NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation, on Friday, November 24, 2023, announced the launch of the AIFF Youth Leagues, with the U-17 version, scheduled to kick off in the second week of December.

In an effort to ensure fair play, the AIFF will conduct TW3 Tests for the U-13 and U-15 Youth Leagues, starting in January, as part of a comprehensive strategy to eradicate age fraud. Over 50 teams are expected to participate, with direct entry granted to teams from the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League, I-League 2, and Elite Academies with AIFF Academy Accreditation.

The first round of AIFF Academy Accreditation was completed, with 30 Academies from the Elite category awarded accreditation on the basis of various criteria fulfilled. The criteria included factors such as Residential Setup, Technical and Administration Staff, Medical and Education Provisions and other important requirements. The Advanced and Basic criteria accreditations will be completed subsequently.

To keep the National Accreditation true and fair to its objective – the AIFF plans to conduct surprise inspections for the accredited academies. Any discrepancies or non-compliance towards the criteria as per the accreditation policy may lead to the stripping of the academy’s accreditation.

AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said, “This year, the leagues have been slightly delayed. After three years, the Junior and Sub-Junior National Football Championships Tier 1 and 2 for boys and girls were organised.

“Now, we are going to kickstart the national youth leagues, for which more than 30 academies have been accredited after checking all their parameters. Along with them, the I-League and the ISL junior teams will also be taking part. We will be starting with the U17 league first, followed by the U15 and U13. There will be spotters in most of the games of U13 leagues, to identify talents.”

The AIFF Youth League aims to be inclusive, extending invitations to nominations from AIFF Member Associations that have successfully conducted Youth Leagues in their states. This collaborative approach seeks to create a dynamic and competitive platform for India’s emerging football talent, setting the stage for a vibrant future in Indian football.

Tottenham Hotspur legends Ledley King and Ossie Ardiles will be visiting India to support a series of events and activities arranged by the Club to engage with fans and promote the development of football at grassroots level.


Former Club captain, Ledley, and 1978 World Cup-winner, Ossie, will arrive in Mumbai on Friday 24th November and attend a watch party of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Sunday 26th November at Dublin Square, Phoenix Market City.

Registrations to attend the free watch party – that will also feature a live DJ and football activities – are now open via the Tottenham Hotspur Official website.

While in Mumbai, Ledley and Ossie will also take part in a cultural city tour and charitable engagements, before heading to Bengaluru on Monday 27th November.

Here, the iconic former players will appear at a Legends evening with Spurs fans in the city and attend the Indian Super League match between Bengaluru FC and Punjab FC as special guests at Sri Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday 30th November.

Throughout the week-long visit to India across both cities, Tottenham Hotspur’s Global Football Coaching team will work with local organisations to deliver training programmes for young players, with the aim of developing the game at grassroots level in India.

This includes a bespoke session delivered in partnership with OSCAR Foundation – a community-based organisation that uses the power of football to encourage children to stay in school and equip them with skills to make them resilient and future-ready. The charity has empowered 15,000+ children and youth in low-income communities in India since 2010.

Ledley King, a one-club man who made 323 appearances and lifted the 2008 League Cup as captain having progressed through the Club’s Academy, said: “This will be my first visit to India and I am extremely excited. I have heard so many good things about our strong fanbase across the country, the passion for football, the food and the culture – I can’t wait to experience it all, spend time with our fans and support the work of our coaching teams.”

Ossie Ardiles, who famously arrived at Spurs following his World Cup success, alongside compatriot Ricky Villa, and went on to lift the FA Cup and UEFA Cup before later managing the Club, said: “This will be my second visit to India in the space of five years – I know first-hand how passionate our fans are in this part of the world and I’m looking forward to meeting as many as possible during our visits to Mumbai and Bengaluru.”

MUMBAI: AIFF President Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Mr. Arsene Wenger addressed the media in the city the day after India’s FIFA World Cup Qualifier Round 2 against Qatar, to discuss the paths to develop Indian Football, and to enhance its youth development system, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

AIFF Vice President NA Haris, Treasurer Mr. Kipa Ajay and Acting Secretary General Mr. Satyanarayan M were present on the occasion.

While Mr. Wenger said that most people want to win the next match, though that is something that needs huge preparation, Mr. Chaubey conveyed that he was not here to sell a dream but to ensure Indian football moved in the right direction in the next few years and reached its desired goal.

Mr. Chaubey, who was present at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, said that football in India is on the brink of history. They were also present for the opening of the first-ever AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy, in the Odisha capital.

“We are operating at a time that will eventually go down in history. Perhaps we do not realise it right now, but one day, these steps will be talked about,” said Mr. Chaubey.

