Category: Football

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CFL: Match between Mohun Bagan and Tollygunge abandoned; Bagan demands replay

KOLKATA: Azharuddin Mallick’s stoppage time goal was ruled off side which resulted in utter chaos at the Mohun Bagan Ground during the CFL Premier Division – A match between Mohun Bagan and Tollygunge Agragami and saw the match was abandoned here on Monday.

The game was locked at 1-1 when Azharuddin scored in stoppage time only to see the assistant referee Ujjal Haldar flagging him off-side. This triggered tension in the stands as hundreds of Mohun Bagan fans invaded the playing area and started throwing bolltes and stones on the ground.

Mohun Bagan officials tried their best in controling the situation but all efforts of resuming the match went in vain as raging fans were beyond anybody’s control. Hence Match Commissioner Udayan Halder forced to call off the game due to lack of security after a 50-minute halt.

Prabir Das and Alfred Jaryan were the scorers for Mohun Bagan and Tollygung respectively, while a goal each of Daniel Bidemi and Prabir were discarded for off-side. But the real drama unfolded in the injury time when Azhar’s goal was cancelled with two and a half minutes still left to play.

Immediately, Mohun Bagan management decided to withdraw the players and announced that they would be boycotting the remainder of the league to protest against the poor refereeing which saw a total number of three goals being ruled off-side in the game.

However, the Mohun Bagan General Secretary Anjan Mitra later demanded for a replay of the game and stated the club would only reconsider their decision of boycotting the league if the State Association fulfill their demand.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Match between Mohun Bagan and Tollygunge abandoned; Bagan demands replay

 

KOLKATA: Azharuddin Mallick’s stoppage time goal was ruled off side which resulted in utter chaos at the Mohun Bagan Ground during the CFL Premier Division – A match between Mohun Bagan and Tollygunge Agragami and saw the match was abandoned here on Monday.

The game was locked at 1-1 when Azharuddin scored in stoppage time only to see the assistant referee Ujjal Haldar flagging him off-side. This triggered tension in the stands as hundreds of Mohun Bagan fans invaded the playing area and started throwing bolltes and stones on the ground.

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Mohun Bagan officials tried their best in controling the situation but all efforts of resuming the match went in vain as raging fans were beyond anybody’s control. Hence Match Commissioner Udayan Halder forced to call off the game due to lack of security after a 50-minute halt.

Prabir Das and Alfred Jaryan were the scorers for Mohun Bagan and Tollygung respectively, while a goal each of Daniel Bidemi and Prabir were discarded for off-side. But the real drama unfolded in the injury time when Azhar’s goal was cancelled with two and a half minutes still left to play.

DSC04964

Immediately, Mohun Bagan management decided to withdraw the players and announced that they would be boycotting the remainder of the league to protest against the poor refereeing which saw a total number of three goals being ruled off-side in the game.

However, the Mohun Bagan General Secretary Anjan Mitra later demanded for a replay of the game and stated the club would only reconsider their decision of boycotting the league if the State Association fulfill their demand.

Photo By Ujjal Sarkhel.

by Abhishek Shukla

ISL: FC GOA flies to Rio for Pre-Season

Panaji, 29th August 2016: FC Goa has left to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to prepare for the upcoming Hero Indian Super League season. 12 Indian players from the squad departed from Dabolim International Airport on 29th August while the international players will join their teammates in Brazil.

Fulganco Cardozo who has been selected for the national team’s encounter against Puerto Rico will join the rest of the squad in Rio de Janeiro at a later date. Sanjay Balmuchu and Raju Gaikwad will also join the team later due to commitments with their parent club.

Head coach Zico’s idea behind taking the team to his home country was that the team would get a run out against some tough opposition which would give them the much needed practice to play against teams in the ISL. “Our pre season will be here in Rio where we are playing friendly matches against some strong teams. This will immensely benefit our Indian and foreign players. Our thinking is that if our pre-season this year is as good as it was last year, the chances of success will increase significantly. So, for me, our pre-season in Brazil will be a trump card for us,” he mentioned.

Mandar Rao Dessai who recently travelled to Villareal CF in Spain for a two week training stint has expressed the need for quality training facilities. “Football in India and abroad is completely different. I’m sure that in Brazil, we will have better training facilities and we will get to play against strong teams. This will help us develop our skills and it will help the team understand each other before the ISL starts,” he explained.

The team will have a run of pre-season games against local opposition before returning on 24th September to Goa ahead of the start of the new season.

by Abhishek Shukla

Mohammedan SC adds French flavour to side; signs Alexandre Tabillon

 

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club has completed the signing of midfielder Alexandre Tabillon for the rest of the season. The club has also completed his reigistration process at IFA Office on Monday and he will be avalaible for selection against Southern Samity on Wednesday.

The Paris born is the only second French footballer in Kolkata maidan after Bernard Mendy who played for East Bengal last season, has moved out of Europe for the first time in his career.

“I am thankful to the Mohammedan Sporting Club for this opportunity. It is a new challenge for me and I am looking forward to it. I have heard a lot about Indian football and really wanted to be a part of it. I hope to have a great stint with the club and help the club in winning the CFL,” Alexandre said.

The 25-year old has started his career at now dissolved French club Gap Hautes-Alpes FC in 2009. From there he went onto play for the French fouth tier club FC Villefranche before joining French League 2 club Tours FC in 2015. Alexandre also plied his trade in Romania at Romanian Liga 2 side FC UTA Arad.

“We are very happy to welcome Alexandre at the Mohammedan Sporting Club. With Leonce Dodoz and Manvir Singh we believe he will be a crucial player for the success of the team.” Club General Secretary Mr. Ghazal uz Zafar said.

 Photo By Santanu Biswas.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC GOA flies to Rio for Pre-Season

Panaji, 29th August 2016: FC Goa has left to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to prepare for the upcoming Hero Indian Super League season. 12 Indian players from the squad departed from Dabolim International Airport on 29th August while the international players will join their teammates in Brazil.

Fulganco Cardozo who has been selected for the national team’s encounter against Puerto Rico will join the rest of the squad in Rio de Janeiro at a later date. Sanjay Balmuchu and Raju Gaikwad will also join the team later due to commitments with their parent club.

Head coach Zico’s idea behind taking the team to his home country was that the team would get a run out against some tough opposition which would give them the much needed practice to play against teams in the ISL. “Our pre season will be here in Rio where we are playing friendly matches against some strong teams. This will immensely benefit our Indian and foreign players. Our thinking is that if our pre-season this year is as good as it was last year, the chances of success will increase significantly. So, for me, our pre-season in Brazil will be a trump card for us,” he mentioned.

Mandar Rao Dessai who recently travelled to Villareal CF in Spain for a two week training stint has expressed the need for quality training facilities. “Football in India and abroad is completely different. I’m sure that in Brazil, we will have better training facilities and we will get to play against strong teams. This will help us develop our skills and it will help the team understand each other before the ISL starts,” he explained.

The team will have a run of pre-season games against local opposition before returning on 24th September to Goa ahead of the start of the new season.

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DSK SHIVAJIANS EDGE PAST SPORTING IN THE DURAND CUP OPENER.

Delhi: In the opening fixture of the 128th Durand Cup Sporting Clube de Goa went down fighting 1-2 to DSK Shivajians at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

Rohit Kumar (9’) and Kim Song Yong (43’) put DSK ahead in the first half, while Victorino Fernandes (63’) pulled one back for Sporting in the second.

