching at the US College level and is said to be coming to Goa next month to see if the deal materialises.

March 24

RESULTS & NEWS

::: Exclusive IndianFootball.Com interview: Vikash Dhorasoo (former French international) :::
IndianFootball.Com's Editor-in-Chief Arunava Chaudhuri had the chance to interview former French international Vikash Dhorasoo with the help of French journalist Pierre Koetschet. Dhorasoo, one of the most prominent Players of Indian Origin", talks about his career, his time after football and his movie "Substitute".
Vikash Dhorasoo, a creative midfielder, became the second footballer of Indian origin to play in the FIFA World Cup. Born in Mauritius to Indian parents, Dhorasoo is one of several footballers of Indian origin who made their name in Europe.
Click here to read the complete >>Vikash Dhorasoo (former French international) interview

::: AIFF clears Bayern game, but won't release any Indian internationals :::
The AIFF finally today gave its clearance for the exhibition match between Mohun Bagan AC and German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich. But India captain Baichung Bhutia and any other Mohun Bagan teammate part of the Indian national team for the SAFF Cup will not be released for the high profile game. A major blow to Mohun Bagan who will have to now take the field with a weakened squad.
The AIFF had been caught offguard nearly two weeks ago when Bayern announced their May 27 match in Calcutta with Bengal Peerless being behind the game with the IFA (West Bengal) going to conduct the match. But today at a press meet in Calcutta the AIFF president cleared the air by giving the go ahead for the match.
"I spoke with match organisers (Bengal Peerless Managing Director) Kumar Shankar Bagchi. He conceded he did not know the regulations. He was also not aware of the national football calendar," Das Munshi said.
"But we do not want the match to be cancelled. Apart from the participation of such a famed outfit like Bayern, I hear it will also be the last professional match for German soccer legend Oliver Kahn. So, the match is on," he added.
"We've asked Bengal Peerless to reveal the contents of the contract to us, either directly or in public," Das Munshi said.
On rules regarding international matches the AIFF president informed that FIFA has a particular set of guidelines.
"First, the national association of the visiting team needs to be intimated. Second, financial terms and conditions have to be transparent. Third, it should be stated whether the match is being organised for charity purpose, social cause or for commercial benefits, and fourth, the national/state association of the home side too has to be intimated," Das Munshi said.

::: Mohammedan Sporting look to get back into the I-League :::
Calcutta giants Mohammedan Sporting Club have their task cut out in the I-League Division 2 to regain their Premier Division status. The young Shabbir Ali coached side now not only face regular opponents, but the new corporate clubs who pose a big challenge for a club over a century old.
Mohammedan Sporting's coach Shabbir Ali knows that there is pressure on him and his boys, but he clearly eye's the final round as the target from the group stage and then getting back into the Premier Division.
Shabbir added, "The team didn't do good in the beginning as most of the players were new in the local Calcutta league and our foreigners were coming and going, but after the league our performance got better in the All-India tournaments, and my plus point is the team spirit and good support from all qaurters, especially from the officials and our supporters.
Mohammedan Sporting: 1-Naseem Akhtar, 22-Tharngachan, 25-Sheikh Nasibul Haque; Defenders: 3-Satish Kumar Bharti, 4-Subhas Mondal, 5-Mir Farooq Hyder, 6-Sheikh Azim, 21-Seby Martins, 23-Rajib Ghosh, 30-V Prem Kumar; Midfielders: 7-Roque Barreto, 12-Prasanta Chakraborty, 14-Basudeb Mondal, 16-Mohammad Muneer KP, 18-Mohammed Mukhtar, 26-Adebayo Tokunbo Adewusi, 27-A Jyothi Kumar; Forwards: 9-Subair Muritala Ali, 10-Mike Okoro, 11-K Shyju, 19-Kalia Kulothungan. Coach: Shabbir Ali; Manager: Belal Ahmed; Physio: Dr. Dipti Kumar Ghosh.

::: SBT, Trivandrum have announced their squad :::
State Bank of Travancore have announced their 21 men squad for their "ONGC" I-League Division 2. The most noticeable absenties are the rock solid defender Abdul Basheer, who is ruled out for six weeks after a shoulder injury and striker AG Mohammad Aslam with a knee injury.
SBT: Goalkeepers: Harshal Rehman, Jean Christian, Sreeju; Defenders: Alex Emeke Okoro, Abhilash John, D Sajin, Paul Antony, Ajit Fermin, Surjit VV; Midfielders: KM Abdul Naushad, Renil CJ, Kabir AB, TV Mohammad Harris, P Rahul, Jeribe Kelechi, Faizal Rehman, Martyn John; Forwards: Dennis Mark Afam, MA Abdul Hakkim, T Asif Saheer, Sudheesh.

March 23

Happy Easter to all of you & your beloved one's from IndianFootball.Com!

In the latest IndianFootball.Com Guest Column Prasad Rao under the title "Indian Football Future in the Roots" looks at the successful India U16 and its future path to bring back the glorious days of Indian football.
Read the complete article here >>IndianFootball.Com Guest Column - Prasad Rao .

::: Barreto issue could cleanse football management :::
IANS report: While Indian football club Mohun Bagan's star Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto spends time reading the Bible after being caught with a large amount of unaccounted cash at the city airport, the bigger issue that needs to be tackled is the irresponsible handling of the players by the clubs.
Barreto locked himself up in a friend's flat in Highland Park in the eastern fringes of the city after he was arrested Thursday for carrying $20,500 that he could not explain while taking a flight out of India for a holiday in Brazil. He refused to meet anyone and was not even taking calls since he was released on bail the same day. Sources close to him said that he has spent most of his time reading the Bible.
A religious man, Barreto is always seen sporting a vest, with 'Jesus Loves Us' written on it, under his club jersey. And after each goal he scores, he lifts his jersey to show that sign and points his fingers to heaven in thanksgiving.
For him to be caught with money in excess of what is legally allowed by the customs at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport and being prosecuted under the Customs Act is a very big deal.
Before being taken to Barasat court, he said: "It is like seeing a red card during a match. I am sad. It has never happened to me before."
Barreto has played in Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and India and has never been accused of any breach of law. "I never knew about this law. I didn't even try to hide the money. It is my hard earned money, so I kept it in my pocket. I told everything to the customs," he had said.
According to sources close to him, Barreto now hopes that the judge will allow him to return to his hometown in Brazil, to be with his family.
So why is Barreto in such a soup? Somnath Pal, who is considered to be Barreto's confidante and is usually very busy over his phone, has been evading questions.
Anjan Mitra, Mohun Bagan secretary, and Debashis Dutta, football secretary, are back from their vacation and are looking at papers with legal experts.
"We will sort everything out. It is a small thing," said Mitra.
But the truth is that handling foreign players has always been a trouble for Calcutta clubs and Barreto's issue made it clear again. With a number of foreign players coming to play in the country every year for different small and big clubs, there is no rule book given to these players to understand the law regarding foreign exchange in the country.
There are about a dozen foreign football players in Calcutta and about 30 foreign footballers play for various clubs in the country. Most of them are from Africa, particularly Nigeria, while recently there have been some imports from South America, especially Brazil.
Subrata Dutta, vice president of All India Football Federation, told IANS Sunday: "The incident has just shown that the clubs here are miles away from being professional. As for Barreto, I understand he was ignorant of the whole issue. But it was his duty also to know the rules being a professional player."
Another glaring example of such mishandling is the contract given to the players. There is a clause in the contract that states that the club can terminate the contract with a player at any point of time for non-performance or on disciplinary grounds. But there is no clause for the players to leave the club before the contract period terminates.
Sumit Mukherjee, CEO of Football Players' Association of India, said: "This is a regular problem. We want the players to approach us. We are willing to help them."
The FPAI, conceptualised by national captain Baichung Bhutia, has been working tirelessly for the players. They have even formed a model contract and sent it to FIFA, through AIFF, for approval.
Once it gets approved there is hope on the horizon. They are also working on a medical insurance issue for the players because after an injury the player gets knocked about both by the club he plays for and AIFF, each trying to pass on the buck.
"We have prepared contract papers. We have sent a copy of the contract to AIFF and also copies to Mohun Bagan and East Bengal for their suggestions. We are also talking to the AIFF regarding the medical insurance," he said.
"We are also in the process of forming a two page guideline for the foreign players on how to deal with money, tax and passport issue here so that problems like this don't arise in future," he said.
"Language is another major issue for the foreign players especially from South America and Africa. They are often misled and never informed about anything. This kind of things are bound to happen," Mukherjee added.
"I had a meeting with AIFF Secretary (Alberto) Colaco on the various issues and he has pledged full cooperation," he said.
So even as Barreto waits for the April 3 date for a final hearing on his bail petition, he could well be the saviour of the others playing their trade in the greens of Calcutta.