“We feel honoured that FIFA considers our federation as one that has a huge potential for further development, and I welcome all to be a part of it. Let us all share knowledge, exchange ideas, and listen to what Mr. Wenger says,” implored Mr. Chaubey. “FIFA has not given us a magic button to develop football or qualify for the World Cup. Rather, they are here to guide and support us.”

Mr. Wenger believes that India has a massive potential in football, though he says that the country needs to play to its strengths in order to climb the ladder.

“I am very happy to be in India, and I have seen huge potential here. We can all do better together. The one thing I am certain of is that, be it in football or any other field, we can only progress through educating young people,” said Mr. Wenger.

“You have strengths and weaknesses, 1.5 billion people are a huge number, and that makes for a huge potential. It is important for our countries to show their strengths. Sports creates jobs all over the world. India is booming economically, and you have the chance to develop the most popular sport in the world. The clubs are the key for you to develop the players, and we need them to help the country develop on the footballing front,” he said.

India have often been referred to as the “Sleeping giants of football”, but Mr. Wenger begged to differ.

“The giant is here and is heading for hiding. No more sleeping here in this house. That’s how the AIFF is now. This creates a lot of possibilities,” he said.

“The world of football is moving forward and 20 percent of the population cannot be left behind. So, you have to come on board and move forward. We can all see that the giant of football is awake, and we will definitely see some football development.

KATHMANDU: The Blue Tigers ran out winners in their second International Friendly against Nepal on Sunday (September 5, 2021) at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, with Farukh Choudhary and captain Sunil Chhetri scoring once each in the second half as the scoreline read 2-1 at the full-time whistle.

India began the first half well, with Bipin Singh penetrating through the Nepal backline from the left flank on a number of occasions. In the sixth minute, he played in a looping ball for an onrushing Manvir Singh to head but Kiran Limbu came charging off his line to collect.

Another Bipin cross wreaked havoc in the Nepali defence in the 24th minute as Anirudh Thapa looked to bring the ball under his control inside the penalty area. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Kiran again advanced from his goalline and cleared the ball away with his feet at the last moment.

As the home team sat back and looked to defend deep, the Blue Tigers continued to press for the opening goal. Thapa, who had found the net for India in the previous friendly three days ago, entered the penalty area from the right in the 29th minute, and fizzed in a low cross with Sunil Chhetri waiting at the back post, only for Ananta Tamang to save the day with a last-ditch sliding tackle.

Manvir Singh, playing down the right flank, clipped in a cross with five minutes to go in the first half, which was flicked on by Rahim Ali for Bipin, who headed the ball back across the goal for Sunil but it is cleared away for a corner.

With a minute of regulation time left to play in the first half, Sunil came close to giving India the lead as Seriton Fernandes played in a deep cross from the right and the resulting header from the Indian skipper went just over the bar.

The first half also saw Nepal cause danger to the Indian goal on a couple of occasions. In the 13th minute, Manish Dangi found himself in space in the penalty area but Chinglensana tracked back and was alert to the danger to stop the shot. Aashish Lama almost got a shot on target in the 28th minute but he could not connect from close range from a cross by Ayush Ghalan.

After the break, India continued their hunt for the go-ahead goal and created threats from both flanks, with Kiran called into action on multiple occasions. Head coach Igor Stimac had brought on Farukh Choudhary to replace Bipin at the break and it was the substitute who broke the deadlock with a calm finish in the 62nd minute.

Chinglensana swung in a curling cross from the left, which Sunil laid perfectly into the path of an unmarked Farukh, who placed it past the keeper and into the corner to give the Blue Tigers the lead.

Consequently, the match became extremely end-to-end, as Nepal began to push more men forward. Amrinder made a good save in the 65th minute from a close-range header and three minutes later, Nawayug Shrestha played in Bishal Rai inside the penalty area, but his effort from 10 yards went wide of the goal. Manish Dangi had another opportunity for the hosts in the 72nd minute as he connected with the ball from a cross at the far post but did not place it on target.

With 15 minutes to play, Farukh and Sunil combined excellently up top, and Rahim was played in towards goal. However, he was denied a shooting opportunity because of a sliding tackle from the Nepali centre-half.

As the match approached its critical stage, Sunil doubled the Blue Tigers’ advantage with a trademark finish – polishing off a fantastic counterattack. It was Nepal who were putting pressure with a free-kick in a dangerous area but Amrinder collected and played the ball to Thapa on the halfway line, who headed it on for a charging Sunil. The Indian skipper calmly approached the goal and sent Kiran the wrong way, before slotting the ball home to make it 2-0.