DSK started off as a more organized unit completing more passes in the initial phase of the match. This quickly paid off in the 9th minute when Juan Quero broke from the right flank to set up Rohit Kumar in a fantastic position who made no mistake putting the ball past Ravi Kumar.

Sporting responded quickly with Galn Martins and Victorino Fernandes making some good runs into the DSK box but couldn’t find the nets. In the 13th minute a Cajetan Fernandes free kick went screaming past the nets.

For DSK Quero and Kim combined well to create some promising chances at the other end. In the 43rd minute Quero found a loose ball at the edge of the box and send in a powerful shot which hit the post and went straight into the feet of Kim who was never missing that opportunity making it 2–0 for the Pune outfit before heading back to the tunnels at half-time.

The second half saw a more determined Sporting who came out to prove a point. Sporting went for the goal right from the kick off with Victorino taking up the responsibility. In the 63rd minute his hard work paid off when he managed to reach at the end of a Seriton Fernandes cross to slot the ball past Rakshit pulling one back for Sporting.

In the final quarter it was all Sporting as Cajetan, Victorino, Seriton and Glan got some decent chances but failed to put it past Rakshit who was at the top of his game. In the 75th minute Rakshit denied Seriton with a full length dive saving a sure equaliser for DSK.

Towards the final minute Sporting won a free kick at the edge of the box, Glan Martins who stepped up to the occasion send in a curling shot which was denied by the wood work hence assuring DSK held on to the lead, till the very end. Sporting will face Indian Navy in their next fixture on Monday at the same venue.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Mohun Bagan look to return winning ways against Tollygunge Agragami

By Ajay Majumder

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan will look to return to winning ways when they take on Tollygunge Agragami in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A at Mohun Bagan Ground on Monday.

The Mariners are going into the game on the back of a goalless draw against Peerless SC last week while Tollygunge have endured back-to-back defeats in their last two fixtures. So it’s quite obvious that both sides will be looking for nothing but three points heading into the business end of the league.

Speaking ahead of the match, Mohun Bagan Coach Sankarlal Chakraborty said, “The last game against Peerless was a tough one. We had our chances but at the end it was our mistakes that proved costly, but there is still a long way to go and we are focussed on the task at hand.”

On the team news front, The Bagan coach is expected to shuffle his starting line-up as Tonmoy Ghosh could return into the starting XI while Daniel Bidemi is expected to pair Darryl Duffy upfront.

Tollygunge, on the other hand, stated their campaign with a lot of promise and even pulled off the first upset of the season when they beat a strong Mohammedan Sporting Club 2-1. But since then their performance level dipped as they suffered concecutive defaets in next two games against Aryan Club and East Bengal.

Facing Mohun Bagan, Tollygunge coach Ranjan Chowdhury will be relying on Nigerian striker Joel Sunday for goals upfront. Joining him will be the likes of Surabuddin Mallick, Phoolchand Hembrom and Reisangmei Vashum who would play a crucial role in the midfield while the experienced Kareem Omolaja Nurain will lead the back-line.

“The game against Tollygunge will not be a easy one. They have a very good squad with three veary good foreigners. But we have worked hard during the past week and are ready for the challenge.” coach Sankarlal added.

For the record, last time when these two teams faced off in the CFL Premier Division – A previous year, Tollygunge walked away with full three points despite losing the match 1-3 as Mohun Bagan played the last four minutes of the game without a U-23 player on the pitch violating the rules of the league.

by Abhishek Shukla

DSK Shivajians beat SC de Goa 2-1 in 2016 Durand Cup opener

 

28th August, 2016 – Pune, India: DSK Shivajians FC registered a historic 2-1 victory over Sporting Clube de Goa in their first-ever appearance in the 128th Durand Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi on Sunday.

First-half strikes from midfielder Rohit Kumar (9th minute) and North Korean Kim Song-Young (43rd minute) helped DSK Shivajians FC impress in the inaugural match of the tournament. The Goans pulled one back via striker Victorino Fernandes (63rd minute) in the second half.

The victory gave DSK Shivajians FC three points and helped them open their account in Group-A.

Playing the tournament for the first time, DSK Shivajians FC broke the deadlock early through an intelligent move. Skipper Juan Quero, from the right flank, delivered a ball which Kim left for Rohit. The midfielder utilised the opportunity and hammered the ball in from the edge of the box and lead 1-0.

DSK Shivajians FC restricted the Goans from attacking which resulted in the opponents trying from long distances.

Two minutes before half time, DSK Shivajians FC added another goal. This time again it was skipper Juan Quero’s try from the edge of the box that crashed off the horizontal and fell at Kim’s feet who tapped in past goalkeeper Ravi Kumar from close.

At half time, DSK Shivajians FC led 2-0.

Eighteen minutes after resumption, Sporting Clube de Goa pulled one back. Striker Victorino reached out to the end of the ball sent in by Seriton Fernandes and found way past DSK Shivajians ‘keeper Rakshit Dagar.

Having conceded, DSK Shivajians FC came close in increasing the lead. A foul on DSK Shivajians Maan Singh led to a freekick which Quero took and found Shane McFaul. The delivery was long and good , but Shane’s header on target was held on by the Sporting keeper Ravi Kumar.

At the other end, DSK Shivajians FC ‘keeper Rakshit made a heroic save to deny Sporting Clube de Goa a chance of equalizing when he blocked Victorino’s try from close.

In the closing minutes, DSK Shivajians FC went close again when Surachandra Singh almost had substitute Hitova in the clear, but to his dismay Sporting Clube defender Loveday intercepted the move.

A minute before full time, Sporting Club had a last ditch effort hit the post when Glan Martins’ crashed his free-kick on the vertical.

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MINERVA ACADEMY FC SQUAD DEPART FOR 128TH EDITION OF DURAND CUP AT DELHI

DELHI: The 128th edition of the Durand Cup kicks off on August 28, with an enthralling Pool A match between Sporting Clube de Goa and DSK Shivajians at Ambedkar Stadium. The 128th Durand tournament has the highest ever prize fund worth Rs 75 lakh owing to newly roped in sponsors. The winning team will get Rs 45 lakh, the runners-up Rs 20 lakh and the losing semi-finalists Rs 5 lakh each. After a brief sojourn in Goa, the Durand football tournament has returned to its original home, Delhi. It was last held here in 2013. In 2014 it was shifted to Goa and last season it was not held. The 128th edition will be held simultaneously at the Ambedkar and Harbaksh Singh Stadiums from August 28 to September 11. Overall, 12 teams, divided into two groups are participating. The top two from each group will reach the knock out semi-finals.

Three I-League first division participants this season are, Sporting Clube de Goa, DSK Shivajians and Aizawl FC (both debutants). Five teams have been roped in from the second division, Dempo SC, Minerva FC, Neroca FC, Gangtok Himalayan and Real Kashmir FC. Except for 2006 Durand champions Dempo, the other four are making their debut. The remaining four teams are from the Services, Army Red, Army Green, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The pools have been divided as follows;

Pool A: DSK Shivajians, SC de Goa, Minerva Academy FC, Gangtok Himalyan SC, Indian Navy & Army Green.
Pool B: Aizawl FC, Dempo SC, Neroca FC, Real Kashmir FC, Indian Air Force, Army Red.