::: Mumbai FC announces a bonus of Rs 1,5 Million for winning the I-League Division 2 :::
Mumbai FC announced a bonus of Rs 1,5 Million for its team for winning the I-League Division 2. The money is divided into Rs 1,2 Million for qualifying for the final round and an additional Rs 300,000 for winning the I-League Division 2.
Essel Group's Mumbai FC is taking a squad of 26 players to Kolhapur and will decide tomorrow on the final 21 players to be registered for the league.
Mumbai FC: Goalkeepers: 13-Kalyan Chaubey, 22-Amit Singha Roy; Defenders: 2-Anas Edathodika, 3-James Cobblah Dissiramah, 4-Balpreet Singh, 5-Selwyn Fernandes, 14-Anthony Michael Fernandes, 16-L Romenjit Singh, 18-John Benadick M, 19-Sanjay Parte, 23-Dane Lloyd Pereira; Midfielders: 6-Khalid Jamil, 7-Sampath Kumar Kuttimani, 8-Noel Anthony Wilson, 20-Salil Usman, 24-Subhas Chakraborty, 25-Papiah Jagadish Kumar, 26-Nishant Mehra, 29-Rajib Shukla, 30-Darren Dominic Caldeira; Forwards: 9-Abhishek Yadav, 10-Felix Aboagye, 11-Michael George Osei, 12-Alex Mario Ambrose, 21-Aseem K, 28-Jerome Sebastine. Coach: David Booth; Assistant Coaches: Arshad Hussain, Henry Picardo; General Manager: Henry Menezes; Physio: Sujit Manna.

::: Chirag United look to reach the final round :::
Chirag United SC have in the last few years established themselves as a potent force in Calcutta contesting Mohammedan Sporting's No. 3 status. In the tough Group A of the I-League Division 2 the team will have their task cut out to make it to the finals in Guwahati.
Chirag United SC: Goalkeepers: 1-Arindam Ghosh, 12-Subhash Singha Roy, 14-Shibram Dey; Defenders: 2-Louis Nigi Ebami, 4-Kingshuk Debnath, 5-R Dhanarajan, 6-Ejike Chika Chime, 15-Dulal Biswas, 16-Arnab Mondal, 22-Muzaffar Rehman, 29-Achinta Saha; Midfielders: 7-Denson Devadas, 8-Sasthi Duley, 11-Lallawanzuala, 17-Gouranga Biswas, 20-Barun Oraon, 27-Lalmalswama Hmar, 30-Gouranga Datta; Forwards: 10-Ashim Das Sr, 24-Theodore Sunday Wrobeh, 25-Shankar Oraon.

::: Indian Bank name team for I-League Division 2 :::
Former NFL side Indian Bank have named seasoned goalkeeper S Felix Edward as their captain for the Preliminary Round Group B of the I-League Division 2. Indian Bank would face Mohammedan Sporting Club, Mumbai FC, New Delhi Heroes, Amity United FC and Oil India Limited in Kolhapur.
Indian Bank: Goalkeepers: 1-S Felix Edward (Captain), 21-A Vimal Raj, 30-B Uday Shankar; Defenders: 3-T Karthikeyan, 6-A Suman Raj, 12-Nanao Yomnam, 22-S Sathish Kumar, 23-DC Joseph Anthony Noel, 29-Joseph Anandavasan; Midfielders: 4-Chanchal Saha, 5-M Subash Singh, 8-Vokozo Zhotso, 9-S Santha Kumar, 17-Thingnam Roshan Singh, 24-M Karthikeyan, 28-Sayantan Das Roy; Forwards: 7-EP Rajesh Kumar, 11-Lalchhan Chhauaha, 14-R Amalraj, 18-M Ramesh, 27-S Parthiban. Coach: Syed Sabir Pasha; Assistant coach: Roque D'Siva; Manager: Kathiravan Prasad.

March 22

RESULTS & NEWS

::: Maharashtra looks forward to I-League Division 2 :::
If you thought that Mumbai in the only place in Maharastra where football is played and followed, then you are absolutely incorrect!
Come March 25, the two other equally important cities of Maharastra, Pune and Kolhapur, will host some exciting football extravaganza, when 12 football teams would lock their horns in the 2.Division I-League.
In Pune, football is played round the year. There are a number of league and tournaments organized by the Pune District FA, and boasts of few academies. Also, football is not new in Kolhapur, the local league organized by the Kolhapur Sports Association, is almost 50 years old. The patron-in-chief of the Kolhapur Sports Association, the present Sahu Maharaj and vice president of the Western India Football Association, Maloji Raje are taking keen interest to bring Kolhapur in the Indian football map.
The 2.Division I-League is definitely going to produce many exciting opportunities to the football enthusiasts and players in these two cities. While speaking to the IndianFootball.com, the president of the Pune District FA, Vishwajeet Kadam, said that the local football lovers would get an opportunity to witness the dazzling football skills of many international players from Brazil, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and off-course from India.
Group A phase, which is hosted by the PDFA along with the association Pune Municipal Corporation will witness six teams playing a total of 15 matches in Pune from March 26 thru April 13.
For the full fixtures of the II Division I-League, click the following link I-League Division 2 - statistical coverage .

The Ashok Piramal Group promoted Pune Football Club will be the mail sponsor for the Pune phase. The other sponsors include Kumar Properties, Kinetic Engineering, Poonawala Group, and Manikchand Oxyrich.
The newly formed Pune FC is making their debut in the I-League and will be representing Pune. Speaking to the IndianFootball.com, the head coach, Brian McNally, said that the preparation of the team so far is good, now it's up to the performance that team displays on the match day.
All in all, the football fiesta is on for the next two weeks, don't miss out the action!

::: PIFA Colaba Youngstar FC lift the runners-up trophy in the Mumbai Super Division :::
PIFA-Colaba Youngstar FC coached by Nirvan Shah of the Premier India Football Academy, have lifted the runners-up trophy of the Mumbai Football League's Super Division. The young team played its final game on March 19 at Cooperage Ground against the very experienced Central Railway (Mumbai Division). They had to play without the service of both their full back Shabbir and Clifford and Goalkeeper Imran, due to cards in the earlier game.
Both teams were unbeaten in the Super 5 and had secured the 2nd place. However, PIFA-CYFC had to win if the wanted to finish on top. The team played attacking football and were unfortunate to concede a goal in the dying moments of both the halfs.
The team had started at the bottom of the league after 3 rounds and were forced to sack their coach. The team was once again taken over by Nirvan Shah, an UEFA B licensed coach. The team not only got away from the bottom with every game they played, the team finished 3rd in the league and qualified comfortably for the Super 5, where they remained unbeaten until the final game.
The team was formed by PIFA in the 2006/07 season and took the runners-up title in the MFL Senior Division. The team was sponsored by Tilaknagar Industries Ltd.
It is noteworthy that two players from the team Harshad Meher and Ajith Bhoir were selected to play for India U16. Both these boys were presented cheques of Rs 10,000 by "PIFA Foundation for the benefit of sports" on their successful return from Saudi Arabia in November 2007.

::: Stephen Constantine's book "A Year in the Championship" :::
Former India coach Stephen Constantine's has written a book titled "A Year in the Championship" looking at the sessions he conducted during his time at then Championship club Millwall FC in the 2005/06 season.
A Year in the Championship gives the reader a unique opportunity to review a seasons worth of training sessions by an English Professional Team. The sessions are organized into chapters by topic such as: Passing, Finishing, Team Play, Midfield Play, Wide Play, Defending and Fitness. This allows you to use this book as a reference for planning day-to-day training sessions for your team in addition to giving you a taste of live in an English professional team.
More than 150 easy-to-read diagrams illustrate the practices along with clear explanations of the important coaching points. This combination will enable you to use the practices with your team in a clear and effective way.
For more info on the book, click the following link Stephen Constantine homepage .

March 21

IndianFootball.Com wishes you a very happy HOLI!!!

::: Indian Women remain 55th in world rankings :::
In the latest FIFA Women's World Rankings our Indian Women remain 55th in the global rankings of 120 ranked nations. In Asia our Women remain overall 11th.

March 20

RESULTS & NEWS

::: Mohun Bagan striker Jose Ramirez Barreto arrested in Calcutta Airport :::
Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto who plays for city giants Mohun Bagan AC was arrested at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (Calcutta) on his way to Brazil today. He was carrying an amount of foreign exchange which exceeded the US $ 5,000 limit permissible under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). He was presented at Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Barasat and was subsequently released on bail. The actual amount of excess money found in his possession is still under speculation with reports ranging from US $ 15,000 to US $ 25,000.

March 19

RESULTS & NEWS

::: IndianFootball.Com strengthen's its Editorial Team :::
IndianFootball.Com would like to welcome a new member to our Editorial Team!
31-year old Subhajyoti Banerjee will join our existing team of editors and correspondents to cover football in a better way as our Pune correspondent. Pune is becoming a new hot football centre with Pune FC plus the I-League Division 2 matches to be played there.
Subhajyoti, welcome to IndianFootball.Com!
Go to view our IndianFootball.Com Editorial team .

In the latest IndianFootball.Com Editor's Column our Arunava Chaudhuri looks back at the inaugural I-League and names the highs and lows.
Read the complete article here >>IndianFootball.Com Editor's Column .

Mumbai Elite Division - Super Six: Mahindra United 2-0 Air-India - Goals: 1-0 Mohammed Rafi (57'), 2-0 Yakubu Yusif (70').
Mahindra United thoroughly outplayed Air-India in the final Elite Division league match of the Mahindra Mumbai Football League, promoted by Saran Sports, their 2-0 win under lights at the Cooperage on Wednesday enabling them to retain their status as the champion club of Mumbai.
Mahindra United finished their engagements with 12 points and Air-India were relegated to third place behind new entrants into Mumbai football, Mumbai FC, who finished runner-up with 10 points. Mumbai FC have emerged as a powerful force in the first year itself and their challenge to the big two augurs well for the future of Indian football. Hardworking Mahindra United midfielder KN Ajayan was adjudged the Nature Valley Man of the Match (Rs 2.000). RCF's Kailash Patil was adjudged the player of the Elite Division and took home Rs 15,000, while the Tiger Balm Fairplay Trophy was awarded to Bank of India. The winners were awarded Rs 1 lakh and a bonus of another Rs 1 lakh from Saran Sports, while Mumbai FC took home a trophy and Rs 50,000.
After a barren fist half, goals by Mohammed Rafi and prolific scorer Yusif Yakubu put Mahindra United firmly on the victory path as a floundering Air-India could only make the token signs of resistance to a well planned assault.
The first half was a ragged affair and though Mahindra United came up with some goalbound attacks, their strikers were not sharp enough to get the ball into the back of the net. A long ranger by Sukhwinder Singh dipped dangerously but Air-India goalkeeper Sharat EC was in position to parry the ball away. A free kick by Steven Dias from the right was met well by Yakubu, but the ball bounced off the keeper and Uttam Singh made an acrobatic bicycle clearance.
Air-India had but one noteworthy effort in the first half, Sanju Pradhan making a good run on the right before crossing in, but a toed effort by Samson Singh when challenge by Mahindra keeper Sandip Nandy, was wide.
Mahindra United shifted gears in the second half and completely took control of the proceedings, thanks to hard work by Douhou Pierre and KN Ajayan in the midfield. It was run by right back Sushant Mathew that set up Mahindra's first goal in he 57th minute, Mohammed Rafi powering his way into the box and meeting the ball to put it past Sharat.
Mahindra United's second goal was a perfectly coordinated effort, Pierre Douhou setting up Ajayan on the left, who sent an inch perfect cross that sailed over the Air-India defence for Yakubu to rise up high and head into goal.
Mahindra Utd: 24-Sandip Nandy; 16-Sunil Kumar, 2-NP Pradeep, 14-Dharmaraj Ravanan; 7-Sushanth Mathew (79' 27-Noel Fernandes), 17-Sukhwinder Singh, 23-Steven Dias, 29-Pierre Djidjia Douhou, 4-Krishnan Nair Ajayan; 11-Mohammed Rafi, 10-Yakubu Yusif.
Air-India: 30-Sarath EC; 2-Haobijam Napoleon Singh (72' 26-Amrit Pal Singh), 3-Nirmal Chetri, 4-L Dhanachandra Singh, 6-L Uttam Singh, 18-Hamza Zaheer Abbas; 15-Sanju Pradhan (73' 23-Surojit Roy), 12-Michael Segum Tayo, 20-Paresh Shivalkar; 27-Bashiree Mohammed Abbas, 8-Kumar Samson Singh (68' 14-Subhash Singh).
Man of the Match: Krishnan Nair Ajayan (Mahindra Utd).

Mumbai Elite Division - Super Five: PIFA Colaba Young Stars 0-2 Central Railway (Mumbai Division)
In the earlier fixture, Central Railway Mumbai Division beat PIFA, Colaba Young Stars 2-0 to win the Super Division title. Both the winners and the runner-up team will be promoted to the Elite Division next year.
Jagjit Singh of Rizvi Mumbai Muslims was adjudged the player of the league and won Rs 10,000.

Mumbai Football League - Awards:
• Man of the Tournament: Kailash Patil (RCF) (Rs 15,000 as cash award)
• Fair-Play trophy: Bank of India

Special Cash Awards:
• Rs 5000 each to the 3 India U16 players (Shilton D'Silva, Ajit Bhoir, Harshad Meher)
• Rs 50,000 each to Abhishek Yadav & Steven Dias for winning the Nehru Cup

::: Bengal Peerless - FC Bayern Munich hold press conference in Calcutta :::
It has been a week since the announcement that India is going to be a part of the upcoming Asia tour of German giants FC Bayern Munich who are going to play Mohun Bagan AC at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta on May 27, 2008. Exactly sixty eight days remain before the match and the first official press meet was held today at the Oberoi Grand in cnetral Calcutta hosted by the organisers Bengal Peerless Group. The press meet was addressed by Martin Haegele, Director International Affairs at FC Bayern Munich and Kumar Sankar Bagchi, Managing Director of Bengal Peerless Group. The press meet also displayed video clippings from the press meet held at Munich on March 11, 2008 and two interviews featuring Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Chairman FC Bayern Munich's Executive Board, and Oliver Kahn, the legendary FC Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper who is incidentally going to play his final match in Calcutta.

Here are the excerpts from the press meet:
Martin Haegele, Director International Affairs, FC Bayern Munich
• We are happy to be back in Kolkata (Calcutta) after December 2005. However it was not so easy for us to come as the schedule is very tight. We are really delighted that we have finally managed to make out the time. We were already planning for an Asia tour to Indonesia and China and we decided to extend it by three more days.
• By playing here we can give fruitful answers to those who have put forward many questions about the city.
• I expect Saltlake Stadium to be full to its capacity and flooded with enthusiasm more importantly as it's the farewell match of Oliver Kahn. Last time, the stadium was half filled, but that was with our junior team only.

• We have a three day schedule in the city. Apart from the match, our tour will also include
1. A kid's clinic hosted jointly by Adidas and Lufthansa. Our coaches will practice and play football with the Indian kids, from where the best ones will have a special prize, may be a chance to fly to the Allianz Arena.
2. A social event i.e. a visit to a city hospital (PeerlessHospital) by some of our players.
3. A visit to the Axis Project of Bengal Peerless Group in Newtown (Rajarhat).

• We missed Mohun Bagan AC in the previous tournament as they lost in the preliminaries. All I know is that Mohun Bagan AC is the oldest football club of India.
• It was our dream to come back to India not with our young boys but with the stars. Players participating in the Euro 2008 will have to stay back to prepare for their international duties. As a result they will not be a part of the squad, but we are going to have a lot of faces from the first team. The names include Lucio, the captain of Brazil's national football team; Ze Roberto; Breno, the captain of Brazil's Olympic team; Martin Demichelis, the defender described as the heir to Roberto Ayala's throne in Argentina; Daniel van Buyten; Mark van Bommel; Toni Kroos, the golden ball winner in FIFA U17 World Cup 2007; Andreas Ottl and of course the legend Oliver Kahn.
• Michael Rensing (the goalkeeper who is going to be the club's number one after Kahn retires) will be a part of the squad and Kahn will give him few minutes in the match in order to make him feel the heat of playing in front of such a large crowd.
• I don't know exactly that how many ex-players are going to be with the team. As per the company officials are concerned, Uli Hoeness (Deputy Chairman Executive Board, FC Bayern Munich) is surely going to be a part of the contingent. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will try his best to be here.
• I am sorry I don't have any idea about the national players of India, though I had some a few years back from an AFC brochure. Unfortunately the brochure has ceased to exist now.
• We are not among those clubs who have started Asia tours of late. Instead, we have had such tours years back. Those were two short trips though - one in Japan for a match against Urawa Red Diamonds and another for a match in Hong Kong. This time we planned for a longer one as we have more professional players at hand and India was on our radar. We are here to know each other better than before. It will be interesting to see how India is developing.

Kumar Sankar Bagchi, Managing Director, Bengal Peerless Group
• I am very much excited and occupied by emotions regarding FC Bayern's tour of Kolkata (Calcutta).
• Mohun Bagan AC is the national club of India and the oldest club of the country. So we selected them to be the opponents of FC Bayern Munich.
• FC Bayern Munich is going to inaugurate their outlet in our Axis project in Newtown.
• I do agree that only one match won't suffice in strengthening our infrastructure.
• We haven't thought of the future at present, but we will work it out in the coming months. An academy originating through FC Bayern-Peerless tie-up is not impractical.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Chairman Executive Board, FC Bayern Munich
[Excerpts from the video clipping]
• The match is very important from the point of view that it is going to be Oliver Kahn's farewell match
• When FC Bayern II won the IFA Shield in December 2005, I promised to play once again in the arena. I am happy that I have been able to keep my promise.
• The partnership between FC Bayern and the Indian football family bears immense importance.

Oliver Kahn, Goalkeeper, FC Bayern Munich and Germany
[Excerpts from the video clipping]
• I am thrilled by the fact that I am going to play in the second largest stadium of the world. It will be great to play in front of such a large crowd of over 100,000.
• I have never been to India and I am excited about knowing the country's people and meeting them as I have heard a lot about their passion for the game of football.
• India is a country with a large population. It must have the potential to prepare a good keeper.


::: Tamil Nadu FA to organise tournament to select Santosh Trophy squad :::
The Tamil Nadu FA has decided to organise a selection tournament to decide on its state team for the 62nd Santosh Trophy to be played in Jammu&Kashmir in May 2008.
The TNFA has decided to organise a tournament from March 24 to 28 at the Madras Christian College ground, Tambaram. Participants would be Annamalai University (inter-University title winner), Madras University (inter-University runner-up), State U21 team (finished runner-up in the U21 Nationals) and a Tamil Nadu XI comprising of players who had represented the State in the last Santosh Trophy and National Games.
Around 30 players would be selected from the tournament for a coaching-cum-selection camp in April.

March 18

RESULTS & NEWS

AFC Cup Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

AFC Cup 2008 | Group A | Round 2 | Nizwa Stadium, Muscat | 20.30 IST: Sur Club, OMAN 3-2 Dempo SC Goals: 1-0 Daouda Traore (9'), 1-1 Ranty Martins Soleye (26'), 1-2 Roberto Mendes Silva (62'), 2-2 Mamoudou Camara (69'), 3-2 Climax Lawrence (80', own Goal) SUR CLUB: 20-Said Khamis Abdullah Al Araimi; 3-Abdul Rahman Thuwaini Sabeit Al Gheilani, 6-Ibrahim Sabir Marzouq Al Mukhaini, 16-Ali Saleem Saleh Al Farsi, 23-Jalal Ya'qoub Yousuf Al Mukhaini; 8-Mohsin Saleh Rashid Al Harbi [C] (71' 10-Abdullah Thuwaini Suwaid Al Mukhaini), 17-Omar Naji Ali Bait Saleem (67' 7-Talal Mohamed Mubarak Al Saifi), 18-Mamoudou Camara, 27-Khalid Mubarak Zayid Al Gheilani; 9-Jose Rogerto Antunes Estefane Junior, 12-Daouda Traore. Unused Substitutes: 1-Ahmed Khamis Thunai Al Qulhati, 2-Mohammed Khamis Juma'a Al Araimi, 4-Amur Sbeit Bakhit Al Sinani, 5-Mohammed Salim Mohammed Al Sinani, 25-Humaid Juma Saad Allah Al Gheilani DEMPO: 1-Abhijit Mondal; 18-Valeriano Rebello, 4-Cressan Antao, 3-John Charles Dias, 16-Samir Naik; 17-Joaquim Abranches, 8-Climax Lawrence [C], 11-Roberto Mendes Silva, 22-Nicolau Borges (83' 14-Anthony Pereira); 9-Ranty Martins Soleye [C], 30-Chidi Edeh. Unused Substitutes: 6-Peter Carvalho, 13-Tyson Caiado, 23-Dominic Noronha, 27-Avedesh Pal, 29-Clifton Gonsalves YELLOW CARD: Ali Saleem Saleh Al Farsi (46', Sur Club). REFEREE: Ali Saleem (Maldives). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Ahmed Ameez (Maldives), Ibrahim Thaufeeq (Maldives). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Riyaz Rasheed (Maldives). MATCH COMMISSIONER: Mohammed Mubarak Al Mohannadi (Qatar). Attendence: 1.500 Match Report: ...

