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September 30
    IndianFootball.Com wishes everyone around the world EID MUBARAK!!!

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 2 | Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta | 18.30 IST:

East Bengal Club 0-1 Mumbai FC
Goals: 0-1 Ahmed Felix Aboagye (23')

EAST BENGAL: 24-Subrata Pal; 3-Nirmal Chetri, 5-Khelemba Singh, 4-Suley Musah, 29-Saumik Dey; 19-Syed Rahim Nabi, 26-Mehraj din Wadoo, 12-Yusuf Yakubu, 8-Renedy Singh (71' 14-Mehtab Hussain, 88' 32-Goutam Kujur); 30-Edmilson Marques Pardal (46' 10-Ashim Biswas), 11-Sunil Chetri.
Unused Substitutes: 1-Abhra Mondal, 2-Muttath Suresh, 28-Chhangte Malswamkima, 25-Parveen Kumar
MUMBAI FC: 13-Kalyan Chaubey; 19-Sanjay Parte, 5-Selwyn Fernandes, 3-James Cobblah Dissiramah, 2-Anes Edathodika; 29-Subash Chakraborty, 20-Riston Rodrigues, 17-Kalia Kulothungan (67' 8-Noel Anthony Wilson), 21-Aseem Kutty (68' 7-Sampath Kumar Kuttimani); 10-Ahmed Felix Aboagye (78' 9-Abhishek Yadav), 11-Abel Hammond.
Unused Substitutes: 1-Amit Singha Roy, 14-Anthony Fernandes, 26-Nishant Mehra, 27-Anees Kutty
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Selwyn Fernandes (Mumbai FC).
YELLOW CARDS: Suley Musah (18'), Sunil Chetri (45+1', both East Bengal); Selwyn Fernandes (35'), Subash Chakraborty (60'), Kalyan Chaubey (73', all Mumbai FC).
REFEREE: A Arjunan (Services).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
...

30th Federation Cup - East Zone qualifiers: Peerless SC, Calcutta 4-1 Raj Milk, Bihar - Goals: 0-1 Indrakant (33'), 1-1,3-1 Tilak Saha (39',52'), 2-1 James Ugwo Agbo (48'), 4-1 Uzozle Emmanuel Junior (73').
Referee: Mohammed Kamil (Delhi).

Calcutta Super Division: West Bengal Police 1-0 SAIL
West Bengal Police with today's win have gained promotion to the Calcutta Premier League 2009!

Calcutta Super Division: Eastern Railway SC 1-0 Police AC
Calcutta Super Division: Bengal-Nagpur Railway 0-1 Tollygunge Agragami

11th Goa Professional League: Dempo SC 2-0 Sporting Clube de Goa - Goals: 1-0 Nacimento Silveira (49'), 2-0 Clifton Gonsalves (90+').

1st Haryana State League: Raghav Club, Gurgaon 4-0 Ambala FC - Goals: 1-0 Thakar Singh (39'), 2-0 Suresh (67'), 3-0 Abhishek (69'), 4-0 Mandeep jadeja (76')..
1st Haryana State League: Chotu Ram Club, Rohtak 5-0 Haryana Vidhyut Power Nigam - Goals: 1-0 Umaid Singh (37'), 2-0,4-0 Jagdeep (52',62'), 3-0 Kumar (54'), 5-0 Rampal (59').

Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Western Railway 1-1 Akbar Travels
Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Bank of India 3-1 Indian Navy

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group B: Mizoram 8-1 Delhi
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group B: Meghalaya 1-3 Punjab

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Anal Students Union 3-1 Linkers Club
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Sphinx United 1-0 Kiruphema Student Union

::: Karnataka State FA names new Bangalore District FA body :::
Karnataka State FA yesterday announced the formation of a new committee to run the affairs of the Bangalore District FA. KSFA, on Monday said the governing council which met on August 30 unanimously accepted the resignations of the office bearers and a few members of the BDFA and nominated a new managing committee with MP Swamy as chairman and ST Bhoopal as secretary. The new reconstituted BDFA managing committee:
* Chairman: MP Swamy
* Secretary: ST Bhoopal
* Treasurer: Munavar Pasha
* Members: SA Majid, SS Sahi, Antony, Chikka Chennaiah, Devoo, BG Giri, Malle Gowda, R Prasanth, Ramachandra Rao, R Mohan, Shiva, Shiva Shankar, Staley Wilson, TMG Naidu, L Prakash.

::: DD Sports drop I-League round-up show :::
There is bad news for Doordarshan viewers and football lovers across India as this year DD Sports will show no telecast of the half hour I-League Round-up. According to sources the programme has been dropped by Doordarshan as they are also busy with preparations for the Pune Youth Commonwealth Games 2009 and the channel has also dropped a well known commentator from their sports panel. This special round-up programme was started in 2006 following instructions from Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and it is said to have had a strong fan following.


FIFA present their mobile media rights strategy for South Africa at Soccerex 2008
South Africa is the world's fourth fastest growing cellular communications market, accounting for 80% of the population (over 39 million users). South Africa offers an extraordinary penetration rate in this burgeoning market, one of the highest in the developing world, representing a market value of US$2.4bn. In comparison, internet use is experiencing slower growth than expected. According to 2006 figures, South Africa had just over 5 million users representing a penetration rate of only 10.3%, underlining mobile marketing's prominence in this consumer market.
FIFA and Soccerex have assembled a panel of industry leaders to highlight the importance of mobile marketing and broadcasting ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The panel entitled 'Mobile communications in Africa and beyond - the key to reaching fans at the 2010 FIFA World Cup' will feature senior figures from FIFA, Ericsson and Perform.

Heading up this panel is Niclas Ericson (Director, TV Division, FIFA), who will outline the importance of fan communication via this media platform and the opportunities this poses ahead of 2010. The next FIFA World Cup is expected to push forward interaction via many different communication technologies, including full match broadcasts on mobiles. As a relatively new broadcasting medium, Niclas Ericson will reveal the world governing body of football's stance on the activation of event mobile broadcasting rights.
Robin Berglund (Ericsson) will reveal how companies such as Ericsson remain innovative in this highly competitive market and where he feels mobile services and handsets can take fan interaction to new levels. With Ericsson currently operating in over 1,000 networks in more than 140 countries, Robin Berglund is highly knowledgeable on mobile global deployments in markets such as Africa. Berglund will divulge where he feels mobile services and handsets can provide the greatest influence on media and sports consumption and the related mobile marketing strategy. Completing this panel of communication experts is Andrew Croker (Executive Chairman, Perform). Perform is a world leader in monetising sport and entertainment rights in digital media, they provide content to clients such as Orange, Nokia, Vodafone and T-Mobile. Recently, Perform were also awarded internet rights for over 500 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Matches.

This conference panel will provide Soccerex delegates an expert consultation session on mobile marketing strategies, focusing on South Africa's rapidly developing telecommunications market.
Soccerex 2008 is the leading business convention for football worldwide taking place on 23-26 November, Gauteng Province, South Africa.

For further information regarding Soccerex 2008 please visit Soccerex website




September 29
    RESULTS & NEWS

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Barasat Stadium, Calcutta | 18.30 IST:

Mohammedan Sporting Club 1-1 Air-India
Goals: 0-1 Surojit Roy (23'), 1-1 Theodore Sunday Wrobeh (59')

MOHAMMEDAN SPORTING: 1-Naseem Akhtar; 23-Rajib Ghosh (80' 26-Gautam Thakur), 19-Gurpreet Singh, 2-V Prem Kumar, 30-Bijoy Das; 27-A Jyothi Kumar, 20-Adebayo Tokunbo Adewusi, 16-Sovan Chakraborty (90'+1' 34-Lalchhuan Awma), 5-Mir Farooq Hyder (54' 4-Subhas Mondal); 10-Mike Okoro, 11-Theodore Sunday Wrobeh.
Unused Substitutes: 22-Tharangachan Tungshang, 7-Roque Barreto, 8-Satyajit Bose, 25-R Amla Francis Nova
AIR-INDIA: 24-Arup Debnath; 2-Haobijam Napoleon Singh, 29-Chukwuma Udofia, 6-Uttam Leishangthem Singh, 3-Ravinder Singh; 10-Soccor Velho, 28-Michael Segum Tayo, 4-Syed Farid, 22-Surojit Roy (81' 18-Vijith Shetty); 8-Kumar Samson Singh (55' 12-Singam Subash Singh, 90' 19-Santosh Koli), 25-Emmanuel Ovieghara.
Unused Substitutes: 30-Sarath EC, 14-Gauranga Biswas, 23-Kailash Patil, 26-Amritpal Singh
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Adebayo Adewusi (Mohammedan Sporting).
YELLOW CARDS: Subhas Singh (70', Air India).
REFEREE: Francisco Fernandes (Goa).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
...

30th Federation Cup - Northeast Zone qualifiers: Assam State Electricity Board 0-1 NISA, Thangmeiband; Manipur - Goals: 0-1 M Bijen Singh (83').
Referee: Rathin Mukherjee (West Bengal).

11th Goa Professional League: Churchill Brothers SC 3-0 Vasco SC - Goals: 1-0,2-0,3-0 Odafe Onyeka Okolie (74',78',8?').

Mumbai Elite Division - Group B: Maharashtra State Police 1-0 Union Bank of India

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group A: West Bengal 2-2 Assam
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group A: Uttarakhand 1-2 Goa

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Excel United, Kohima 9-0 Kevi Friends Organisation
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Merhülietsa FC 3-1 Kigwema Students Union

::: Dempo's I-League Round 2 match postponed :::
Dempo's 2nd Round I-League match against Churchill Brothers SC scheduled for October 5 has been postponed to a later date, as the defending champions will be heading to Lebanon to play their AFC Cup Semifinal first-leg against Safa SC in Beirut on October 7.

:::AFC Under 16 Championship 2008:::
The India Under 16 Team consisting of 23 players and 8 officials will leave Delhi on 1st October, 2008 for Uzbekistan to participate in the AFC Under 16 Championship to be held in Tashkent ,Uzbekistan from 4th to 18th October, 2008. India start their campaign against Korea Republic on 4th October followed by matches against Syria and Indonesia on 6th and 8th October respectively. A total of 16 teams divided into four Groups are participating in AFC U 16 championship 2008. A last four finish will suffice for the juniors to make the FIFA U-17 World Cup next year in Nigeria.
INDIA U16: Goalkeepers: Abhishek Das, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Jayanta Paul; Defenders: Ajit Dhurva Bhoir, Vikas Guila, Asish Chhetri, Deepak Devrani, Sumit Rawat,Tonmoy Ghosh, Vishal Kumar; Midfielders: Akshay Mall, Harpreet Bedi, Bikramjit Singh, Shilton D'Silva, O Lalrindika, Sunny, Tirthankar Sarkar, Ongnam Milan Singh; Forwards: Manandeep, Abhishek Das, Malsawmfela, Prem Kumar, Vivek Kumar.
Officials: Colin Joseph Toal (Chief Coach), Narayana Menon (Coach), Sanjoy Sen (Coach), Tanumoy Basu (GK Coach), Chandru Jayaraman (Physiotherapist), Dr Kiran Sanzgiri (Doctor), Col. BMR Mehta (Media Officer), Ankur Dutta (Manager).


September 28
    RESULTS & NEWS

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Nehru Stadium, Margao | 16.00 IST:

Dempo SC 1-2 JCT, Phagwara
Goals: 0-1 Eduardo da Silva Escobar (17'), 0-2 Balwant Singh (64'), 1-2 Nicolau Borges (77')

DEMPO: 1-Abhijit Mondal (46' 21-VP Satish Kumar); 18-Valeriano Rebello, 3-John Charles Dias, 28-Mahesh Gawli, 16-Samir Naik; 14-Anthony Pereira, 8-Climax Lawrence [C], 11-Roberto Mendes Silva, 15-Clifford Miranda (54' 22-Nicolau Borges); 9-Ranty Martins Soleye, 20-Mboyo Iyomi.
Unused Substitutes: 4-Cressan Antao, 23-Dominic Noronha, 7-Nacimento Silveira, 30-Joe Rodrigues, 17-Joaquim Abranches
JCT: 1-Karanjit Singh; 12-Daljit Singh, 4-Julius Irabor Akpele, 3-Anwar Ali, 2-Jaspal Singh; 13-Baldeep Singh Sr, 27-Baldeep Singh Jr (46' 7-Jagpreet Singh), 24-Gurwinder Singh, 6-Baljit Singh Sahni (81' 8-Jaswinder Singh); 9-Balwant Singh (68' 22-Pawan Kumar), 10-Eduardo da Silva Escobar.
Unused Substitutes: 31-Prasanta Dora, 5-Narinder Singh, 17-Amandeep Singh, 28-Shivraj Singh
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Anwar Ali (JCT).
YELLOW CARDS: none.
REFEREE: Pradeep Kumar (Tamil Nadu).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
...

30th Federation Cup - East Zone qualifiers: Raj Milk, Bihar 3-0 State Bank of India, Orissa - Goals: 1-0 Olamilkan (17'), 2-0 Shyam Kumar (31'), 3-0 Saheed (83').
Referee: Govind Kanojia (Delhi).

1st Haryana State League: BFC, Fatehabad 3-2 Haryana Vidhyut Power Nigam - Goals: 0-1 Sailendra (53'), 1-1,2-1,3-2 Anil (53',63',83'), 2-2 Harpal (80').
1st Haryana State League: Raghav Club, Gurgaon 2-1 Jhajar FC - Goals: 0-1 Viresh (41'), 1-1 Sunil (72'), 2-1 Vikram (90').
1st Haryana State League: Rewari FC 1-0 Golden Star Club, Mahendragarh - Goals: 1-0 Sonu (18').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Police 2-0 Punjab SC, Faridabad - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Ranbir (40',60').

Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Kenkre Football Academy 2-2 Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers
Mumbai Elite Division - Group B: Mumbai United 1-1 ONGC, Mumbai

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group B: Mizoram 7-0 Meghalaya
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group B: Punjab 6-1 Delhi

::: Goa FA release remaining fixtures of the Goa Pro League :::
The Goa FA has released the fixtures of the remaining "Vodafone" Goa Professional League matches. Seven rounds have been played so far, but not completely with all I-League sides having missed games on the way. Round 8 will be played on October 15/16 and the league will end with Round 14 on December 2 to 4 with those matches to be finalised depending on the league situation. Currently relegated I-League side Salgaocar SC lead the table with 16 points from six matches.
Click here fo the Goa Professional League - fixtures


September 27
    RESULTS & NEWS

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Barasat Stadium, Calcutta | 18.30 IST:

Mohun Bagan AC 1-2 Mumbai FC
Goals: 0-1 Abel Hammond (9'), 0-2 Kalia Kulothungan (24'), 1-2 Pachau Lalam Puia (77')

MOHUN BAGAN: 31-Shilton Pal; 24-Rino Anto (46' 27-Nallappan Mohanraj), 14-Peter Odafe, 4-Deepak Kumar Mondal, 3-Nanjangud Shivananju Manju; 19-Shylo Malswam Tulunga (60' 9-Pachau Lalam Puia), 25-Sargolsem James Singh (65' 7-Lal Kamal Bhowmick), 20-Rakesh Masih, 11-Ishfaq Ahmed; 10-Jose Ramirez Barreto, 15-Baichung Bhutia
Unused Substitutes: 21-Chiradeep Chattopadhyay, 16-James Lukram Singh, 23-Lalramluaha, 29-Joseph Anandavasan
MUMBAI FC: 13-Kalyan Chaubey; 19-Sanjay Parte, 5-Selwyn Fernandes, 3-James Cobblah Dissiramah, 2-Anes Edathodika; 29-Subash Chakraborty (81' 27-Anees Kutty), 20-Riston Rodrigues, 17-Kalia Kulothungan, 21-Aseem Kutty (61' 7-Sampath Kumar Kuttimani); 10-Ahmed Felix Aboagye (78' 9-Abhishek Yadav), 11-Abel Hammond.
Unused Substitutes: 1-Amit Singha Roy, 8-Noel Anthony Wilson, 14-Anthony Fernandes, 26-Nishant Mehra
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Abel Hammond (Mumbai FC).
YELLOW CARDS: Ahmed Felix Aboagye (51'), Kalia Kulothungan (52'), Kalyan Chaubey (73' all Mumbai FC).
REFEREE: A Arjunan (Services).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
Mumbai FC made their I-League debut in style as they shocked the Calcutta Premier League champions Mohun Bagan AC in a 2-1 defeat at the Barasat Stadium. First half goals from the Ghanian striker Abel Hammond and midfielder Kalia Kulothungan were enough to overcome the Calcutta giants while the consolation goal for Mariners was scored by the young striker Pachau Lalam Puia.
The visitors coach David Booth surprised everyone by putting experienced players like Abhishek Yadav and Noel Anthony Wilson on the bench while Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencharifa went with a strong line-up with the likes of Indian captain Baichung Bhutia and Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto in the frontline. The Mumbai outfit got the first chance of the game when Abel Hammond's pass from the left found Felix Aboagye whose shot was superbly saved by keeper Shilton Pal, but it did rebound to Subash Chakraborty whose header was put out for a corner by the former Indian U19 keeper. At the other end Baiching Bhutia almost scored the lead for Bagan when Barreto's back heal found the Kashmiri Ishfaq Ahmed alone on the left who gave an inch perfect ball to Bhutia whose shot towards goal went just wide of the post. But within five minutes Mumbai FC took the lead thanks to a confusion in defence between Peter Odafe and NS Manju. The Nigerian defender gave a back pass to Manju who lost the ball and it went straight to Abel Hammond whose thunderbolt shot towards the goal never gave a chance for the young Bagan keeper in the 9th minute. The goal silenced the crowd at the Barasat Stadium and Mohun Bagan were desperate for the equaliser. Then in the 24th minute of the game Kalia Kulothungan doubled the lead after superbly heading in a cross from Felix. It was again Felix who created problems for Bagan and the two goal lead was never expected from the away team. The home side responded suddenly when Odafe's long ball found Barreto inside the penalty box who fired in a shot which was saved brilliantly by veteran Kalyan Chaubey. Mohun bagan kept on pressuring the visitors and Bhutia got a golden opportunity to pull one back after Sagolsem James Singh took a free-kick from 30 yards out which found the Indian captain but his header was wide of the post.
The second half of the game lacked the pace which it had set in the first half as Mumbai FC got more and more defensive and never gave Mohun Bagan much space. But the introduction of Pachau Lalam Puia changed the game for Mohun Bagan. In the 77th minute the Mizo striker gave the home team agoal after receiving a pass from another substitute Nallappan Mohanraj and the former Indian junior player drilled the ball into the net after getting past two defenders to bring the game back alive. The goal gave a morale boost for the team and suddenly Mumbai FC were put under pressure for the first time in the game. Just three minutes before the final whistle Mohun Bagan was just a whisker away from slotting in the equaliser when Mohanraj's cross found Barreto who played the ball to Bhutia and the resulting shot of the Indian skipper kissed the bar and walked across the goalline and seemed to be going into the net before the Mumbai defence could clear it for a throw in. It was the last attempt of the game for Mohun Bagan and like last season their campaign started with a defeat while Mumbai FC were delighted to get all three points that too against one of the mighty Calcutta sides.
It was the first half performance that did the trick for Mumbai FC as at the end of the day luck was on their side as they say 'Luck favours the brave' and indeed they were brave. The slushy ground conditions and the constant rain made it difficult for both teams but Mumbai FC were better in converting their chances than their rivals. The introduction of Nallappan Mohanraj and Pachau Lalam Puia did change the game in Mohun Bagan's favour but it was too late for them also Baichung Bhutia had a bad day with his shots and header going wide which is really unusual for a player of his calibre. The victory gave us some hint on Mumbai's FC potential and a warning shot to the big teams in the I-League while Karim Bencharifa will have to work on many things if the Calcutta giants have to go all the way.

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Nehru Stadium, Margao | 16.00 IST:

Churchill Brothers SC 2-1 Mahindra United
Goals: 1-0,2-1 Odafe Onyeka Okolie (61',88'), 1-1 Sushil Kumar Singh (83')

CHURCHILL BROTHERS: 29-Arindam Bhattacharya; 8-Thokchom Naoba Singh, 6-M Govin Singh, 19-M Gouramangi Singh, 17-Robert Lalthalma; 15-Chitrasen Chandam Singh, 9-Ogba Kalu Nnanna, 13-Mashangva Genius Zenith, 11-Khemtang Paite (82' 30-Jugeshor Singh); 7-Felix Chimaokwu (63' 22-Jaison Vales), 10-Odafe Onyeka Okolie.
Unused Substitutes: 1-Vinay Singh, 3-Warundeep Singh, 14-Nicholas L Rodrigues, 16-D Raju, 26-Yumnam Raju Mangang
MAHINDRA UNITED: 1-Subhasish Roy Chowdhury; 16-Sunil Kumar, 14-Dharmaraj Ravanan, 21-Justine Stephen, 7-Sushanth Mathew, 4-Krishnan Nair Ajayan, 2-Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep, 23-Steven Dias (57' 19-Arata Izumi), 29-Djidjia Douhou Pierre, 11-M Mohammed Rafi (68' 28-Sushil Kumar Singh), 10-Chidi Edeh.
Unused Substitutes: 22-Amit Nandy, 5-Harpreet Singh, 17-Sukhwinder Singh, 8-Paresh Shivalkar, 15-Khangembam Thoi Singh
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: M Govin Singh (Churchill Brothers).
YELLOW CARDS: Dharmaraj Ravanan (26', Mahindra United).
REFEREE: Dinesh Nair (Gujarat).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Pratap Singh (Sevices), Andrew Shekhar (Karnataka).
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Pradeep Kumar (Tamil Nadu).

Match Report:
Churchill Brothers SC made a successful start to their I-League campaign with a 2-1 victory against Mahindra United at the Nehru Stadium, Margao. Striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie once more was the match winner for Churchill Brothers with a brace and the Goans were able to take revenge for their Durand Cup final defeat exactly three weeks ago against the Mumbai Jeepmen.

30th Federation Cup - Northeast Zone qualifiers: Ageya Chalo, Tripura 1-2 Assam State Electricity Board - Goals: 0-1,1-2 Nitu Narzary (13',73'), 1-1 Joydeep Debnath (53').
Referee: JP Pandit (Bihar).

1st Haryana State League: Haryana Vidhyut Power Nigam 1-5 Raghav Club, Gurgaon - Goals: 0-1,1-2 Ram (11',44'), 1-1 Amit Dhada (16'), 1-3 Amit (61'), 1-4 Rohit (72'), 1-5 Sunil (76').
1st Haryana State League: Jhajar FC 5-1 BFC, Fatehabaad - Goals: 1-0 Amit (7' own Goal), 2-0,3-0 Rajesh (27',57'), 4-0 Sudhen (63'), 4-1 Amit (65'), 5-1 Harpal (81').
1st Haryana State League: Rewari FC 1-0 Punjab SC, Faridabad - Goals: 1-0 Sonu (7').
1st Haryana State League: Golden Star Club, Mahendragarh 0-0 Haryana Police - Goals: none.

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group A: West Bengal 1-1 Uttarakhand
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Quarterfinal League Group A: Assam 4-0 Goa

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Medical XI 0-0,2-3 Jakhama Youth Society [penalties]
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Obos Club Pfutsero 3-0 New Minister Hill Youth Organisation


September 26
    RESULTS & NEWS

Beginning with the new I-League season, we are starting a regular column at IndianFotball.Com: "Football Matters" - by our long-serving Mumbai-based Editor, Sujay Sharma. Like the name suggests, through it Sujay will comment with his personal observations on matters in Indian football.
Read the complete article here >>IndianFootball.Com Column - Football Matters .

IndianFootball.Com | I-League

I-League Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Barasat Stadium, Calcutta | 18.30 IST:

East Bengal Club 3-1 Chirag United SC
Goals: 1-0 Irungbam Surkumar Singh (10'), 2-0 Yakubu Yusif (19'), 3-0 Sunil Chetri (28'), 3-1 Shankar Oraon (79')

EAST BENGAL: 24-Subrata Pal; 27-Irungbam Surkumar Singh, 4-Suley Musah, 3-Nirmal Chetri, 29-Saumik Dey; 19-Syed Rahim Nabi, 26-Mehraj din Wadoo, 12-Yakubu Yusif, 8-Renedy Singh (58' 14-Mehtab Hussain); 30-Edmilson Marques Pardal (85' 10-Ashim Biswas), 11-Sunil Chetri (90+3' 25-Parveen Kumar).
Unused Substitutes: 1-Abhra Mondal, 2-Muttath Suresh, 5-I Khelemba Singh, 32-Gautam Kujur
CHIRAG UNITED: 1-Arindam Ghosh; 8-Sasthi Duley (12' 5-Subhashish Roy Chowdhury), 4-Kingshuk Debnath, 15-Dulal Biswas (83' 18-Sukhen Dey), 6-R Dhanarajan, 30-Gauranga Datta, 16-Arnab Mondal, 27-Lalmalswama Hmar (49' 7-Hardip Singh Saini), 11-Snehasish Chakraborty, 10-Ayan Chowdhury, 25-Shankar Oraon.
Unused Substitutes: 31-Somnath Khara, 14-Basudeb Mondal, 1?-Nanao Yumnam, 26-M Subhas Singh
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Sunil Chetri (East Bengal).
YELLOW CARDS: Renedy Singh (56'), Nirmal Chetri (57', both East Bengal); Arnab Mondal (49'), Subhashish Roy Chowdhury (90', both Chirag United).
REFEREE: S Suresh (Tamil Nadu).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
The first I-League game of the season at Barasat Stadium in Calcutta, almost threatened to be a no-contest, if one was to have seen only the first 30 minutes of the game following kick-off. Chirag United SC just didn't seem to know what hit them right from kick-off, as the Red-and-Gold of East Bengal Club sought to immediately impress their passionate fans who had flocked to the stadium to cheer them on.
The East Bengal line-up, bore no surprises, and had a real attacking threat what with the highest goalscorer in Indian national league football history, Yakubu Yusif, playing behind the current golden-boy Sunil Chetri, and the wily and deadly finisher that is Edmilson from Brazil. Renedy Singh from the left and Syed Nabi from the right, offered good thrust from the flanks, both of them Indian internationals too. Add to that were the rampaging forays of fullbacks Surkumar Singh and Saumik Dey, and the manner of the start wouldn't have come as a surprise to most observers. What was a bit disappointing was the ease with which the Chirag United midfield and defence stood off and capitulated under the early East Bengal pressure, and Chirag United's cause wasn't helped by their regular lapses in concentration in the defensive areas.
On 10 minutes, Surkumar was allowed to run at goal one-on-one, and he gladly accepted the opportunity to rifle in a typically unstoppable piledriver, from close-range for his standards, and the helpless Arindam Ghosh couldn't really have been expected to stop the pacy swerving shot for the opener into his near-post. For the East Bengal second, Yakubu's lay-off for Renedy lead to the left winger easily crossing without being closed down, with the non-tracked Ghanaian meeting it to head home powerfully for his first goal for his new club and supporters. That was 19 minutes. Then come the 28th minute, the contest was as good as over helped by a defensive howler by Arnab Mondal just laying a harmless Edmilson lob onto the path of Sunil Chetri, who finished like his lethal self to make it 3-0.
Following this awesome start, East Bengal quite naturally took their foot off the accelerator, as Chirag started to finally string some passes in midfield and probed the opponent's defence with half-effective forays down the flanks. The second half saw Chirag United come out slightly more determined, as they started getting more stuck into the challenges, and show some degree of urgency to make the scoreline more respectable. East Bengal on the other hand, seemed just satisfied to maintain the margin, and so naturally started to lose out in terms of chances. Shankar Oraon was proving particularly dangerous, as he exploited the spaces on the flanks combining with the now-willing Chirag wingers, to put in more crosses and ask greater questions of Nirmal Chetri, Suley Musah, and Subrata Pal. He got his just reward when from a throw in, he was not closed down, and Nirmal just stood off, and let him shoot a good left footer that rifled in to far post from the top of box as Subrata stood and watched helpless. Hardip Singh Saini's introduction in the second half had also added more dynamism to the Chirag midfield, although the slushy ground conditions made defending more treacherous for the under pressure East Bengal defence and midfield, as the rain came down in the second half.
Stanley Rozario would be happy with what he saw of his team as an attacking force, and the fact that the goals have started flowing from day one bodes well for the upcoming season. However East Bengal would also need to make sure they don't have further dips in performance during a match, as other opponents might not be so meek. Chirag United meanwhile know they can give a fight to the big guns, provided they have faith in their abilities, are not overawed, and avoid errors, some things which they obviously did not do in the first 30 minutes until it was too late. Just being a Calcutta team in itself might be a blessing for them, as being one of four in the league, the added 'home' advantage might make the difference between survival and not.