Just as the match neared the end, the home team scored in the 87th minute through Tej Tamang, who powered home a venomous shot from 30 yards. Five minutes were added by the referee but the Blue Tigers saw them off with ease and clinched the win.

India XI: Amrinder Singh (GK); Subhasish Bose, Chinglensana Singh, Pritam Kotal, Seriton Fernandes; Bipin Singh Thounaojam (Farukh Choudhary 46′), Lalengmawia (Yasir Mohammad 90′), Anirudh Thapa (Pronay Halder 90′), Manvir Singh (Suresh Wangjam 66′); Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali (Glan Martins 78′)

Bengaluru, 4th September 2021: FC Bengaluru United and Spanish LaLiga side Sevilla FC have been nominated for the Best Internationalisation Strategy by the prestigious World Football Summit Awards. The two clubs have been nominated for the award alongside LaLiga outfit Valencia CF and Premier League team Everton FC. The winner of the Best Internationalisation Strategy award, presented by Deloitte, will be announced on 9 September and will receive the trophy during a ceremony on day one of WFS Europe at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano on 22 September.

Since their inception in 2018, FC Bengaluru United have been on a robust growth trajectory, both on and off the field. They impressed with a strong showing in the I-League Qualifiers in 2020, and earlier this year, were crowned BDFA Super Division League Champions. In what is a strong testimony to their growing process, FC Bengaluru United have been invited to participate in the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, beginning in the first week of September in Kolkata, along with other top-flight Indian football clubs. The club has also garnered praise for their holistic vision of promoting the sport right from the grassroots.

In January this year, FC Bengaluru United announced their partnership with LaLiga giants Sevilla FC, a five-year agreement, which focuses on technological innovation, development and projects in the sport as well as increasing the Spanish football club’s footprint in one of the world’s most vibrant and rapidly growing football markets.

“We are extremely excited and honoured to be nominated for the Best Internationalisation Strategy by the World Football Summit Awards,” said Gaurav Manchanda, FC Bengaluru United and Nimida Sports Founder. “Our partnership with Sevilla FC marked an important milestone in the way the game of football can grow and expand its horizons. Knowledge exchange and bringing the game close to its fans are just some of the key aspects that such partnerships look to achieve. We are delighted that our joint vision to grow the game with Sevilla FC has been recognised on such a prestigious platform.

Created in 2017, the WFS Awards recognise and reward the work carried out by professionals in the different fields and sectors of the football industry. Previous winners of the award include LaLiga and RC Celta Vigo. The winner of the award is judged on the basis of their presence in new markets, business scalability, brand expansion, new sources of income, business diversification, use of technology involved to develop and implement the strategy as well as CSR initiatives involved in this strategy.

Sevilla FC president José Castro was delighted with the nomination: “It is clear that we are taking the right steps in terms of internationalisation. Partnering with FC Bengaluru United meant our entry into the Indian market, which we had set as a strategic objective within our international expansion plan, and now this prestigious nomination clearly endorses our commitment to international growth.” 

NEW DELHI: A day after Indian Men’s Senior National Team beat Hero I-League team Mohammedan Sporting 2-0 in an exhibition match at the VYBK on Sunday (August 26) evening, Head Coach Igor Stimac maintained that “we need to be careful as we head to the next two matches.”

He also named the list of 25 players who will be travelling to Nepal to play the back-to-back International Friendlies on September 2 and 5, respectively.

“We can’t expect much after 10 days of preparation. The legs are still heavy from the load, and we need to slow down, and refresh the players,” Stimac told www.the-aiff.com.

“I am happy with the manner our players performed. They should have scored a few goals much earlier. But it was not easy under the heavy downpour, and a heavy pitch,” Stimac explained. It rained all throughout the match, and the downpour was heavy from midway in the second half.

“The conditions were challenging,” Stimac added. “The boys are all ready for 45 minutes, and we need to be careful going into the next two games against Nepal. We understand that the ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC players will be in better shape than others for two matches against Nepal.”

While the ATK Mohun Bagan players join the camp in Kolkata today, the BFC players will join the rest of the squad in New Delhi on 29th evening. The Blue Tigers leave for Nepal the next day, i.e., August 30.

The National Team probables have been training in Kolkata since August 15. That had marked the return of the National Team camp in Kolkata after 15 years with the Blue Tigers last having camped in Kolkata way back in 2006 prior to the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

25-man India Squad:

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Mandar Rao Dessai, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Seriton Fernandes.

Midfielders: Lalengmawia, Bipin Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Yasir Mohammad, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Pronay Halder.

Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary.