Category: News

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Mohammedan SC edge past Aryan Club 1-0

 

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club edge past Aryan Club 1-0 to log their third successive win in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A on Saturday.

Ivorian forward Leonce Dodoz struck the lone goal of the game in the 73rd minute which separated the teams in a closely contested tie at Barasat Stadium.

Going into the game Mohammedan SC head coach Mridul Banerjee fielded a unchanged side from the previous game against George Telegraph.

Mohammedan SC began the game in attacking mode and created a couple of close chances early on. While strikers Manvir Singh and Dodoz did well to get into spaces, the duo lacked the finish in the Aryan’s final third.

As the half progressed, Mohammedan SC started dominating the possession. On the other hand, Aryan defended deep and had their custodian Raju Ganguly to thank after he denied Manvir, Dodoz and Atinder Mani on multiple occasions as both sides went into the breather tied at goalless.

The second half was a similar story as The Black Panthers dominated majority of the proceedings and attacked with intensity looking for the breakthrough. However, once again it was the lack of finishing that let them down.

Needing a goal,  Mohammedan SC introduced Parminder Singh in place of Atinder Mani. The move had an immediate impact as The Black Panthers suddenly started to look much more purposeful.

Mohammedan SC’s persistence finally paid off as they pulled ahead in the 73th minute when Dodoz slotted the opener after being set up by Lancine Toure from Mumtaz Akhtar’s left sided corner.

In the final quarter, Aryan tried hard for the equaliser but thanks to keeper Shayon Roy, who pulled off some brilliant saves and rightly named Man of the Match later, Mohammedan SC managed to hold onto their slender advantage and walked out with all three points.

After this win Mohammedan SC now have 12 points from 5 games and will face Southern Samity next on August 24 at the same venue.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: East Bengal look to maintain winning momentum against Tollygunge Agragami

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: Having won four matches on the trot, East Bengal will be looking to continue the winning momentum in the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division – A, when they take on Tollygunge Agragami on Sunday at Barasat Stadium.

With 12 points to their credit from 4 matches, a win will take the Red & Golds at the summit of the league table. while Tollygunge, who are on 7 points from as many matches, will be eager to bounce back to the winning ways after suffering a shock 0-2 defeat against Aryan Club in their last fixture.

High on confidence after winning a 4-3 thriller against United Sports Club thanks to a Lalrindika Ralte brace, East Bengal would once again rely on him for goals along with Do Dong Hyun who is likely to make a start after coming as a substitute in consecutive games.

Avinash Ruidas, with his speedy run on the flank, have made it difficult for United SC in the previous match. However, the Tollygunge defense led by Nigerian Kareem Omolaja Nurain is expected to give the Trevor Morgan boys some hard time.

“We have won all our previous matches but I think we haven’t performed according to our strength yet. We have to do much better than this to go the distance,” said Morgan.

On the team news front, East Bengal will be strengthened with the return of experienced midfielder Mehtab Hossain and the first choice right-back Rahul Bheke, who missed the last match due to injury. Meanwhile, keeper Luis Barreto could also return to the starting line-up.

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. However they lost their next match against a weaker Aryan Club.

Facing East Bengal, Tollygunge Agragami coach Ranjan Chowdhury, who used to be Morgan’s deputy in East Bengal, will be relying on Nigerian striker Joel Sunday for goals upfront. Joining him will be the likes of Surabuddin Mallick, Ram Malik and Reisangmei Vashum who would play a crucial role in the midfield.

“It will be a competitive match. Tollygunge is an unpredictable team. They are capable of surprising anyone. They have a very good midfield and forward line and we need to stay aware of them. But we are keen to be on the winning side,” Morgan added.

Last time when these two teams meet in the Calcutta Premier Division – A last season, it was East Bengal who came out victorius 1-0 and the Red & Golds, a year later, will look to repeat the feat once again.

The match at Barasat Stadium kicks off at 5 pm on Sunday and it will be televised on ETV News Bangla.

by Abhishek Shukla

Minerva Academy emerge champions in the Lt. Col. Deol Memorial Tournament

 

Chandigrah: On the third and final day of the ongoing Lt. Col. Deol Memorial Tournament being held at the Sector 17 Football Stadium, Chandigarh, the Minerva sharks pulled off another thumping victory, this time over the formidable Chandigarh FC side.

Sharks started off on an attacking note, knowing that the only chance they had of winning the tournamanet was if they pulled of a victory over Chandigarh FC with a good score line.

In the 5th minute itself Sharks youngster Sailo converted an obscure pass from 40 yards leaving the CFC Goalkeeper Manvir shell shocked. In the 32nd minute Minerva doubled their lead though a powerful shot from Arshdeep Singh which again left the keeper Manvir beaten. The match was finished off when Lago Bei of Minerva Sharks scored in the 43rd minute with Minerva taking an unassailable 3-0 lead.