AFC Cup Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

AFC Cup 2008 | Group B | Round 2 | Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta | 15.00 IST: East Bengal Club 1-0 Ahli Sana'a, YEMEN Goal: 1-0 Edmilson Marques Pardal (34') EAST BENGAL: 1-Subrata Pal; 27-Irungbam Surkumar Singh, 2-Muttath Suresh [C], 3-Majekodumni Bolaji, 5-Debabrata Roy; 23-Mehtab Hussain, 26-Mehraj din Wadoo, 15-Ike Ibe Gift (90'+2' 11-Hardip Singh Saini), 9-Alvito D'Cunha (63' 6-Snehashish Chakraborty); 19-Syed Rahim Nabi, 30-Edmilson Marques Pardal. Unused Substitutes: 8-Poibang Pohshna, 12-Anupam Sarkar, 21-Gopal Das, 22-Vimal Pariyar, 28-Vanlal Rova AHLI SANA'A: 1-Muaadh Mohammed Abdulkhaleq Abdulwali [C], 3-Ahmed Ibrahim Kellil, 5-Asaad Hamid Hussein, 14-Hamada Ahmed Mohammed Al Zubairi, 19-Esam Mohammed Ahmed Awn (71' 25-Zaid Ahmed Hasan Saleh), 6-Zaid Ali Esmail Al Naggar (63' 11-Ebrahim Ahmed Hasan Saleh), 7-Fuad Abdo Mohammed Al Ammari, 9-Gamal Ahmed Abdullah Al Qudaimi, 17-Ala Mohammed Abdullah Al Sasi, 13-Sami Ahmed Ali Al Haimi, 16-Adel Abdullah Ali Al Salemi (84' 8-Wahid Mohammed Mohammed Al Khyat). Unused Substitutes: 10-Ali Mohammed Mohammed Al Nono, 21-Wesam Abdurabu Ali Ateik, 22-Gamil Ahmed Abdo Al Hubaishi, 24-Nasser Abdullah Ali Al Haddashi YELLOW CARD: Wahid Mohammed Mohammed Al Khyat (90'+1', Ahli Sana'a). REFEREE: Minoru Tojo (Japan). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Hiroshi Tezuka (Japan), Nazeer Hussain Mohammed Haniffa (Singapore). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Satop Tongkhan (Thailand). MATCH COMMISSIONER: A Razzak Mohamed Abbas (Bahrain). Attendence: 6.000 Match Report: Federation Cup champions East Bengal Club won 1-0 against Ahli Sana'a from Yemen in their Group B match of the AFC Cup at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta. East Bengal opened their points account with now three points from two matches. Post-match Comments: Subrata Pal (Goalkeeper, East Bengal): • I am very happy to win the match... & our team played very well today. • The win was very important in the AFC Cup for us. • There is a very good chance two qualify for the next round... the remaining 4 matches are very vital for us.

::: Mohun Bagan name Karim Bencharifa as their new coach :::
It was the worst kept secret of Indian football and now it is out. Karim Bencharifa has been named as the new coach for the Mohun Bagan AC for the 2008/09 season. The Moroccan will take over from Brazilian Carlos Roberto Pereira da Silva on June 1, but the question remains who will coach Mohun Bagan AC in their high profile match against Bayern Munich on May 27.
Bencharifa today signed on the dotted line for Mohun Bagan in Delhi. In the last couple of years he had done an excellent job at Churchill Brothers to take them close to the I-League title this season.
Mohun Bagan will be a different calibre for Bencharifa with a lot of expectations on him and this team. Bencharifa is said to be earning Rs 3,6 Million for the season with additional perks like a car and a furnished flat.

::: Mahindra MFL Nite and final match to be played under lights tomorrow :::
Mumbai's Cooperage football stadium will shine bright under lights once again when the "Mahindra" Mumbai Football League Nite 2008 will be held there on Wednesday, March 19.(19.00 IST onwards). Conceptualised and initiated by Saran Sports, the promoters of the Mahindra Mumbai Football Leagues, the Mahindra MFL Nite is in its second year, first held in 2007.
The Mahindra MFL Nite will also coincide with the final match of the Mahindra MFL, between Mahindra United and Air-India, which will be played under floodlights for the first time and decide the 2008 champion of Mumbai. This match would decide the Champions of the Elite Division with three teams in the running for the same; Mahindra United, Air-India and Mumbai FC (new entrants). The winners will be presented with a cheque of Rs 2 lakh which shall include a bonus of Rs 1 lakh to be presented by Saran Sports.
Also honoured on this occasion would be Shilton D'Silva, Ajit Bhoir and Harshad Meher who did service for the Indian Under 16 team which has qualified for the AFC Cup 2008 (Finals). They would be presented a trophy and cash award of Rs 5,000 each on this occasion by Saran Sports.
The Mahindra MFL Nite is the only one of its kid in India and was launched in 2007 to honour outstanding players in various divisions of the MFL (Players of Championships of the 2007/08 season). It translates into a great gathering of the football community of the city of Mumbai, which includes all the Indian international football stars present in Mumbai, all the players, coaches and managers of the division teams and the MFL administrators.
An evening of fun and entertainment will be put together to complement the display of exciting football. There will be entertainment in the form of music and professional dancers, food stalls and lucky dip for all spectators where they can win merchandise of the Mahindra MFL.

::: Assam FA call-up 50 players for Santosh Trophy camp :::
The Assam FA has called-up 50 players for the state Santosh Trophy camp. The coaching-cum-selection camp will be held in Silchar from April 18 for the 62nd Santosh Trophy to be played in Jammu&Kashmir in May 2008.
As part of the state teams exposure the AFA plans to send the team to Bangladesh for an exhibition match series.

::: 14th Youth Soccer Championship from April 28 :::
by Xavier Rutsa: The 14th Youth Soccer Championship 2008, organized by Classic Club, Kohima will commence from April 29 at the Kohima Local ground.
All interested Teams are requested to contact any office bearers for information's or contact M/S Kohima Tele-Service near New NST Complex Kohima, informed Zakiekhotuo Kiso, General Secretary Classic Club Kohima
The prize money for the championship are as follows: 1.Champion Team - Rs. 75,000 with trophy and certificates. 2. Runners-up Team Rs. 35,000 with trophy and certificates. Apart from the above, many more individual prizes in different categories with cash and certificates will also be given.
The forms and byelaws will be made available at the above mentioned address by second week of April.

March 17

IndianFootball.Com, India's Premier Football Website, yesterday crossed the 1,5 Million Single User HITs mark!!!

::: Another milestone for India's oldest football website... :::
Yesterday IndianFootball.Com crossed 1,5 Millions Single User HITs, another milestone for India's oldest football website, which will be celebrating its 10 anniversary next month!
IndianFootball.Com was launched on April 10, 1998 by Germany-based NRI Arunava Chaudhuri and since then our team has grown into an editorial team of 19 members across India and the globe, which is set to grow further in the coming weeks and months. Since it's start IndianFootball.Com has been working to bring to you the latest on Indian football, be it news, schedules and results, and that not only from the high profile I-League, but also from the 2.Division, local leagues, youth football; our numerous national teams - men/women, junior/senior; and from the expate communities across the globe. We try to cover as much of Indian football as possible!
We only started with the counter on the site in 1999 and we had crossed the 100.000 barrier on May 9, 2002; the 200.000 barrier on July 18, 2003; the 300.000 barrier on March 29, 2004; the 400.000 barrier on November 16, 2004; the 500.000 barrier on May 18, 2005; the 600.000 barrier on December 21, 2005; while we crossed the 700.000 HITs just before the start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup; on October 16 we had crossed the 800.000 HITs, on January 24, 2007 the 900.000 HITs and the milestone 1 Million Hits on April 7, 2007. We have been seeing with delight the HITs going higher and higher now with an average of over 1,700 having close to 55.000 HITs last month. Sadly we have to add that the counter hasn't always worked, so we actually will have crossed the 1.500.000 HITs mark quite a while ago.
IndianFootball.Com is India's Premier Football Website and the success of the site also proves for us that our hard work and dedication pays off with the return of the visitors/users in search of Indian football news and results. And we happily see that we are getting more and more HITs everyday!
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those of you, who have helped us with our work and have supported us over the years!!!

Mumbai Elite Division - Super Six: Mahindra United 2-0 ONGC, Mumbai - Goals: 1-0 Surajit Bose (13'), 2-0 Khangemban Thoi Singh (15').
Mahindra Utd: 24-Sandip Nandy; 16-Sunil Kumar, 5-Harpreet Singh, 14-Dharmaraj Ravanan; 27-Noel Fernandes, 23-Steven Dias, 29-Pierre Djidjia Douhou, 15-Khangemban Thoi Singh, 4-Krishnan Nair Ajayan; 9-Surajit Bose, 10-Yakubu Yusif.
ONGC: Bilifang Narzary; Kabijit Khotel, Krishna Shirodkar, NC John, Debkumar Sashmal, Amandeep Singh; Sanjeeva Rongpi, Sandip Das, Jatin Singh Bisht, F Lalmuanpuia; CN Henry.

::: The latest Transfers & further rumours :::
We will try and keep you updated on Transfer and rumours for the upcoming 2008/09 season as many of you requested us to do so.
Here some confirmed signings:
• Churchill Brothers SC have been able to retain their talismanic captain Odafe Onyeka Okolie for a record salary which is said to be the highest ever paid in Indian football.
• Joining Odafe at Churchill Brothers in attack will be his Nigerian friend Felix Chimaokwu who is joining them from Salgaocar SC.
• Churchill Brothers have also signed young talented Manipuri defender L Dhanachandra Singh from Air-India.
• But Congolese striker Mboyo Iyomi is leaving Churchill Brothers SC for Dempo SC.

Here some transfer rumours:
• Goalkeepers are a sought after property this year. A prime candidate is India No.1 Subrata Pal. East Bengal are doing everything to retain Subrata's services, but he has offers from Churchill Brothers and two other clubs.
• Meanwhile Arindam Bhattacharya, who warmed the Churchill Brothers bench for most of the season, could move to Calcutta as he has an offer from Mohun Bagan, who have also approached Mahindra United keeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, who also has an offer from Dempo SC.
• Mohun Bagan meanwhile could lose Sangram Mukherjee to Salgaocar SC and Shilton Pal has offers from a couple of Goan clubs.
• After a terrible I-League East Bengal is set to spend and reorganise their team with the club looking at Indian internationals as possible signings. Amongst those the club is targeting are JCT duo Renedy Singh and Sunil Chetri, while Mahindra United midfielder Steven Dias is another of their targets though Steven has a long term contract with the Mumbai Jeepmen.
• Dempo SC is looking to sign Salgaocar SC duo Agnelo Colaco and Joe Rodrigues.
• Sporting Clube's Denzil Franco could go to Salgaocar SC
• Sporting Clube are set to sign Sesa Football Academy's Adil Shah with other Sesa boys to sign for other Goan clubs.
• The Tata Football Academy is also set to release a batch of cadets this year with eight of their boys set to sign for Mohun Bagan AC.

March 16

RESULTS & NEWS

16th Women's National Football Championship - Final: Manipur 4-1 Orissa - Goals: 1-0,4-1 Ng Bala Devi (17',75'), 2-0 O Bembem Devi (34'), 2-1 Pinky Bompal Magar (35'), 3-1 M Bembem Devi (61').
The Manipur State Women's team won the title of the 16th Women's National Football Championship today at the Durgachalk Stadium, Haldia by defeating Orissa 4-1. It was Manipur's 14th overall title after having appeared in all finals of the Women Nationals proving their unquestioned dominance in Women's football in India.

2nd Manipur State League: AMOFA, Moirang 3-2 Kakching FC

::: AFC Cup: Dempo to play for a draw in Oman :::
Goans Dempo SC left Indian shores for Oman today to take on Sur Club on Tuesday in their AFC Cup Group A match. Dempo coach Mauricio Afonso would like to keep the momentum going after their opening round win against Al Ansar of Lebanon and a draw would be just fine to take back home.
Dempo will once more take a wait and watch approach into the match with dependable Mahesh Gawli once again missing from the squad due to his injury, while other players like Anthony Pereira and Velariano Rebello are set for a comeback.

::: AFC Cup: East Bengal to face Ahli Sana'a in home tie :::
IANS report: East Bengal will have their work cut out when they take on Yemen's Ahli Sana'a in their second match of Group B of AFC Cup to be played on Tuesday.
East Bengal lost their first match against Lebanon's Safa club 0-1 in an away encounter, while Sana'a comes here after picking up a 1-1 draw at home against Jordan's Al Wihdat.
Despite nursing hopes of picking full points from this game, both coaches also have their worries. Alok Mukherjee is worried about East Bengal's poor scoring while Sabah Jumah is wondering about the effect heat on Ahli Sana'a.
The good news for East Bengal is that both Mehtab Hussain and Edmilson, suffering from injuries, have been declared fit for the tie. While Mehtab is an asset as a provider in the mid-field, Edmilson's goal-poaching qualities will be needed as the red-golds look for a turnaround after a series of below par performances.
East Bengal coach Mukherjee said: "It is not that we played a bad game against Safa. It is just that we are not converting our scoring opportunities. I really hope the players will get on to the ground with their scoring-boots on."
Asked about the combination, he said, "I would like to keep that a secret. I have seen them (Sana) a little bit. They play fast one-touch game and have at least seven national players in their first eleven. So they will be a tough opponent."
The coach however indicated that while Rahim Nabi could continue to play as a forward with Edmilson, Ghanaian striker Abeeku Gaisie will play behind the attacking line.
The Yemeni club comes with quite a formidable reputation having reached the semi-final of the Cup twice. Their strikers Alial Nono and Al Adil Salami have their reputation preceding them as two of the finest predators of the middle-east.
Coach Sabah Jumah, who is the former Iraqi Youth National Team coach, told IANS, "East Bengal is a good side and they play good football. We have seen them play against Lebanon side and thought they could draw."
Asked about his team, he said, "We will go for a win. We have got a good combination of players from both youth and senior side. And we hope to do well."
The team has as many as seven players from the national side including their captain and goalkeeper Manaud Abdul Kaalij and playmaker Almari Fuad. The coach sounded a tad worried about their most potent striker Alial Nono's groin injury.

March 15

RESULTS & NEWS

Mumbai Elite Division - Super Six: Mahindra United 0-2 Mumbai FC - Goals: 0-1 Abhishek Yadav (24'), 0-2 Jerome Sebastian (55').
Mahindra Utd: 22-Amit Nandi; 16-Sunil Kumar, 5-Harpreet Singh, 21-Goutam Debnath, 7-Sushanth Mathew, 17-Sukhwinder Singh, 20-Bhola Prasad, 23-Steven Dias, 12-Manjit Singh, 29-Pierre Djidjia Douhou; 10-Yakubu Yusif.
Mumbai FC: Amit Sangha Roy; Dane Pereira, Balpreet Singh, Anas Edathodika, Romenjit Singh; Nishant Mehra, Rajib Shukla, Khalid Jamil, Darren Cladeira; Abhishek Yadav, Jerome Sebastian.
Referee: ???