Minerva AFC have created history by being the first team from Chandigarh to qualify for the main draw of the prestigious Durand Cup and are hopeful of a good showing as they have been undergoing rigorous training for the past few months in preparation for the tournament. This season Minerva has roped in some experienced players to give stability and direction to the team along with the usual crop of talented local youngsters. Clifford Rayes Miranda, Ex India Captain has been commissioned for the Durand cup to step into the leadership role. Other crucial signings include Manandeep Singh of ISL, Kerala Blaster fame; Victor Amobi, Captain of the Nepal Premier League Champions (3 Star Club) and last minute singing of Asian Origin Foreign striker Marcus PJ Lopez of Guam National Team. Despite being pinned against the best teams of the country, the football world is abuzz with predictions of Minerva AFC as title contenders. The Asian Age recently called Minerva AFC, “The Dark Horse” of the tournament. Head Coach Surinder Singh is happy with the team, “We have put in the hard work and if God is on our side, we will not come back empty handed!”

Minerva AFC 26 Member Squad for Durand Cup:

PLAYERS:
ARSHDEEP SINGH
ARSHDEEP SINGH
KAMALPREET SINGH
JARMANJIT SINGH
AKASHDEEP SINGH
AMANDEEP SINGH
JAISON VALES
GIRIK KHOSLA
HARPREET BEDI
GAGANDEEP SINGH
STEVEN FERNANDES
MOINUDDIN
AKASH SANGWAN
KORHENA A BOAKAI (F)
CLIFFORD MIRANDA
THOUNAOJAM JEAKSON SINGH
VICTOR AMBOI OZOANIBUEZE (F)
LAGO DOGBO BEI (F)
SHAMSHER SINGH
MANANDEEP SINGH
MARCUS PJ LOPEZ (F) (A)
SUKHJIT SINGH
RAJAN NEGI
JAIRAM
NARENDRA VAKARE
SALMAN LATEEF

COACH:
SURINDER SINGH

by Abhishek Shukla

Minerva Academy FC set to make Durand Cup debut

DELHI: The 128th edition of the Durand Cup kicks off on August 28, with an enthralling Pool A match between Sporting Clube de Goa and DSK Shivajians at Ambedkar Stadium. The 128th Durand tournament has the highest ever prize fund worth Rs 75 lakh owing to newly roped in sponsors. The winning team will get Rs 45 lakh, the runners-up Rs 20 lakh and the losing semi-finalists Rs 5 lakh each. After a brief sojourn in Goa, the Durand football tournament has returned to its original home, Delhi. It was last held here in 2013. In 2014 it was shifted to Goa and last season it was not held. The 128th edition will be held simultaneously at the Ambedkar and Harbaksh Singh Stadiums from August 28 to September 11

Overall, 12 teams, divided into two groups are participating. The top two from each group will reach the knock out semi-finals.

Three I-League first division participants this season are, Sporting Clube de Goa, DSK Shivajians and Aizawl FC (both debutants). Five teams have been roped in from the second division, Dempo SC, Minerva FC, Neroca FC, Gangtok Himalayan and Real Kashmir FC. Except for 2006 Durand champions Dempo, the other four are making their debut. The remaining four teams are from the Services, Army Red, Army Green, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The pools have been divided as follows:

Pool A: SC De Goa, DSK Shivajian, Minerva AFC, Gangtok Himalayan, Indian Navy & Army Green.
Pool B: Aizawl FC, Dempo SC, Neroca FC, Real Kashmir, Army Red, Indian Air Force.

Minerva AFC have created history by being the first team from Chandigarh to qualify for the main draw of the prestigious Durand Cup and are hopeful of a good showing as they have been undergoing rigorous training for the past few months in preparation for the tournament. This season Minerva has roped in some experienced players to give stability and direction to the team along with the usual crop of talented local youngsters. Clifford Rayes Miranda, Ex India Captain has been commissioned for the Durand cup to step into the leadership role. Other crucial signings include Manandeep Singh of ISL, Kerala Blaster fame; Victor Amobi, Captain of the Nepal Premier League Champions (3 Star Club) and last minute singing of Asian Origin Foreign striker Marcus PJ Lopez of Guam National Team. Despite being pinned against the best teams of the country, the football world is abuzz with predictions of Minerva AFC as title contenders. The Asian Age recently called Minerva AFC, “The Dark Horse” of the tournament. Head Coach Surinder Singh is happy with the team, “We have put in the hard work and if God is on our side, we will not come back empty handed!”

Minerva AFC 26 Member Squad for Durand Cup:

Arshdeep Singh,  Arshdeep Singh (GK), Kamalpreet Singh, Jarmanjit Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Amandeep Singh, Jaison Vales, Girik Khosla, Harpreet Bedi, Gagandeep Singh, Steven Fernandes, Moinuddin, Akash Sangwan, Korhena A Boakai, Clifford Miranda, Jackson Singh, Victor Amobi, Lago Bei, Shamsher Singh, Manandeep Singh, Marcus PJ Lopez, Sukhjit Singh, Rajan Negi, Jairam, Narendra Vakare, Salman Lateef

FIXTURES OF MINERVA AFC

Minerva AFC vs Gangtok Himalayan at 18.45 hrs at Ambedkar Stadium.
Minerva AFC vs Indian Navy at 16.30 hrs at Harbaksh Stadium.
Minerva AFC vs Army Green at 16.30 hrs at Harbaksh Stadium.
Minerva AFC vs DSK Shivajians at 16.30 hrs at Ambedkar Stadium.
Minerva AFC vs Sporting Club De Goa at 16.30 hrs Ambedkar Stadium.
9th September, 2016 Semi finals.
11th September 2016 Finals.

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CFL: East Bengal continue to top the table with a 2-1 win over Southern Samity

KOLKATA: East Bengal extended their unbeaten run in the CFL Premier Division – A as they defeated Southern Samity 2-1 at Barasat Stadium on Saturday.

Jiten Murmu (35th) and Do Dong Hyun (45th) scored in the first-half for East Bengal after Southern Samity took the early lead through Basanta Singh (7th).

Going into the game East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan made four changes to the playing XI from the previous match by handing starts to Rahul Bheke, Robert Lalthlamuana, Bikash Jairu and Do Dong replacing Samad Ali Mallick, Narayan Das, Avinash Ruidas and Somide Adelaja.

Southern Samity started off well and stunned their opponents with a 7th minute strike from winger Singh. Liberian striker Taurus Manneh sent in a delightful cross from the left side for Singh, who capitalized on a East Bengal defensive lapse, and made no mistake to head the opener.

Having conceded early on, East Bengal began attacking with intensity through Do Dong, Lalrindika Ralte and Mohammad Rafique but rivals Southern Samity managed to hold on defending deep.

However Southern Samity’s resistance was finally broken in the 35th minute when Jiten headed the equaliser off an Mehtab Hossain flag-kick.

Thereafter East Bengal increased their pressure up front and dominated the game entirely. East Bengal’s pressure yielded another goal at the stroke of half-time when Do Dong put his team into the lead. East Bengal were awarded a penalty when Southern Samity’s Nagen Tamang handled Jairu’s goalbound shot inside the box and the Korean slotted from the spot to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In the second half both sides battled hard in the midfield. While East Bengal had the better chances to go further up, Southern Samity also had their chances to equalise.

Midway through the half, East Bengal went agonisingly close through Rafique, whose effort was blocked by the rival keeper Sourav Chakraborty.

Southern Samity’s responded through substitute Rooney Eva around the 70th minute mark. However the Cameroonian striker failed to keep his effort on target from an hand shaking distance.

In the remainder of the game, Southern Samity battled hard looking for the equaliser, but East Bengal managed to hold on with some solid defending as the game ended 2-1.

The result saw East Bengal continued to top the table with 18 points from six matches while Southern Samity remain on fifth with 7 points.

East Bengal XI – Luis Barreto (GK), Rahul Bheke, Arnab Mondal, Calum Angus, Robert Lalthalmuana (c) (Deepak-68′), Mohammed Rafique, Mehtab Hossein, Lalrindika Ralte, Bikash Jairu (Abinash Ruidas- 78′), Dong Hyun Do (Somide Adelaja – 68′), Jiten Murmu.

Southern Samity XI – Sourav Chakravarty (GK), Suman Hazra, Deepak Mondal (c), Celestine Echezona, Safar Sardar, Nagen Tamang, Anthony Soren, Gautam Kujur, Snehasis Chakravarty (Ashim Biswas – 51′), M Basanta Singh, Taurus (Rooney Eva-78′).

Photo By Santanu Biswas.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: East Bengal continue to top the table with a 2-1 win over Southern Samity

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: East Bengal extended their unbeaten run in the CFL Premier Division – A as they defeated Southern Samity 2-1 at Barasat Stadium on Saturday.

Jiten Murmu (35th) and Do Dong Hyun (45th) scored in the first-half for East Bengal after Southern Samity took the early lead through Basanta Singh (7th).

Going into the game East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan made four changes to the playing XI from the previous match by handing starts to Rahul Bheke, Robert Lalthlamuana, Bikash Jairu and Do Dong replacing Samad Ali Mallick, Narayan Das, Avinash Ruidas and Somide Adelaja.

Southern Samity started off well and stunned their opponents with a 7th minute strike from winger Singh. Liberian striker Taurus Manneh sent in a delightful cross from the left side for Singh, who capitalized on a East Bengal defensive lapse, and made no mistake to head the opener.

Having conceded early on, East Bengal began attacking with intensity through Do Dong, Lalrindika Ralte and Mohammad Rafique but rivals Southern Samity managed to hold on defending deep.

However Southern Samity’s resistance was finally broken in the 35th minute when Jiten headed the equaliser off an Mehtab Hossain flag-kick.

Thereafter East Bengal increased their pressure up front and dominated the game entirely. East Bengal’s pressure yielded another goal at the stroke of half-time when Do Dong put his team into the lead. East Bengal were awarded a penalty when Southern Samity’s Nagen Tamang handled Jairu’s goalbound shot inside the box and the Korean slotted from the spot to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In the second half both sides battled hard in the midfield. While East Bengal had the better chances to go further up, Southern Samity also had their chances to equalise.

Midway through the half, East Bengal went agonisingly close through Rafique, whose effort was blocked by the rival keeper Sourav Chakraborty.

Southern Samity’s responded through substitute Rooney Eva around the 70th minute mark. However the Cameroonian striker failed to keep his effort on target from an hand shaking distance.

In the remainder of the game, Southern Samity battled hard looking for the equaliser, but East Bengal managed to hold on with some solid defending as the game ended 2-1.

The result saw East Bengal continued to top the table with 18 points from six matches while Southern Samity remain on fifth with 7 points.

East Bengal XI – Luis Barreto (GK), Rahul Bheke, Arnab Mondal, Calum Angus, Robert Lalthalmuana (c) (Deepak-68′), Mohammed Rafique, Mehtab Hossein, Lalrindika Ralte, Bikash Jairu (Abinash Ruidas- 78′), Dong Hyun Do (Somide Adelaja – 68′), Jiten Murmu.

Southern Samity XI – Sourav Chakravarty (GK), Suman Hazra, Deepak Mondal (c), Celestine Echezona, Safar Sardar, Nagen Tamang, Anthony Soren, Gautam Kujur, Snehasis Chakravarty (Ashim Biswas – 51′), M Basanta Singh, Taurus (Rooney Eva-78′).

Photo By Santanu Biswas.

by Abhishek Shukla

DSK Shivajians FC set to play Sporting Clube de Goa in Durand Cup Opener

 

27th August 2016 – Delhi, India – A new-look DSK Shivajians FC, under Manager Dave Rogers, is set to take on Sporting Club de Goa in their first-ever Durand Cup encounter at the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi on Sunday.

The face-off between the two I-League clubs would formally inaugurate the 128th edition of the tournament. Interestingly, DSK Shivajians FC made their I-League debut against Sporting Club de Goa at Goa, which ended in a stalemate.

Pune-based DSK Shivajians FC goes into the game fresh from a victory over I-League champions Bengaluru FC in a pre-season friendly. The morale-boosting win will certainly be motivation enough for the squad to make an instant impact in their first tournament of the season.

Looking forward to the Durand Cup opener, First Team Manager Dave Rogers, said: “We are eagerly looking forward to the Durand Cup. We have worked really hard in the pre-season. The players and coaches are excited to take part in this prestigious tournament. The fact that our first match in the tournament comes against an I-League opposition makes the first game even more vital.”

The last time the DSK Shivajians and Sporting Clube met was at the Balewadi Stadium, Pune, in the I-League, where the former registered their biggest victory of the season, defeating their Goan counterparts 3-1.

DSK Shivajians FC, ahead of the season (2016-17), has strengthened their squad by adding former Irish youth international midfielder Shane McFaul. Similarly, Spanish winger Juan Quero earned a contract extension following his impressive performance in the I-League last year. The signing of North Korean striker Kim Song Yong, who spent the last two seasons leading the line at Bengaluru FC, ensures Manager Dave has experienced players at his disposal.

A host of youth players from the Liverpool FC International Academy – DSK Shivajians add sting to the side. The eleven graduates that make up the majority of the 20-man team are players who have played under Dave for two seasons.

Comparatively, DSK Shivajians FC’s Goan rivals go into the tournament off the back of having played the Goa Police Cup and one match in the Goa Professional League. In the three competitive games the Goans played so far, they have lost one and won two.

Having remained unbeaten against the Goans, DSK Shivajians FC would look at their track record as another positive.

by Abhishek Shukla

Hero ISL 2016 packs a powerful schedule to bring the country together to celebrate football

Press Release

Mumbai City FC and ATK to have new home grounds for this season First Maharashtra derby to be played on 3 rd October Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa renew rivalry, face off on 13 th October in Chennai Hero Indian Super League, the unrivalled competition that emerged as the third best attended football league globally in its second season, is once again set to capture India and world’s attention starting Saturday, October 1, 2016.

The promoters, Football Sports Development Ltd. today announced Hero ISL 2016 fixtures, featuring 61 games spread across 79 days played in a home-away league format followed by two-legged semi-finals and the final. The ‘Super Sunday’ final is scheduled on December 18, 2016. Venue for the finals will be announced at a later date. All the matches will kick off at 1900 hrs (IST).

Guwahati gets ready for Lights & Cameras, NorthEast for Action With just over a month from now, Guwahati will witness galaxy of stars descending to lighten up the spirit of beautiful game in the North East with Hero ISL 2016 opening ceremony scheduled on 1 st October.

With ISL focus on the region, John Abraham owned club NorthEast United FC would hope it aspire his boys to get a jump start to their campaign when they take on Sachin Tendulkar owned Kerala Blasters FC. Coincidently, 2016 would turn out to be the third consecutive opening clash rivalry between John Vs Sachin in a row, NorthEast United having won 1-0 on 4 th October 2014 at home and losing 1-3 on 6 th Oct 2015 at Kochi ground.

NorthEast United’s Home match fixture (Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati):

1 st Oct. vs Kerala Blasters FC; 4 th Oct: vs. FC Goa; 20 th Oct vs Chennaiyin FC; 28 th Oct. vs Atletico de Kolkata;

5 th Nov vs Mumbai City FC; 22 nd Nov vs FC Pune City and 30 th Nov vs Delhi Dynamos FC.

Clash of Titans Action will move from the emerging football market in far East to the hub of the football in West

Bengal very next day, with Atletico de Kolkata backed by its loyal fans will get the first feel of their

new home ground at Rabindra Sarobar stadium.

The two ISL Titans – inaugural champs ATK and defending champs Chennaiyin FC will get down to business putting their pre-season training plans to test as early as second day of the League.

Atletico de Kolkata’s Home Match Fixture (Rabindra Sarobar Stadium) : 2 nd Oct. vs

Chennaiyin FC; 16 th Oct. vs FC Goa; 22 nd Oct. vs Delhi Dynamos FC; 25 th Oct. vs Mumbai City

FC; 17 th Nov vs NorthEast United FC; 29 th Nov. vs Kerala Blasters FC; 2 nd Dec. vs FC Pune City.

Mumbai Local to chug on Fast Line Ranbir Kapoor’s Mumbai City FC would hope to gain from their move to city’s fast life on western line, as they leave the harbour line’s D Y Patil stadium at Navi Mumbai to settle at the newly laid greens at Mumbai Football Arena (Andheri Sports Complex). Mumbai City FC will play its first home match on 7 th October against NorthEast United.

Mumbai City FC’s Home Fixtures (Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri Sports Complex) : 7 th Oct

vs NorthEast United; 11 th Oct vs Atletico de Kolkata; 21 st Oct vs Fc Goa; 10 th Nov vs FC Pune

City; 19 th Nov vs Kerala Blasters FC; 23 rd Nov vs Chennaiyin FC; 3 rd Dec vs Delhi Dynamos FC.

Super Machas Face Off Gaurs Defending Champions would come home to play to its capacity crowd for the first time since lifting the ISL 2015 trophy with a match scheduled on 6 th October against Delhi Dynamos.

However, the bigger match everyone would await with beaten breath could be on 13 th October when the Super Machas will have a face-off with FC Goa at Marina Arena.

Chennaiyin FC Home Fixtures (Marina Arena) : 6 th Oct vs Delhi Dynamos FC; 13 th Oct vs FC

Goa; 29 th Oct vs Kerala Blasters FC; 2 nd Nov vs Mumbai City FC; 15 th Nov vs FC Pune City; 20 th

Nov vs Atletico de Kolkata; 26 th Nov vs NorthEast United FC;

Detailed fixture can be viewed at www.indiansuperleague.com

ISL 2015 : A Recap

The second edition of Hero Indian Super League witnessed an unparalleled response in the history of Indian Football. ISL established astounding ratings for the sport on air and surpassed the Spanish La Liga in terms of average stadium attendance to be the third most attended football league globally. Hero ISL brought Indian football to the world stage with its high quality football. The globally viewed competition had a whopping 186 goals scored in the second season as compared to 129 in the inaugural season at an average of 3.09 goals per game. Indians assisted in 45 goals and scored 48 that included two hat-tricks by Sunil Chhetri and Haokip. Stevin Mendoza won the Golden Boot for the Champions scoring 13 goals in the season. Over 1.65 million fans made their way to eight city based club’s home stadiums to witness this unrivalled footballing event unfold.

by Abhishek Shukla

Delhi Dynamos F.C. sign 2006 World Cup Winner Simone Barone

ISL MEDIA TEAM

The Delhi Dynamos Football Club continued its endeavour at strengthening the squad for the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League, by appointing another 2006 World Cup winning midfielder Simone Barone as their Assistant Coach.

The club has also announced the signing of Sebastian Delgado of Spain and Italian Roberto Ghielmetti as the Goalkeeping Coach and Fitness Coach respectively for the new season, while Mario Cerra of Italy will be the new Team Manager as well as the Medico Assistant.

This strengthens the existing coaching staff duo of Raman Vijayan and Shakti Chauhan who have been with the club since its inception. The coaches have played a vital role as the Technical Directors of the club’s grassroots initiatives as well.

Italian Simone Barone will work as an assistant to World Cup winning compatriot, Gianluca Zambrotta, who was signed up as the Head Coach of the Delhi Dynamos F.C. The two played for Italy in the 2006 World Cup, where they beat France on penalties in the dramatic final.

“I am delighted to join the Delhi Dynamos team. This is my first senior team coaching stint and I am really looking forward to it,” Barone said. “I am thankful to the club management for this opportunity. I am really excited about this new phase of my career and hope to assist the team to its first title in the ISL” he added.

Simone Barone, a veteran of 356 club games with a total goal tally of 23, started his career in 1997. After a career spanning over nearly 15 years, he hung up his boots in 2012. After his retirement, he went on to coach the Modena U-19 team.

The 38-year-old has featured in many top clubs in Italy, including Palermo, Torino, Cagliari and Chievo. Known for his energy and stamina, he was admired for his versatility: he could operate from multiple positions in the midfield, be it central midfield, right wing or deeper in a defensive role.

Sebastian Delgado arrives at the club with a huge reputation after being involved in high profile assignments, namely being the Director of Keepers Academy of the Finnish giants HJK Helsinki. Incidentally, Delhi Dynamos star of the last season Richard Gadze is on loan to Helsinki. The Spaniard is the personal coach of Toni Doblas and lot of credit goes to him for Doblas’ extremely good work between the sticks last season, where he missed on the golden glove by whiskers. He will look to weave the same magic on Sanjiban Ghosh and Soram Poirei and turn them into a solid wall in the upcoming season.

Roberto Ghielmetti, who will be responsible for keeping the squad fit and devoid of injuries during the season, was selected by Zambrotta himself, owing to his experience and credibility. The Italian holds a masters degree in sports science from the University of Turin and started his career at U-16 squad of Team Ticino and continued his career at the club eventually becoming the Fitness Coach for the U-16, U-17, and U-18 teams. He was also served as the fitness coach of the FC Locarno, FC Lugano, AC Spezia, and AC Bellinzona in his career before starting this new chapter with Delhi Dynamos F.C.

“I am very happy to work with Gianluca. I am looking forward to a successful season with the club,” said Ghielmetti.

by Abhishek Shukla

Shillong Lajong FC and Royal Wahingdoh FC played out a goalless

Shillong 26 th August: Shillong Lajong FC and Royal Wahingdoh FC played out a goalless draw today at the JN Stadium Shillong.

Lajong started off brightly and earned the first corner of the match within 5 minutes and came close in scoring but Royal Wahingdoh defenders did well to prevent a goal.

Lajong enjoyed good ball possession while their opponents were dangerous on the counter attack. It was a heated first half as there were a couple of scuffles between the two teams in the first half. This added to the intensity of the match and nerves kicked in amongst players leading to silly errors on the pitch. Lajong had good chances in front of goal in the first half but lacked the finish. Similarly, Royal Wahingdoh threatened the Lajong defence but was not able to convert.

The second half was a more restrained affair than the first half. Both teams put great effort in breaking the deadlock but did not have the flow of rhythm they would normally be accustomed to. In the 58th minute, Samuela fed a good ball to Milan Basumatary but the latter’s shot went narrowly wide off the post. Lajong had another best chance of the match in the 65th minute on the counter as Jacob lobbed the ball towards Bipin whose speed took him right inside the box but could not make the shot on goal or find Milan who was free on the right as the defence blocked his effort.

In the final stages of the match, Isaac found some space on the right and crossed the ball towards the box but it hit the Royal Wahingdoh defender’s hand. Isaac however was sent off for his aggression towards the referee while appealing for a penalty. With One man advantage, Royal Wahingdoh had good chances as the game opened up.

However, both the teams were not able to find the net and the score remained 0-0 at full time.

Shillong Lajong FC will play their next match against Nangkiew Irat SC on 31 st August.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: East Bengal take on Southern Samity in CFL

By Ujjal Sarkhel

Kolkata: East Bengal will look to grab their six successive win in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A  when take on Southern Samity tomorrow at Barasat Stadium.

The Red and Gold are coming into this game fresh off a 1-0 win over Tollygaunge Agragami while Southern Samity also beat Army XI in their last game.

East Bengal are currently at top position with 15 point from 5 games, will look to cement their top position in this league. However the task is not easy for the red and gold side as gaffer Trevor Morgan has admitted that Southern Samity will be the toughest opponent that his team have faced so far in the season.

“We did win five games back-to-back but whatever we have done in the past will count for very little when we play our next game. Each game is a new challenge and needs different approach and my boys are trying hard to fulfil that,”  coach Morgan said on the eve of the clash.

Against Southern Samity, the red and gold are expected to retain the same starting XI from last two games. Though their upfront players Adileja and Jiten are not in score sheet in every game but once again Morgan will relying on them. Mehatab Hussain, Lalrandika Ralte, Md Rafique and Avinash Rui Das would form the spine of the team.

Skipper Arnab Mandal will continue to helm the defensive duties beside Calum Angas with Samad Ali and Narayan Das as the full backs and Lui Barreto as custodian.

Southern Samity, on the other hand, started their campaign with a goalless draw against Bhawanipore Club. Then they went on to beat United Sports Club 2-0 before going down 0-1 to Mohun Bagan. However, the Subarata Bhattacharya Jr. coached side bounced back to the winning ways against Army XI and have 7 points from 4 games.

Going into the game Southrn Samity will rely on the Liberian striker Taurus Manneh and Ashim Biswas for goals up front while the likes of Antoni Soren, Deepak Mondal, Basanta Singh, Goutam Kujur and Safar Sardar will add depth to the side.

“Southern Samity is one of the toughest teams in the league. They have a well-balanced side and it always gets difficult when we are stacked up against a set of proven players. But I have full faith in my boys We will try our best for a positive result tomorrow,” coach Morgan added.

Going into this match both side will have a strong motive for win. It will be an exciting encounter that how the league leaders will cross this strong hurdle to maintain their top spot.

The game at Barasat Stadium kicks off at 5.30 pm on Saturday and it will be televised on ETV News Bangla.

File Image

by Abhishek Shukla

The Gaurs set their sights on Rio de Janeiro for the pre-season training

BY FC GOA MEDIA 

Panaji August 2016: As part of FC Goa’s pre-season training and conditioning, the team will assemble at Zico’s football academy Zico 10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to prepare for season 3 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) under the close watch and guidance of head coach Zico.

Zico 10 is a brand, under which there are various academies and training centres across Brazil attached to the Flamengo legend Zico who is the head coach of FC Goa for the third consecutive season. FC Goa are scheduled to play pre-season friendlies with Brazilian clubs during the pre-season training in Rio.

Speaking of the ISL franchise’s target for the coming season, Zico has predicted a better season for the Gaurs, as the team is popularly referred to, in ISL 3.Said Zico, “We’ve made some good signings this year and we will continue to work on the squad while at the pre-season training in Rio, Brazil. It’s important for the team to come together to play and gel well and that’s what we will do in Brazil. We are building a strong team and we are aiming for the title”

Local superstars Romeo and Mandar Rao Dessai are elated to be part of the squad’s preparations in Rio de Janeiro.Said Romeo who has previously trained in Bazil with Atletico Paranaense, “I’m looking forward to train in Brazil again, I will do my best in the training session to learn and better my skills under Zico, it will be a great opportunity to play against the Brazilian teams and learn from them.

“I have heard that there are excellent training facilities and competitive teams to plays against.I’m looking forward to seeing first-hand the quality of play of the Brazilians teams as we have grown up knowing that Brazil is one of the power houses of football in the world. It will be great opportunity to learn and better my skills”, said Mandar.

FC Goa’s new signing; local lad Pratesh Shirodkar is visibly excited about the coming season. “Brazil is a land of football and training in Rio is like going to the holy land of football. My expectation of training at Rio is to evolve into a more skilful player and better my techniques”.

FC Goa’s right back Keenan Almeida is looking forward to heading to the South American country. “I’m excited about the fact that we are heading to Rio for our preseason. Brazil being the land of so many footballing legends adds to the thrill. I’m sure it’s going to be a good learning experience with the best of facilities and training under the guidance of Zico”

The squad will train in Rio de Janeiro until mid-September 2016, post which the Zico-managed team will be back in Goa for the final phase of training in Goa before the season starts. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas, its Carnival festival featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes, samba costumes and most importantly the game of football.

Last season FC Goa conducted their pre-season at the Spanish Soccer Schools grounds located within the Dubai Sports City complex in the United Arab Emirate (UAE)..

 

by Abhishek Shukla

DSK Shivajians FC to debut in historic Durand Cup

25th August, 2016 – Pune, India – DSK Shivajians Football Club begins their 2016-17 season by making their debut in the historic 128th Durand Cup Football Tournament, being held in New Delhi from 28 th August 2016 to 11 th September 2016.

DSK Shivajians FC will be the second team from the city to ever participate in third oldest football tournament in the world and the oldest football tournament in India, tracing its first edition back to 1888. This year’s edition makes a comeback after a one-year of hiatus and will be played at two venues, the Ambedkar Stadium and Harbaksh Stadium, in New Delhi. The team will reach Delhi following their pre-season friendly against Bengaluru FC at the KSFA Stadium in Bengaluru.

The teams, led by new First Team Manager, Dave Rogers go into the tournament after a strenuous three-week pre-season which commenced in the first week of August 2016. Juan Quero returned to DSK Shivajians FC after impressive performances in the club’s debut I- League season. Irish youth international midfielder Shane McFaul also joined the ranks at the club midway through August. Sticking to his philosophy of promoting youth, Dave Rogers also provided opportunities to eleven players from the Liverpool FC International Academy – DSK Shivajians to be a part of the 20-member first team squad.

The Pune-based club will face Sporting Club de Goa in the opening match of the tournament on 28th August, 2016. The tournament, which will conclude on 11 th September 2016, will see twelve teams, divided into two groups of six, vie for the top honors. Top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals.

The teams in fray include, six first timers, namely, Aizwal FC; Neroca FC; Gangtok Himalayan FC; Minerva AFC and Real Kashmir FC apart from DSFC; seasoned campaigners, Sporting Club De Goa and Dempo SC. Four teams from the Indian armed forces namely Army Green, Army Red, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy complete the lineup.

DSK Shivajians FC is placed in Group A along with the likes of Gangtok Himalayan, Army Green, Indian Navy, Sporting Club de Goa, and Minerva Academy. Group B comprises of last year’s I-League side Aizawl FC, Dempo FC, Real Kashmir FC, Neroca FC along with Indian Air Force and Army Red.

FIXTURES:

28 Aug: v Sporting Clube de Goa – 6.30pm – Ambedkar Stadium

31 Aug: v Gangtok Himalayan FC – 4.30pm – Ambedkar Stadium

2 Sept: v Indian Navy – 4.30pm – Ambedkar Stadium

4 Sept: v Minerva FC – 4.30pm – Ambedkar Stadium

5 Sept: v Army Green – 4.00pm – Harbaksh Stadium

9 Sept: Semi-Final 1 & 2 – 5.15pm/7.15pm

11 Sept: Final – 5.00pm

SQUAD LIST:

Goalkeepers:Rakshit Dagar, Sayak Barai

Defenders:Zohmingliana Ralte, Maan Singh, Mohd. SajidDhot, SairuatKima, Lalnunsiama

Midfielders: Biaklian Paite, Ameya Ranawade, Shane McFaul, Gagandeep Singh,

Vanlalremkima, Surchandra Singh Chandam, Hitova Ayemi, Lalthathanga Khawlhring, Rohit

Kumar

Forwards: Arif Shaikh, Juan Quero, Kim Song Yong, Lalawmpuia

by Abhishek Shukla

Atlético de Kolkata reinforce the squad with Spanish Centre Forward Juan Belencoso

 

Kolkata, 25 th August, 2016: The champions of inaugural edition and the semi finalist of the second season of Indian Super League, Atlético de Kolkata, announced today the signing of Spanish Centre Forward Juan Belencoso and added more fervor in their strong International line up of players.

Known for his hard working nature and skills, Belencoso is a fan favourite with his clinical finishes and played for Kitchee FC in Hong Kong. Belencoso also played for sides like Albacete Balompié, UB Conquense, CD Lugo and Cádiz CF. From 2002 to 2008, following a brief spell in Portugal, Juan Belencoso competed mainly in Segunda División B, representing in that level Real Jaén, Mérida UD, CE L’Hospitalet and CD Baza. After the announcement of signing dynamic Indian players and retaining seven international recruits including marquee player for this season now the addition of Belencoso will add to the composition and strength of the team.

“On behalf of the team management we welcome Belencoso to Atlético de Kolkata which will help us in further developing the nucleus of the team this year. My association with his style of football goes back to the Kitchee FC days in Hong Kong. He had been one of the most consistent performers and had been nominated as AFC Foreign Player of the Year. With Postiga and now Belencoso I feel the need for the right strikers has been precisely addressed.” – José Molina, Head Coach, Atlético de Kolkata.

About Juan Belencoso

Born in Elche de la Sierra, Albacete, Belencoso started playing as a senior with amateurs Deportivo Rayo Cantabria. From 2002 to 2008, following a brief spell in Portugal, he competed mainly in Segunda División B, representing in that level Real Jaén, Mérida UD, CE L’Hospitalet and CD Baza. Belencoso reached Segunda División for the first time in the 2008–09 seasons, signing with local Castile-La Mancha club Albacete Balompié. He made his debut in the competition on 31 August 2008, coming in as a late substitute in a 2–1 home win against Sevilla Atlético, but only scored twice in the league over the course of two full seasons.

Belencoso returned to division three for the following years, playing with UB Conquense, CD Lugo and Cádiz CF. He achieved promotion with the second team after scoring 14 goals, three in the playoffs. On 9 July 2013, Belencoso became coach Àlex Gómez’s first foreign signing of the new campaign as he joined Kitchee SC in Hong Kong. He became a regular scorer for Kitchee and fired them to the domestic treble last season including two goals in the FA Cup final against Eastern. In terms of continental football, in the AFC Cup 2014, his eleven goals helped propel Kitchee to the semi-final stage where they eventually succumbed. Belencoso models his style of football on Robert Lewandowski.

Head Coach:  José Molina
Squad as on 25.08.16
Domestic Players
1. Shilton Paul
2. Jewel Raja
3. Pritam Kotal
4. Debjit Majumder
5. Bikramjit Singh
6. Bidyananda Singh Ningthoujam
7. Kingshuk Debnath
8. Arnab Mandal
9. Bikash Jairu
10. Lalrindika Ralte (Dika)
11. Robert Lalthlanumna
12. Prabir Das
13. Keegan Pereira
14. Abinash Ruidas
Foreign Players
1. Hélder Postiga (marquee)
2. Iain Hume
3. Sameegh Doutie
4. Ofentse Nato
5. Tiri
6. Stephen Pearson
7. Dani Mallo
8. Pablo José Gallardo Zurera
9. Borja Fernández
10. Javi Lara
11. Juan Belencoso

Atletico De Kolkata Press Release

by Abhishek Shukla

Lajong Youngsters Face Off Royal Wahingdoh FC

25 th August 2016: Defending champions, Shillong Lajong FC will face off the runners up of last year Royal Wahingdoh FC in what promises to be a thrilling encounter in the ongoing Gionee Shillong Premier League at the JN Stadium at 3:30PM on Friday.

Lajong youngsters are coming into this match after a 2-1 win over Rangdajied United FC. Samuel Lalmuanpuia and Redeem Tlang netted the two goals for Lajong in their opening match which was held on Monday.

Meanwhile, Royal Wahingdoh FC will head in tomorrow’s clash after a 2-0 win over Nangkiew Irat SC. Bowari Khongstia and Runsing Muinao provided the two goals for Wahingdoh.

The last time these two teams met in a Shillong Premier LEague encounter was on 21 st November 2015. It was the grand finale of the SPL where Lajong youngsters emerged victorious winning by 2-1 and thereby were crowned champions of the league. Interestingly, Royal Wahingdoh FC was unable to defeat Lajong in the first as well as the second round of SPL last year. Lajong won 1-0 in the first and 2-0 in the second round and will look to make it fourth win in a row on Friday.

On the other side, Royal Wahingdoh FC, will be aiming to get a better result this time around and put an end to Lajong’s winning streak over them in this new edition of the Gionee SPL.

Speaking to Shillong Lajong FC Head Coach, Thangboi Singto ahead of tomorrow’s big clash, he said, “It’s always a big game against Royal Wahingdoh. They will be motivated and want to better their record against us. Our boys must play as a cohesive unit to get positive result. They should score from chances they create and keep a clean sheet. But we have to improve in our attacking third and overall keep improving at all fronts.”

A tight contest awaits at the JN Stadium Shillong as both teams will look to register their second wins in the Gionee Shillong Premier League.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Suhair VP scores hat-trick as United SC tastes first victory

 

Barasat, 25th Aug.16: United Sports Club thrashed George Telegraph 5-1 in an exciting match of CFL 2016 thanks to a hat-trick by VP Suhair and a brace from Eric P. Brown on Thursday at Barasat Stadium.

United SC started off very well in the match with total dominance. They started attacking one after another from the very beginning. They broke the deadlock on the 8th minute as Eric scored from inside the box. The lead was doubled on the 33rd minute when Budhiram Tudu’s cross met Suhair who slotted the ball into the back of the net with sheer clam and composure. Just a couple of minutes later, George pulled a goal back, but just before half-time United restored the two-goal lead thanks to an excellent effort from their Liberian striker Eric who single handedly scored having dribbled past at least four George defenders inside the box.

In the second-half, George tried to come back as they put pressure on United defense, Lakra and Sujay led their defense with utmost bravery. United got the fourth goal against the run of play when Suhair was put on an one on one situation with the George goalkeeper and the striker calmly sent the ball past the onrushing custodian. The fifth goal came just before the final whistle as Suhair completed his hat-trick.

United coach Partha Sen in his post-match interview says that he is happy with the way his players played and hoped that the team will carry the spirit on to the coming matches. He also added that his side had played well against East Bengal as well, but the luck was not on his side that day.With this victory, United got their first point of the season and currently they are on 3 points having played 5 matches.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Bardez suffered their first defeat in the GPL

Salgaocar FC handed their first loss to FC Bardez Goa as they beat them 0-2 in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium earlier today.

FC Bardez stared without their key players centre-back Mathew Gonsalves and skipper Peter Carvalho.

Salgoacar went into the break with a one goal cushion. Balwinder Singh and Liston Colaco scored in each half to confirm their victory. Both teams shared equal possession of the ball.

Salgaocar stated the game in good spirits as their first shot on goal was deflected by Rowilson Rodriguez. Few minutes later Linston Colaco again took the ball passed the FC Bardez defence but Luckily Rowilson cleared it. In the 13th minute Alesh Sawant tried his first shot on goal which went wide.

Richard Costa got a yellow card in the 24th minute for tackling Brian giving away a free-kick just 20 yards away from goal , Brian took the shot that went over the crossbar. The Slagoacar skipper almost put the ball in his own net on 28 minutes as Alesh crossed the ball in the Salgaocar box in turn Myron failed to connect.

Just two minutes later Gilbert was in action again this time at the oppsite end as a cornerkick was played short to him and he crossed it in the box. None of the FC Bardez defenders could clear the ball instead Balwinder Singh headed it home to make it 0-1 to the Greens.

Brian Mascarenhas almost doubled the score for the Greens in the 40th minute as his freekick was just a whisker away from goal. Jessel Carneiro priduced a superb cross in the 54th minute inside the Salgaocar box, Chatur Naik couldn’t finish it.
.
Four minutes later Alesh Sawant got the ball inside the box, but his shot was saved by the Salgaocar keeper. FC Bardez got a corner in the 71st minute, Alesh Sawant took it and crossed it in but Rowilson’s header was straight at the keeper.

Than Richard produced a lovely cross inside the Salgaocar box, but Myron couldn’t direct the header inside the goal. In the 79th minute Alesh found Lenstan who headed the ball inside the goal but was called offside by the Referee.

Two minutes later Salgaocar Doubled their score as Lston netted from a pass by Rosario Mendes.

Salgaocar Coach Norbet Gonsalves was happy with the result and said, “My boys played well. All we wanted is three points weather you play good game or not but the boys played well and they are going to improve.”

FC Bardez Press Release

by Abhishek Shukla

SPORTING DEMOLISH CHURCHILL BROS, CLIMB ON TOP OF THE TABLE

GOA: Sporting Clube De Goa demolished Churchill Bros SC 4 -0 in their opening match at Duler Football Stadium on Tuesday evening. Sporting completely outplayed the Red Machines in every department. The latter not even managing one single shot on target. Basant Rai of Churchill opened the score line for Sporting with an own goal in the 24th minute, while Cajetan Fernandes (41’) Glan Martins (63’) & Victorino Fernandes (74’) got on the score sheet for Sporting.

The initial quarter saw a fairly balanced play with both managing a handful of half chances at either ends. It was Sporting who went full throttle as their attack line consisting of Victorino, Glan & Quan Gomes toyed with the clueless Churchill defense. It was in the 24thminute that a heavy clearance from Loveday Eninnaya found Victorino at the front who pushed for the goal, however the Churchill defender Basant Rai made a dash clearing the ball into his own nets. After this it was all Sporting, Churchill Bros defenders found it hard to contain Victorino’s pace which allowed Quan and Glan to operate smoothly in the mid creating numerous chances. In the 41st minute Sporting won a free kick about 35 yards off the nets, Cajetan Fernandes stood up and slotted the ball into the top right corner giving the keeper no chance. The score stayed 2 – 0 in favour of Sporting at the half time.

Crossing over Sporting picked up where they left off. Gaffer Mateus Costa introduced Seriton Fernandes which proved to be effective as the winger combined with Victorino well while Churchill defense found it further hard to contain Sporting’s pace. In the 63rd minute Glan Martins latched on to a loose ball in a thickly populated box to beat his marker and drill in a powerful shot making it 3-0. Gaffer Costa quickly got Martins out and introduced Ganesh Thakur who set up Victorino for a photo finish serving the ball right into the slot for the latter to make it 4 -0 in the 74th minute. The final quarter saw Sporting seal off the defense giving very little room for Churchill Bros forwards to operate. With this win Sporting climb on top of the Goa Pro League table with a healthy goal difference.

A jubilant Mateus Costa said “We needed this kind of a start, it’s good to see the boys play with confidence. We stuck to what we do in training and this is exactly the kind of result we get when that happens.”

He further said “Now we travel for the Durand Cup and we are confident we can continue this form there as well.”

SCG Press Release

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Keeper Sankar Roy’s heroics allows Peerless to hold Mohun Bagan

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: Man of the Match Sankar Roy’s fine performance under the bar helped Peerless Sports Club hold Mohun Bagan to a barren draw in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A at Mohun Bagan Ground on Monday.

Mohun Bagan had some good opportunities throughout the game but thanks to goalkeeper Sankar’s heroics at the post, Peerless managed to snatch a point from a much stronger opponent.

“Mohan Bagan narrowly escaped us. Today we got our strategies right but we were just unlucky. I give all the credit to my players, they really worked hard and played to instructions.” said Peerless coach Fuja Tope.

Going into the game, Mohun Bagan coach Sankarlal Chakraborty made only change to the starting lineup by handing defender Deepak Devrani his first start of the season replacing Tonmoy Ghosh.

In a game of equal exchanges, both sides created chances throughout the game but fell short of converting them in the final third.

The first half was fought evenly with neither team’s defense giving away the ball. Mohun Bagan, got off to a good start and had the first chance to go ahead, but Azharuddin Mallick’s shot lacked power.
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Peerless too made inroads into the rival box with striker Ghanefo Kromah, who was a constant threat for the rival defense, had a couple of clear chances.

Kromah worked with perfect understanding with Rahim Nabi and the duo troubled the rival defence often but Mohun Bagan keeper Arnab Das Sarma was up to the task, produced some brilliant saves to deny Peerless as the first half ended scoreless.

After the change of ends, Mohun Bagan put up an aggressive performance with striker Darryl Duffy nearly finding the net in the 51st minute. But the Scot failed to keep his effort on target off a Tapan Maity corner.

Peerless retaliated almost immediately through Argha Chakraborty but the midfielder failed to direct it towards the goal.

Needing goal, Mohun Bagan threw new recruit Daniel Bidemi into the action. The Nigerian combined well with Duffy to create some half chances but were unable to break down the Peerless defense led by Eze Kingsley.

Around the 75th minute mark Mohun Bagan had another close chance thorugh Prabir Das who attempted a long range shot but Peerless narrowly escaped after a fine save mnade by Sankar.

The young shot-stopper produced some decent saves in the final quarter of the game to ensure a point for his team.

As result of this dissapointing performance Mohun Bagan stayed on second with 13 points from 5 games while Peerless are at fourth on 8 points from as many games.

Photo By Ujjal Sarkhel.