In the second half CFC applied pressure but could not score. This lead to frustration of the players and in the 55th minute CFC’s prolific striker Aman Banwait was sent off with a red card for the second match in a row for violent conduct against he referee. Minerva Sharks then started playing possession football to hold ball knowing they they had the numerical advantage. But Gagandeep Singh of Chandigarh FC managed to get a consolation goal for CFC in the 71st minute to make the final score 3-1 in the Sharks favour. This took the sharks tally to 6 points.

Minerva AFC now needed to beat the Air Force by a good margin in the following game to be Declared Winners. In the following match Minerva AFC and IAF played a stalemate in the first half 0-0 with both teams playing very cautious football. Minerva’s forward Joseph missed some easy chances including an open sitter which could have eased the pressure on Minerva.

The second half was thrilling and saw more intent from both the teams. The IAF team yet to see a win in the tournament made some substitutes to shape up the forward line. This yielded results as IAF were the first to score in the 65th minute making the score line 0-1 in IAF’s favour. This gave a boost of confidence to the IAF side who found a new spring in their step and started attacking more. In one such counter attack in the 82nd minute Minerva AFC striker Girik was brought down just outside the box and free kick was awarded to Minerva AFC in a dangerous area. Manandeep Singh (of ISL Kerela Blasters fame) did not squander the opportunity, took the free kick and tied the scores at 1-1. This acted as a ray of hope for Minerva AFC who had had a wif of the victory. Soon after Jaramanjit Singh of Minerva AFC headed the ball into the goal from a corner kick. The match ended with the final score 2-1 in Minerva’s Academy FC’s favour.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Bardez outclass Calangute Association to lift Goa Police Cup

 

GOA: FC Bardez Goa beat Calangute Association 3-0 in the Final of the 2016 Goa Police Cup played at Duler Stadium on Friday. The win secured FCBG’S first major title win in in their debut tournament.

Bardez were dominant throughout the game and deserved their comprehensive win as their opposition failed to register a single shot on target.

In the 9th minute Calangute’s Agnelo Colaco came up with a superb cross from the right flank but Olan Chandran misjudged it. A minute later Stevan Fernandes produced a perfect through pass for Agnelo Colaco, but FC Bardez keeper Mirshad K cleared the ball in time conceding a corner. 22nd minute of the match, Calangute’s centre-back Stanley D’Silva made a mistake just outside the box and Bardez striker Kirtikesh Gadekar pounced onto the loose ball to slot it into the net to give his side the lead. Energized by the goal Bardez came close twice to doubling their advantage, Alesh Sawant had an effort from distance, while Peter Carvalho couldn’t convert his header. But, they went into the break a goal to the good.

On crossing over, Bardez just took three minutes to double their lead; a long ball by Rowilson Rodrigues saw another defensive blunder between the Calangute’s centre-backs and keeper Jason. This time Myron Medes made no mistake to make it 2-0. In the very next minute Girish Naik made an excellent run into the box but shot wide. Few minutes later Bardez had another chance, a right footer from Latesh Mandrekar was pushed out for a corner by Calngute’s custodian Jason produced a full stretched diving save. On the hour mark Calangute had a golden chance to reduce the margin when Rodrigues’ back pass was intercepted by Valerio but custodian Mirshad K cleared the ball easily. Five minutes before regulation time Bardez’s Alesh Sawant made a dangerous run into the box and passed the ball to substitute Serino Fernandes who tapped it into the net to seal an emphatic 3-0 win for Colaco’s men.

Sawant was named “Player of the Tournament” for his 3 goals and consistent performances. Bardez took home a cheque of 2, 00,000 and the historic GPG trophy.

FC Bardez gaffer Colaco was happy after lifting their maiden silverware and said, “The newborn club is famous now. It’s very special for me. It’s all down to the players’ effort and hard work. They made my dream come true because I wanted to come back into Goan football and show everybody that this type of football is possible.”

A special mention must also be made of Goa’s football faithful who embraced the tournament warmly throughout its duration and even today filled out the stadium to the rafters cheering on both teams till the final whistle. The turnout was particularly commendable considering it was a working day.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Coach Mridul Banerjee takes it match by match as Mohammedan SC face Aryan

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will be aiming for all three points when they face Aryan Club in the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division – A at the Barasat Stadium on Saturday.

The Black Panthers currently at third on nine points from 4 games, a 2-0 or bigger win against Aryan take them to second, but the coach Mridul Banerjee has revealed that right now he is not ready to think about the points table and wants to take one game at a time.

“The league is very competitive and all teams are almost equal. Though we have won our last two matches but I think there is still room for improvement and we need to maintain a certain level of consistency going forward,” coach Banerjee added.

However, heading into the game on the back of a convincing 4-1 win over George Telegraph midweek, Mohamedan SC will be looking to overcome the challenge of a hectic schedule as they play their third game in a span of eight days.

Facing Aryan, coach Banerjee is likely to field the same starting line-up that brought back-to-back victories for the side. Winger Sheikh Faiaz, who is recovering from injury, would be missing the action.

Aryan, on the other hand, suffered the biggest defeat of the season so far when they went down 1-5 against Mohun Bagan but the Rajdeep Nandi coached side recovered with 2-0 win over Tollygunge Agragami in their last match.

Aryan will be banking heavily on their attacking duo of Kazeem Amobi and Obasi Moses for goals upfront. Meanwhile, the likes of Tanmoy Kundu, Goutam Thakur and Rajib Ghoroi are expected to pull the strings from midfield.

“Aryan is a tricky side who has the potential to beat any side on their given day and we have to be cautious against them, but having said that we are going for all three points tomorrow,” coach Banerjee concluded.

The last time when these two faced off in the Calcutta Premier Division – A last season the game ended in a 1-1 draw so this time around the Black Panthers will be eager for a win to maintain pressure on their city rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal who currently occupy the top two places in the standings.

The match at Barasat kicks off at 5.00 pm and it will be televised live on ETV News Bangla.

 

by Abhishek Shukla

ISL: FC Goa confirms the signing of Fulganco Cardozo and Sahil Tavora

 

Panaji: FC GOA has confirmed the signings of Goan players Sahil Tavora and Fulganco Cardozo for Season 3 of the Indian Super League.

Local lad Sahil Tavora is FC Goa’s selection for the U-23 player that every ISL squad is mandated to have. The 21-year-old has been plying his trade with Dempo previously and was part of the team that gained promotion to the I-League earlier in the year

Speaking of his new team Tavora said, “I’m delighted at the prospect of signing for the club. This is a team that is led by one of the greats of the game and there is a lot to learn from. It is packed with experienced players and I’m excited at the opportunity of working with them. We have performed consistently well for the past two seasons and we want to achieve the same sort of success this season. I’m looking forward to playing my part in a successful campaign. Being a Goan, to represent FC Goa is a proud moment for me.”

The Dempo midfielder Sahil Tavora is the latest signing to be announced. At 17, Tavora was one of the youngest players ever to sign a professional contract with the Golden Eagles. Hehas attended training camps at Liverpool FC and at a second division club in Brazil. The highlight of the youngster’s short career so far came when he scored a brilliant individual goal for Goa-India versus Macau in the 2014 Lusofonia Games.

Fulganco Cardozo hailing from Verna currently plays for Sporting Club de Goa in the I-League and is a member of the Indian national football team as a centre back. Carodozo made his debut for India in the match against Laos earlier this year. He scored his first goal for the India in the same match in 87th minute. Fulganco is a product of the Sesa Football Academy in Goa.

Said Fulganco on the signing “It’s a great opportunity for me in my career development. Playing alongside some of the best talent in football, be it from India or abroad is an excellent opportunity to further develop my footballing skills I feel I have made some positive strides this year and I hope I can continue in the same vein during the ISL. As a team, we want to go out there and perform for the Goan people. We want to bring the trophy home for them. That will be our aim this season.”

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Mohun Bagan edge past Bhawanipore to reclaim the top spot

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan held on to Thangjam Saran Singh’s first half goal to edge past Bhawanipore Club 1-0 in the ongoing CFL Premier Division -A, on Thursday at Mohun Bagan Ground.

With this victory, Mohun Bagan have now moved up to the summit of the CFL with 12 points from 4 games, while Bhawanipore remain 0n ninth with a solitary point from as many games.

Heading into the game, Mohun Bagan coach Sankarlal Chakraborty named an unchanged line-up from the one that beat Southern Samity 1-0 on Sunday. Meanwhile, his counterpart Debjit Ghosh made four changes with Suman Malo, Debayan Saha, Bijendra Rai and Abubakar Al-Hassan coming in for Jony Routh, Satish Singh, Jagannath Sana and Orok Orok Essien.

Both the sides started off brightly, initiating several moves, however it was Mohun Bagan who shot into the early lead in the 7th minute when Azharudin Mallick sent a perfect cross from the right side for Saran who made no mistake to slot the ball home.

Four Minutes later Saran came teasingly close to scoring his brace, however his effort off a Tapan Maity pass missed the target by a whisker.

Bhawanipore also had their chance around midway through the first half, but Manorajan Singh’s header  from Tirthankar Sarkar’s free-kick was nicely saved by Mohun Bagan custodian Arnab Das Sarma.

Towards the end of the half, Mohun Bagan came with a few good moves but Bhawanipore managed to hold on defending deep as the first half ended 1-0.

The second half brought the best out of Bhawanipore as they had majority of possession and put a lot of pressure on Mohun Bagan who sat back and looked to counter the attack.

Soon after the break, Bhawanipore introduced Sana in place of Suman to give more thrust in the attack.

The first real chance of the second half fell for Bhawanipore through Bijendra who had a chance at goal in the 51st minute but his shot went wide.

Six minute later, Mohun Bagan had a chance to finish the game but Zohib Islam Amiri, who replaced Robinson Singh to make his club debut, hit the woodwork from a free-kick just outside the box

However, the best chance of the game fell for Bhawanipore in the 79th minute when Lalkamal Bhowmick played a long ball for Sana on the left side but the winger unbelievably failed to slot home after dribbling past the goalkeeper.

From there on, Mohun Bagan focused on their defence at large not to allow the opposition to level things up. With the Mohun Bagan defence standing tall right through the match, Bhawanipore finished yet another closely contested encounter on the losing end.

Mohun Bagan will face Peerless SC next on August 22 at Mohun Bagan Ground while Bhawanipore will take on the same opponent on August 26 at Barasat Stadium.

Photo By Ujjal Sarkhel.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Goa conducting it’s first FC Goa Skills Programme in Ahmedabad

 

Goa 18th August 2016 :  FC Goa is presently conducting it’s first FC Goa Skills Programme in Ahmedabad lead by the team’s Grassroots Development Director Gavin Araujo, an AFC A license Coach. Over the last two years Araujo has been spearheading FC Goa’s ambitious Grassroots Development Programme and has overseen much of the club’s work at the Grassroots Level.

Keeping in line with its commitment to grassroots development, the FC Goa Skills Programme is an outreach programme aimed at training coaches involved in grassroots development programmes and honing the footballing skills of young players. The keen students include young talented football players (girls and boys) and female coaches.

The programme, presently underway will see 20 coaches and 70 young players gain practical and theoretical knowledge on the latest training methods as imparted by the team of FC Goa coaches. Over the next eight days Araujo and his team will train coaches on the various practical aspects including warm up sessions and its benefits, goalkeeping techniques, conditioning and attacking, dribbling and other related techniques. Coaches and students will also head to the classroom where they will be imparted theoretical knowledge on the principles of coaching a team of players, identifying and defining football related problem techniques and style of play, designing training sessions for optimum performance, factors affecting performance and the learning curve of a coach, among other subjects.  Confidence building measures are also part of the programme.

The week long training session will culminate with an FC Goa Open day tournament between the young players of the grassroots programme.

FC Goa’s Grassroots development programme which commenced two years ago saw FC Goa reaching out to over 20,000 children and actively mentoring and coaching over 1300 students in the sport of football.

Over the last few months FC Goa’s Grassroots Coaches have been working closely with Goa’s young talented footballers while mentoring and coaching Goa’s young footballers. Araujo leads the grassroots programme and is supplemented by a team of 4 assistant coaches and 8 Grassroots coaches, besides 16 Physical Education teachers from various schools inducted in the programme.

FC Goa’s Grassroots Development Programme saw a tremendous response since its inception. The objective of the festival is to introduce children to the game of football in a friendly playing environment, where they are encouraged to experience football and enjoy playing the beautiful game while developing their inherent talent.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Bardez to face Calangute Association in the Goa Police Cup finale

 

GOA: FC Bardez Goa face off against Calangute Association in the Final of the Goa Police Cup at Duler Stadium tomorrow.

FCBG beat Vasco Sports Club to reach the showpiece with a late goal from Alesh Sawant. Meanwhile,Calangute beat Salgaocar FC on penalties after both teams finished 1-1 in regulation time.

It will be a clash between Peter Carvalho and Steven Fernandes as the two ace midfielders will be at it to help their teams win the trophy. Sawant and Terence Lobo will also play crucial roles. .

The FCB Goa manager Samson Cardoz said it will be a really good match and he was hoping to contribute to an entertaining local derby in front of what is sure to be a capacity crowd.

Bardez boss Armando Colaco said, “the game will be even stevens but we have to motivate the boys to play with the same intensity throughout the game. We are a new team. We have done well to reach the Final. Now we want to win it.”

Midfielder Richard Costa said it’s impossible to express how the players are feeling. But, he believes that everyone is ready for the big day and he is confident that everyone will give it their best to win the Cup for the club.

by Abhishek Shukla

DSK Shivajians FC Sign Former Irish Youth International Shane McFaul

 

Pune, India – DSK Shivajians Football Club have announced the signing of former Irish youth international Shane McFaul for a two-year term (2016-18). The midfielder joins the Pune-based squad after plying his trade in England, United States of America, Finland and Ireland.

His playing career so far has been decorated with two major honours with Irish sides. The first being an FAI Cup winner with Sporting Fingal (2009), followed by the League of Ireland Premier Division title with Dublin-based St. Patrick’s Athletic FC in 2013.

Other teams Shane has represented during his career include; Notts County and Brighton & Hove Albion FC in England and Finland Premier League sides FC KTP (Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat) and FC Haka.

For the record, Shane has been capped numerous times as a youth player at various levels (Under 14 to 21) for the Republic of Ireland.

The 30-year-old is a ball-winning midfielder who is equally adept distribution and thus, becomes the second foreign player to be signed by DSK Shivajians FC for the season ahead. Earlier, the club renewed the contract of Spaniard winger Juan Quero.

The central midfielder began his career playing local club football in Ireland when he caught the eye of League One side Notts County, and was promoted to the senior squad in 2002 at the age of 16. In 2005, he moved to American side Virginia Beach Mariners, where he spent a year, before signing for UCD Dublin. In January 2008, he signed for Brighton and Hove Albion FC where he made his debut in a 3-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra.

Later that year, he sealed a move back to UCD Dublin before moving to Sporting Fingal for the 2009-10 season. He then moved to St. Patrick’s Athletic FC in 2011. In 2012, he had a successful stint in Finland with FC Haka which led to St Patick’s Athletic FC bringing him back for another season. In 2014, he signed for FC KTP in Finland and captained the side in 2016 and played a major part in their promotion-winning campaign, before turning his eyes to the Indian subcontinent and landing a contract at DSK Shivajians FC.

First Team Manager Dave Rogers, said: “I am thrilled to have signed Shane McFaul. I have monitored Shane’s progress since he was a young player in the League of Ireland Premier Division and his rise and progress in England and Finland.

Shane is a fantastic leader on and off the pitch and an all round midfield player possessing all the attributes I was looking for. His profile and character makes him the perfect signing in my philosophy and direction on how I intend to take the club forward.

He possesses excellent game intelligence and awareness both in and out of possession. Shane’s influence and passion will be felt throughout the whole club especially the younger players who have developed through our academy system. His presence, knowledge and sole professionalism will have a positive impact overall.

I look forward to working with Shane daily and in the long term.”

Shirish Kulkarni, President, DSK Shivajians FC, added: “I would like to welcome Shane to India, the DSK family and wish him all the very best for the season ahead. Shane’s experience of playing several leagues in Europe will help with the balance of the squad. He will have an important role to play and has a lot to offer.”

Shane McFaul expressed his joy at signing for DSK Shivajians FC. “I am absolutely honoured to have this amazing opportunity to come and play for DSK Shivajians FC.

It was always something I wanted to do… come and play in Asia as I’ve played in many other footballing cultures and now, in India.

Once I spoke to Dave about his plans and the project I knew at once I really wanted to be part of this club.

I know the I-League is a growing league and I am very excited for the new season as Manager Dave Rogers is assembling a top quality squad for the season. There are a lot of talented young players and many internationals players.

I’ve been blown away by the facilities at DSK, the best of any club that I have played for.

With the experience Dave (Rogers) and Barry (Knowles) have, I know I am going to improve so much as a player and I am sure we are going to have a strong campaign.”

McFaul has already joined the squad for pre-season at the DSK Dream City Football Fields.

by Abhishek Shukla

Minerva Sharks won while Minerva Academy and Chandigarh FC plays goalless on the second day of Lt. Col. Deol Memorial Tournament

CHANDIGRAH: On the second day of the Lt. Col. Deol Memorial tournament being held at the Sector 17 football Stadium, Chandigarh the first match saw Minerva Sharks take on the Indian Air Force.
Minerva Sharks scored a thumping 3-0 victory over The Indian Air Force. Okoro of Sharks picked up a yellow card for a rash tackle in the 20th minute. In the 30th minute a beautiful lay up by Akash Sangwan released Moinuddin who cooly beat two defenders to slot the ball home giving Minerva Sharks the lead.
The lead was on doubled 2-0 by Akash Sangwan in the 37th minute who scored from an easy rebound off the airforce keeper Manvir who had just saved a rasping shot off Harpreet Bedi only to land the ball at the feet of Akash Sangwan.
In the second half IAF tried their best to come back into the game with come quality possession football but could not covert any of the chances that came out of it. In the 58th minute Lago Bei of Minerva Sharks connected with a brilliant ball which came from the right flank and coveted to make the score 3-0.
The final score was 3-0 which was another upset for the Durand Cup bound Indian Air Force team.
The second match of the day saw a tough clash with Minerva Academy  FC and Chandigarh FC taking on each other. The final score was 0-0  as CFC cunningly put 10 men behind the ball and played a defensive and counter attaching game to foil all the attempts of the Minervan forwards. But Minerva FC strikers still got plenty of opportunities and hit the bar on two different occasions but the CFC goalkeeper came up with great saves to keep Chandigarh FC alive in the match.
The second half saw more of that and even had many goal mouth scrambles but the ball just refused to go into the net for Minerva FC frustrating the players and the football lovers that gathered. Minerva brought in new signing former India Captain Clifford Miranda in the last ten minutes to try and break the deadlock but he limped of with a pulled muscle within minutes. The match ended in a 0-0 draw and Chandigarh FC were lucky to get out of a jam especially as they were missing the services of their prolific striker Aman Banwait who was suspended due to a red card in the previous match.
Both teams Minerva Academy FC and Chandigarh FC are on four points from two matches and Minerva sharks are on three points whereas Indian Air Force are yet to open their account .
Tomorrow is the last day and three teams can still win the tournament so exciting matches will be in store for the football aficionados of the city.
by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Mohammedan SC thrash Geore Telegraph 4-1; move to third in the table