2nd Manipur State League: NISA, Thangmeiband 0-0 Tiddim Road Athletic Union
2nd Manipur State League: Southern Sporting Union 3-2 Manipur Police SC
2nd Manipur State League: United Sports Association 2-4 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal
2nd Manipur State League: Eastern Sporting Union 3-1 YWC, Thambalkhong

::: 2nd Manipur State League: NISA, Thangmeiband win title :::
Thangmeiband's North Imphal Sporting Association have won the Manipur State League title in the second edition of the 22 Round league. NISA which had only been promoted at the beginning of this season made it a memorable one after they had won the 51st Churachand Singh Invitation Football Trophy earlier.

::: Now, a European in Pune FC line-up: Sign Cameroon-born Robin to plug defence :::
by Micky Aigner: Pune FC has certainly criss-crossed continents and done some soul searching in its bid to find a suitable player to take charge of their defence ahead of the Second Division I League.
Having initially signed Trinidad&Tobago World Cupper Cyd Gray, the newly-formed club on Friday announced the name of Belgian Maeie Robin (Bounougou Edoa). The 26-year-old thus fills in the void created in the backline after Gray was put out of action with a broken shin bone.
Going by the status Gray held the world-over, the Cameroon-born Belgian - many feel - is certainly not the replacement they expected. But as Chirag Tanna explains, "we were hard pressed for time and Gray premature departure was a major set-back."
Robin - currently with the team in Goa - is on a full transfer from Brussles-based Belgian Second Division side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, founded in 1897 and have been a force to reckon with winning 11 titles as Champions of Belgium between 1903-35.
While PFC are in the process of sorting out Robin's International Transfer Certificate, Robin's CV lists a host of Belgian siginings peppered with a touch of Romanian and Indian experience! Says Tanna, "the ITC is in process and will be received by Saturday."
With East Bengal prominently listed on Robin's CV not many football journos in Calcutta recollect his presence in the 2006/07 season. In fact the closest one got with a Belgian connection with the club was the appointment of Philippe de Ridder as coach in 2005.
Asked if Robin was signed for just the I-League, Tanna explains "we have not decided on that yet." However, with the European experience which includes playing for RWDM Molenbeek (1998-2001), Rapid Bukarest (2001-02), UCCLE Leopold, dann FC Brüssels (2003-2004), Roulers, CS Vise (2005-2006) apart from East Bengal, the Indian summer is certainly Robin's big test.

March 14

RESULTS & NEWS

In the latest IndianFootball.Com Guest Column lecturer Dr. Maibam Chourjit Singh under the title "Football & Injuries: Therapeutic Aspect" looks at the aspect of injuries in football and how to avoid them.
Read the complete article here >>IndianFootball.Com Guest Column - Dr. Maibam Chourjit Singh .

16th Women's National Football Championship - Semifinal: Manipur 1-0 Goa - Goal: 1-0 Ng Bala Devi (60').
16th Women's National Football Championship - Semifinal: West Bengal 0-1 Orissa - Goal: 0-1 Sasmita Mallick (3').

40th Years of Independence Triangular Series, Belle-Vue: Mauritius 2-2 Mohun Bagan AC

::: 2nd Manipur State League finale on March 16 :::
A successful 2nd Manipur State League season will end on Sunday, March 16 with the Round 22 matches to be played that day. The closing ceremony of the league will be held at the Eastern Sporting Union ground, Wangkhei at 13.00 IST with Manipur Sports Minister N Biren Singh and All-Manipur FA president A Santoshkumar Singh as the chief guest and president respectively.
The 12 team league will end with only 11 teams in action following RACC, Churachandpur being scratched from the league after Round 15 due to not complying with league regulations set by the Vision Manipur programme.

March 13

RESULTS & NEWS

::: German giants FC BAYERN MUNICH look forward to Asian trip :::
A lot of people, even the media, was yesterday utterly surprised to read that German giants Bayern Munich are coming to Calcutta.
And it isn't a hoax but a reality with the FC Bayern first team coming!

The coaches and players are to comment in the coming days and weeks on their Calcutta trip, so we talked to our friend Andreas Brueck, the official FC Bayern Munich fan representative, who had been to Calcutta with the FC Bayern Munich II team in December 2005. Here an excerpt:

Were you surprised that Bayern are again coming to Calcutta?
I was really surprised to hear about it. After the FC Bayern II trip in 2005 I didn't expect us to come back this quickly. I am positively surprised that our club has decided to do it!

Are you looking forward to come to Calcutta again?
Yes I am! It is totally different then here in Europe. But exactly this is the attraction and what I really liked. And this time surely more than just 5 Bayern fans will travel along with the team. And this is surely due to the fact that the Bayern first team is coming.

How was it with FC Bayern II in Calcutta?
It was a great experience for us! I was impressed by numerous facts. E.g. that the IFA Shield is older then our beloved FC Bayern and that football in India (particularly in Calcutta) has a long tradition. And in addition our FC Bayern II was ble to win an official title (111th IFA Shield trophy).

Good to get a first feel from the Bayern fan representative about coming back to Calcutta with numerous more Bayern fans set to come and support their team at the Saltlake Stadium!


::: Bencharifa leaves Churchill Brothers :::
Moroccan coach Karim Bencharifa has had a final meeting with Churchill Brothers SC officials and they came to the conclusion to part ways. Bencharifa's contact was running until April 2009 and he has a very successful two year stint with the Goans, but still they parted ways as had been speculated in the last few weeks.
Where Bencharifa will go is unknown at the moment as the coach has numerous good offers. Amongst them from Calcutta giants Mohun Bagan AC, another unknown Indian club plus offers from Southeast Asia.

::: Iran to host AFC U14 Football Festival (South Asia Region) :::
The Iranian Football Federation will host AFC U14 Festival of Football (South Asia Region) from May 10 to 23, 2008.
India have been drawn against hosts Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Besides the Festival also an AFC 'C' Coaching license course and a Referees course will be held apart from a workshop for the teams' coaches.

::: Kenkre Football Academy heads to the Mediterranean International Cup in Spain :::
Kenkre Football Academy, the Mumbai-based football academy which identifies, nurtures and develops talented young footballers capable of representing the country, has become the only Indian academy to be invited to participate to the 8th Edition of the Mediterranean International Cup to be played on different locations along the Costa Brava, Spain, from the March 18 to 23. The Kenkre Football Academy team will leave depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai today.
The prominent top teams who will be featuring their youth sides: Mexico National Team, Brazil National Team, RCD Espanyol, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC International Milan, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF, C Atletico de Madrid, Arsenal FC, Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona, etc.
Some of the participants at the MIC have already made their debut with First division clubs like Leonel Messi (FC Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal FC), Anderson (Manchester United), Lucas (Liverpool FC), Giovenni Dos Santos (FC Barcelona).
Joshua Lewis, Director of the Kenkre Football Academy said, "It is a great achievement for a young Indian football team to rub shoulders with the best of European soccer teams. For me, it's like a dream come true to see young Indian footballers making their mark on the global arena. Participation in such international tournaments will help sharpen the skillsets of young Indian footballers and inspire them to greater glory."
"The invitation to participate in the Mediterranean International Cup 2008 is a testimony to our holistic approach in the overall development of young talent," added Joshua.
Reebok is the official apparel sponsor for the KFA U-13 Team.
Kenkre FA is in one group with: Mexico U13 National Team, Gimnastic Tarragona (Spain), EF Baix Ter (Spain).
KENKRE FOOTBALL ACADEMY U13: Tejas Thackeray (GK), Abhinav Havaldar (GK), Nipun Chauhan, Sanchit Shetty, Apporv Bhagat Ajeet Udhan, Yash Sawant, Yash Shah, Neil Pinto, Dhanajay Joshi, Sanket Guha, Pranav Malhotra, Neel Shah, Arsh Majithia, Calvin Lobo, Yash Chaudhary, Karan Dave, Danish Avasia. Manager: Joshua Lewis.