By Debabrata Majumder

BARASAT: Mohammedan Sporting Club thrashed George Telegraph 4-1 to log their third win in the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division – A, at Barasat Stadium on Wednesday.

The Black Panthers, who lead 2-0 at the interval, scored through Manvir Singh (10th & 31st), Atinder Mani (49th) and Parminder Singh (90+3rd) while Rajib Shaw (84th) pulled a goal back for George Telegraph.

Going into the match coach Mridul Banerjee fielded a unchanged team from the previous match against Bhawanipore Club.

Mohammedan SC started off aggresively and surged ahead within just ten minutes into the game when Manvir slotted off a Dipendu Dowary pass.

Having scored, Mohammedan SC increased pressure on the rival defense and their pressure yielded another goal just past the half hour mark when Manvir scored from Atinder’s pass to give his team a two goal advantage before half time.

Mridul Banerjee’s men began the second half strongly and just four minutes into the half they virtually finished off the match after Atinder converted from a brilliant through ball played by Leonce Dodoz inside the George Telegraph box.

Thereafter, Mohammedan SC dominated majority of the proceedings and in the process several chances fell for Dodoz and Manvir but the duo lacked finish in the final third, otherwise the scoreline would have been much bigger.

While Mohammedan SC pressed high up, George Telegraph managed to pull a goal back against the run of the play when Rajib capitalised on a defensive error to beat Mohammedan SC keeper Shayon Roy.

Then, substitute Parminder, who replaced Manvir, rounded off the tally scoring from Dodoz’s pass in the added time.

After this win Mohammedan SC moved up to the third spot with 9 points from 4 games while Geore Telegaraph remain at tenth with a solitary point from as many games.

Mohammedan SC will take on Aryan Club next on Saturday (20th August) at the same venue.

by Abhishek Shukla

Minerva Academy, Chandigarh FC won on the opening day of the Lt. Col. Deol Memorial Tournament

 

Chandigarh: In the opening match of the 2nd Lt. Col. Deol Memorial tournament, Minerva Academy FC took on Minerva Sharks FC who were last years champions and runners up respectively in the Sr. State Championships- 2015.

In 3rd minute, a beautiful chance was created by Victor Amobi who crossed the ball from the right flank and found Mandeep Singh (Ex ISL, Kerala Blasters) at the  top of the box unmarked, Manandeep showed his class connected perfectly with volley to send a rasping shot into the top corner to the net totally beating the Sharks Goalkeeper.

The Sharks tried their best to fight back and even the score but even though they gave relentless pressure they missed some easy chances and their efforts were foiled by great defending by the two pillars of the Minervan Defence Jarmanjit Singh and Abu Korhena.

Jaison Vales of Minerva Academy FC picked up a yellow card in the 20th minute for a reckless tackle on youngster Jeckson Singh of Minerva Sharks.

In the 45th minute, Manandeep did all the hard when he nutmegged two defenders and gifted the ball to Joseph who simply converted the goal making the scoreline 2-0.

In the second half the Minerva Sharks made a number of substitutions but the Minerva Academy defence was resolute and did not give them even a chance at the Goal. With this win Minerva Academy FC picked up all 3 points.

The 2nd match of the day saw a huge upset as Chandigarh FC  beat the India Air Force which is going to participate int he Durand Cup 3-0 in a one sided but fiery encounter.

Striker Aman Banwait of Chandigarh FC picked up on a wrong back pass by the stopper of Indian Air Force and easily side stepped the keeper to slot the ball into the empty goal.

CFC soon doubled their lead in the 9th minute when Aman Banwait fired a beautiful curling shot which ended up in the top corner of the net for a perfect finish.

Chandigarh FC made it 3-0 in the 38th minute with a beautiful goal by Gagandeep Singh making the score 3-0. In the 45th minute just before half time, Aman Banwait’s good run came to fiery end when he picked up a red card for violent behaviour on Davinder Singh of IAF who was also shown a yellow card for the same offence.

In the second half IAF really piled on the pressure and managed to make some promising runs and moves. A shot by Saurav of IAF found the hand of Nikhil Prashar’s of CFC in the box and a penalty was awarded to IAF. In the penally Manvir Singh came up with beautiful save diving to his right to save Saurav’s shot denying them even the hope of a comeback.

The final score was 3-0 and with this win CFC pocket a full 3 points.

Tomorrow fixtures are, Minerva Sharks vs IAF at 2PM and Minerva AFC vs CFC at 4 PM at Sector 17 Football Stadium. Entry free for all.

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: Mohun Bagan set to take on Bhawanipore Club

By Debabrata Majumder

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan will be aiming for all three points when they face Bhawanipore Club in the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division – A at the Barasat Stadiun on Thursday.

Both teams come into this game on the back of contrasting results. While Mohun Bagan won all three of their previous games Bhawanipore have suffered consecutive defeats.

“We have got off to a good start but can’t take anything for granted. All teams are capable of getting results, so we will need to stay focused on the task at hand,” said Mohun Bagan coach Sankarlal Chakraborty.

Facing Bhawanipore, The Mariners are expected to start with a unchanged starting XI from the previous match aganist Southern Samity. Darryl Duffy will be pairing Azaharuddin Mallick upfront. Prabir Das will be marshalling in the midfield beside Saran Singh, Tapan Maity and Robinson Singh. Raju Gaikward will continue to helm the defense alongwith Sanjay Balmuchu while Sarthok Golui and Tanmoy Das will start as fullbacks, with Arnab Das Sharma under the frame. Meanwhile, latest signing Zohib Islam Amiri will start on the bench.

Bhawanipore, on the other hand, have had a utterly disappointing campaign so far, as they have only managed to accumulate a solitary point from three games and it’s quite certain that the Debjit Ghosh-led side, who are already in the relegation zone, will also come hard at Mohun Bagan for full points to allow themselves some breathing space in the table.

Going into the game, Bhawanipore will be heavily depending on the Nigerian striker pair of Orok Orok Essien and Abubakar Al-Hassan for goals upfront while the likes of Shylo Malsawmtluanga, Manish Bhargav and Tirthankar Sarkar will be adding to the options in the midfield.

The match at Mohun Bagan Ground kicks off at 5.30 pm on Thursday and it will be televised live on ETV News Bangla.

by Abhishek Shukla

Gionee to sponsor Shillong Premier League 2016

PRESS RELEASE

Shillong 17 th August 2016: The Shillong Sports Association is delighted to confirm that Gionee, one of the world’s top mobile phone manufacturers, will be the principal sponsor for the 2016 edition of Meghalaya’s leading football competition.

The Shillong Premier League will now be known as the Gionee Shillong Premier League and the first match will kick off on 18 th August with 8 teams competing this year namely, Langsning SC, MLP FT, Malki Sports Club, Nangkiew Irat, Nongkrem FC, Royal Wahingdoh FC, Rangdajied United FC, and Shillong Lajong FC. Team Captains of all the teams were present in a press conference which was organised in the city today.

The first match will be played between Nongkrem and Meghalaya Police on 18 th August at 3:30PM while the defending Champions of the League, Shillong Lajong FC will play their first game on the 22 nd August against Rangdajied United FC.

Speaking on the new season, SSA General Secretary Mr.B.Diengdoh said, “I am very pleased that Gionee has come on board as the main sponsor this year of the Shillong Premier League. The support from Gionee will surely benefit the growth of football in the state of Meghalaya. I would like to wish all the participating teams all the very best for the league and I expect a very high quality competition this year.”

Founded in 2002 with a determination to pursue professionalism and innovation, Gionee has already partnered with two exciting sports teams in India – top flight football club Shillong Lajong FC (since 2014-15) and Indian Premier League T20 cricket franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (since 2015) – and the association with the Gionee Shillong Premier League will provide an avenue for the growth of football in Meghalaya.

As a further indication of its commitment to the uplift of sports in the North East and country as a whole, Mr. Nomit Joshi, AGM Marketing, Gionee said, "Shillong Premier League is a popular contested football tournament that resonates with our target audience. Football is a way of life for the people of North East and we plan to be partners in this journey with them. Plus this is a natural extension of our existing association with the premier club of the North East – Shillong Lajong FC. Wishing everyone involved with the league the very best of luck. I personally look forward to watching a few games soon.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports receives an for the campus football competitions overwhelming response

 1300 educational institutes register with 1700 teams in eight cities  Digital broadcast of 3000 matches to help in talent scouting

Press Release

Mumbai, 17 th August 2016: 

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports – the campus sports initiative recently launched by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi in Delhi – has witnessed a rush of school and college institutes enrolling for the inaugural year of school & college football competitions starting on 28 th August 2016.

Over the last two weeks, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports have received entries from 1300 educational institutes who have registered over 1700 teams for the school and college football competitions. The competitions will be held in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Pune starting with qualifying rounds, followed by city championships and the national finals.

With 13 more days to go for the last date of registrations, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports expects the number to go up across the four categories of competition, Junior Boys, Senior Boys, Senior Girls and College Boys.

The Reliance Foundation Youth Sports football competition will be held in association with All India Football Federation (AIFF) who have lauded the ambitious football campaign promoting the beautiful game among the youth.

Mr Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF says, “The RFYS campus football competition is a welcome step to bolster the building blocks of football grassroots development as it integrates with AIFF’s vision to promote youth participation. With over 3000 matches being broadcast on digital platforms in the inaugural year, this could be one of the biggest platforms for talent scouting across India and provide the youth a defined career path.”

by Abhishek Shukla

CFL: East Bengal edge past United SC in a seven goal thriller

By Debabrata Majumder

BARASAT: East Bengal came from behind twice to log a thrilling 4-3 win over United Sports Club in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A on Tuesday at Barasat Stadium.

United SC took the lead through Manotosh Chakladar (16th), only for Lalrindika Ralte (49th) to restore the parity for East Bengal, but two quick goals from Bello Rasaq (54th) and Suhair VP (64th) gave United SC a 3-1 lead. However, the Red & Golds showed charecter in the later stages of the game and a goal each from Do Dong Hyun (74th), Arnab Mondal (79th) and Lalrindika (89th) settled the closely contested tie in East Bengal’s favour.

Going into the game East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan made three changes to the starting XI from the previous match. While Dibyendu Sarkar replaced Luis Barreto under the bar, Gurwinder Singh and Nikhil Poojary filled in for injured Rahul Bheke and Mehtab Hossain respectively.

United SC started off brightly and created some half chances early on through Amod Mahato and Sankar Oraon who failed to capitalize.

However it did not take long for United SC to find the breakthrough as Manatosh scored with a rasping drive just past the 15th minute mark to put his team ahead first time in the season.

Meanwhile, East Bengal also had their chances throughout the half but the finish was lacking from strikers Jiten Murmu and Somide Adelaja as the first-half ended with United SC leading by a solitary goal.

East Bengal began the second-half with intent and within just four minutes into the session the Red & Golds found themselves back on level when Lalrindika slotted from an inch perfect pass delivered by Avinash Ruidas.

However two quick goals in just ten minutes from Bello and Suhair gave the Purple Brigade a 3-1 advantage.

First it was Bello who converted a spot-kick, awarded to United SC after East Bengal custodian Dibyendu brought down Amod in the prohibited area. Then Suhair scored off a Budhiram Tudu pass to give his team a two goal cushion.

Needing goals, East Bengal introduced striker Dong replacing defender Calum Angus in the 63rd minute. The move had an immediate impact as East Bengal suddenly started to look more purposeful and eventually snached a victory from the jaws of defeat, scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Dong reduced the margin when he slotted a spot-kick in the 74th minute. The penalty was awarded to East Bengal after Bello fouled Lalrindika inside the box.

Having scored, East Bengal increased pressure on the rival defense which eventually paid off as they equalised through Arnab five minutes later when the defender headed home from a right sided corner taken by Avinash.

Then Lalrindika netted the winner with just one minute left in the regulation time. Adelaja delivered a brilliant ball inside the United SC box and Lalrindika made no mistake in slotting a left-footer home which saw his team walking out with full three points.

After this thrilling win East Bengal reclaimed the top position with 12 points from 4 games while United SC stay rooted at bottom without a point from the same number of matches.

East Bengal XI: Dibyendu Sarkar; Callum Angus (Dong Hyun Do – 63′), Gurwinder Singh, Arnab Mondal, Narayan Das; Nikhil Poojary (Prohlad Roy – 28′), Mohammed Rafique, Lalrindika Ralte, Avinash Ruidas (Robert Lalthalmuana – 91′); Somide Adelaja, Jiten Murmu.

United SC XI: Sangram Mukherjee; Santu Singh, Bello Rasaq, Lucky Ejiofor, Sujay Oraon; Amod Mahato, Manotosh Chakladar, Mohammed Rashid K, Shankar Oraon; Suhair VP, Budhiram Tudu.