March 12

RESULTS & NEWS

::: EXCLUSIVE NEWS: German giants FC BAYERN MUNICH to play in Calcutta on May 27, 2008 :::
European football giants and German Bundesliga record champions FC Bayern Munich will play in the Calcutta on May 27, 2008 against "National Club of India" Mohun Bagan AC at the Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta as part of their post-season Asian Tour.
FC Bayern will Tour Asia for 10 days from May 18 to 28, 2008 after the Bundesliga season ends on May 17 with a match against Hertha BSC Berlin. Bayern first fly to Indonesia to face the Indonesian national team on May 21. Thereafter Bayern travel to China for the Allianz Cup return leg against the Chinese Olympic football team in Guangzhou on 24 May whom they had beaten 7-2 at the Allianz Arena, Munich in January 2008. And then for the third and final friendly match Bayern will fly into the "City of Joy"!
The match is being made possible by the Bengal Peerless Group and the Government of Bengal.

And what will make this match even more special is that German goalkeeping legend 38 year old Oliver Kahn will play his final match for FC Bayern Munich in Calcutta!!!
The tour will be the last appearance of former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who will retire from football at the end of the season.

Due to the European Championships 2008 from June 7 to 29 in Austria & Switzerland Bayern are likely to miss the services of Franck Ribery, Willy Sagnol, Luca Toni, Hamit Altintop, Mirolav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, Marcell Jansen and Philipp Lahm; who all will be in their respective national team camps.
But still Bayern Munich's line-up for the Asian Tour will be of high quality. Besides Kahn other stars on the trip would be Lucio, Zé Roberto, Martin Demichelis, Mark van Bommel, Daniel van Buyten and Andreas Ottl.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed delight at the ten-day tour of the region. "We see ourselves as a global club, desiring and requiring an overseas presence. This is a one-off opportunity to visit three of the biggest countries in the world," Rummenigge commented. Compared to previous years, when Bayern visited Asia shortly before the domestic season, a post-season trip would be "a pleasant bonus."
"We're delighted that Bayern will play on 27 May in Kolkata [Calcutta]," commented Indian Consul General JS Mukul at a news conference in Munich on Tuesday. "Bayern will attract a great deal of attention in India and bring a new dimension to the Bavarian-Indian relationship. This is the beginning of a good footballing partnership between India and Bayern."

Besides playing those three matches Bayern are looking to build long-term partnerships in the three countries they are going to visit like they have done in Japan with the Urawa Red Diamonds.
Plans are there to organise camps for children and the club will be on the lookout for talent to could come to the FC Bayern Football School in Rust, Germany.
We will be getting you more infos in the coming days...

::: FIFA World Rankings: INDIA down to 148th :::
In the latest FIFA World Rankings released today INDIA are down three place to be now ranked 148th in the world. India lost 14 points to now have 138 points. In Asia INDIA remain 27th amongst 46 nations.

2nd Manipur State League: United Sports Association 0-2 NISA, Thangmeiband
2nd Manipur State League: NEROCA 3-0 YWC, Thambalkhong
2nd Manipur State League: Tiddim Road Athletic Union 5-3 Southern Sporting Union
2nd Manipur State League: Manipur Police SC 1-1 Eastern Sporting Union
2nd Manipur State League: AMOFA, Moirang 0-2 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal

16th Women's National Football Championship - Quarterfinal League Group B: Bihar 0-1 Tamil Nadu
16th Women's National Football Championship - Quarterfinal League Group B: Goa 0-2 West Bengal

March 11

RESULTS & NEWS

AFC Cup Special with lots of news, stats, pictures and more click here

AFC Cup 2008 | Group B | Round 1 | Sports City Stadium, Beirut | 21.30 IST: Safa SC, LEBANON 1-0 East Bengal Club Goals: 1-0 Rafael Mbassi (17') SAFA: 1-Nazih Tay, 2-Ali Al Saadi, 3-Pierre Ploycarpe Milat, 8-Mohammed Korhani, 16-Ramez Dayoub, 18-Hamza Aboud, 14-Amer Khan, 20-Khodor Salameh, 15-Bobby Prince, 11-Bernard Rafael Mbassi (63' 7-Mahmoud Al Zoghbi), 12-Rami Qadoura (80' 10-Rony Azar) Unused Substitutes: 6-Nour Mansour, 9-Hussein Tahan, 22-Ali Al Haress, 23-Youssef Baalbaki EAST BENGAL: 1-Subrata Pal; 27-Irungbam Surkumar Singh, 2-Muttath Suresh [C], 3-Majekodumni Bolaji, 5-Debabrata Roy; 23-Mehtab Hussain (75' 6-Snehashish Chakraborty), 26-Mehraj din Wadoo, 15-Ike Ibe Gift (81' 11-Hardip Singh Saini), 9-Alvito D'Cunha; 19-Syed Rahim Nabi, 30-Edmilson Marques Pardal Unused Substitutes: 8-Poibang Pohshna, 10-Dipendu Biswas, 12-Anupam Sarkar, 21-Gopal Das, 22-Vimal Pariyar YELLOW CARDS: Debabrata Roy (50'), Mehraj din Wadoo (86'), Subrata Pal (90'+3', both East Bengal). REFEREE: Mahmood Mohd Juma Al Ghatrifi (Oman). ASSISTANT REFEREES: Akber Husain Ali Husain (Bahrain), Sameer Abdulla Ahmed Ebrahim Mohamed (Bahrain). FOURTH OFFICIAL: Nawaf Abdulla Ghayyath Shukralla (Bahrain). MATCH COMMISSIONER: Azat Muradov (Turkmenistan). ATTENDANCE: 700 LIVE MATCH ACTION 90'+4' Ramez Dayoub misses the spot kick 90'+4' Penalty for SAFA SC | Subrata Pal fouls Rony Azar in the box 90' Four minutes of stoppage time 65' East Bengal having difficulties to find into the match and reduce the margin 46' Kick-off 2nd Half 45' Half-time | Safa SC 1-0 East Bengal Club 40' Powerplay by SAFA SC; a powerful drive by Salameh which is blocked by the East Bengal defenders 34' SAFA SC on the attack; Khodor Salameh passes to Mbassi who follows the ball with a first time volley but the ball goes wide 26' Next chance for SAFA SC; Rafael Mbassi alone in-front of Subrata Pal; Subrata with a great save 23' SAFA SC in control of the match 18' Goal for SAFA SC; a cross reaches Rafael Mbassi, who made no mistake from close range 16' First chance for SAFA SC; a free kick by Amer Khan bounces off the crossbar Match Report: by Mohammed Hallal: Lebanon's Safa SC claimed their first victory in this year's AFC Cup following their 1-0 win against East Bengal Club in group B at Beirut Sports City on Tuesday. The only goal in the game came after 18 minutes through Safa's Cameroonian midfielder Mbassi Rafael as Safa went to the top of the group following the 1-1 draw between Ahli Sana'a and Al Wihdat in the other group match earlier on the day. After a sluggish start, Safa showed their intentions on 16 minutes when they were rewarded a free kick from 30-yards out but the powerful free kick of Amer Khan slammed the crossbar. However, Safa took the lead two minutes later when Mohammd Qarhani sent a tempting cross from the left flank to the unmarked Mbassi Rafael inside the area and the Cameroonian striker made no mist