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2nd "ONGC" I-League | Round 1 | Nehru Stadium, Margao | 16.00 IST:

Vasco SC 0-1 Sporting Clube de Goa
Goals: 0-1 Elijah Obagbemiro Junior (90+1')

VASCO: 20-Laxmikant Kattimani; 30-Vincent Brice Pires, 18-Elvino Fernandes, 5-Covan Lawrence, 16-Jose Colaco (77' 27-Selrino Gonsalves), 19-Menino Fernandes, 24-Fulganco Cardozo, 7-Abdul Shamin (38' 28-Lalnun Puia), 9-Abhishek Yadav (60' 11-Donald Rocha), 15-Agnelo Colaco, 17-Agnelo D'Souza.
Unused Substitutes: 1-Milagrio Medeira, 2-Sarfraz Khan, 23-Sujay Mondal, 25-Bernardo Pires
SPORTING CLUBE: 1-Felix D'Souza; 14-Wilton Gomes, 4-Chinta Chandrashekhar Rao, 6-Philip Gomes, 24-N Samananda Singh, 7-Harmanjot Singh Khabra, 22-Joseph Pereira, 26-Micky Fernandes (86' 23-Bibiano Fernandes), 27-Lairanjem Bisheshwor Singh (85' 37-Anthony D'Souza), 29-Thoudam Joychandra Singh (62' 19-Cavin Lobo), 10-Elijah Obagbemiro Junior.
Unused Substitutes: 31-Gerard D'Mello, 15-Mauricio Freeman Peixoto, 18-Remus Gomes, 33-Rovan Pereira
"ONGC" MAN OF THE MATCH: Covan Lawrence (Vasco SC).
YELLOW CARDS: Abhishek Yadav (47', Vasco); Philip Gomes (42', Sporting Clube).
REFEREE: Minangshu Bhattacharya (West Bengal).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: ...
FOURTH OFFICIAL: ...

Match Report:
Vishwas Gaonkar's Sporting Clube de Goa came up trumps against Elvis Goes' Vasco SC in the season opening match between the two 'smaller' Goan teams in this year's I-League, in a match that was also the first for either coach at this level. The result however, was only sealed in injury time, as the only foreign player on the field, striker Elijah Obagbemiro Junior of Sporting Clube, finally converted the last of his innumerable chances during the game.
Sporting Clube dominated proceedings from early on, although by no means was it a game that dished entertaining fare for the viewers in the hot and humid conditions at Fatorda Stadium in Goa. Junior always looked the main goal-threat, as he made his intentions clear from early on in the game, shooting on most opportunities, albeit often wide. Little dynamo Joseph Pereira too could have broken the deadlock, as his sliding attempt from a right-wing cross rebounded off the crossbar. The Vasco defence and keeper showed their inexperience and nervousness on the new stage often enough in the first half to allow Junior several more chances. At the other end, Menino shot over from a half-decent chance on one of Vasco's rare forays, while keeper Felix needed to save sharply with his feet from an Agnelo D'Souza deflection right in front of him.
The second half went much the same way, albeit the tempo dropped a bit as the players fatigued, and the game was crying out for an incident or a goal. Junior continued to shoot over and head wide, on the several occasions when the Vasco defence dithered to clear, or the young Kattimani flapped at crosses. A last ditch tackle prevented Joseph from slotting the ball home, but as the match progressed, it seemed when not if Sporting would finally score, given the ease with which they were being presented possession by their slack opponents. Then like in the first half, a golden chance came for Vasco from nowhere, as Felix stopped well from point-blank range off Menino, who must have realized the significance of his miss. Vasco could have capitalized on Felix's fluffed cross collection late on, but again were not sharp enough despite having enough bodies in the box for a change.
Just after veteran Covan Lawrence had been named man-of-the match for what had been a fortuitous performance by the Vasco defence until then, their luck rightfully ran out as Vincent Pires couldn't sort out his feet to clear the low ball across the 6-yard box, and Junior finally pounced to finish for a well-deserved goal for himself.
Sporting Clube will be delighted to get a win in their first game, unlike last year where they needed eight games. Their performance and finishing would definitely require improvement as they come up against tougher league opponents. Vasco meanwhile will need to go back to the drawing board to figure out all the many aspects they need to spruce up, including a decent foreign-player contingent, to be competitive in the league. And to try to not look favourites for one of the two relegation spots just as the season has begun.

30th Federation Cup - South Zone qualifiers: Integral Coach Factory 1-2 BEML (EM), Bangalore - Goals: 0-1 Samuel Jackson (31'), 1-1 Ashok Kumar (43' pen), 1-2 Mohammed Hayath Khalendar (87').
Referee: ...

30th Federation Cup - East Zone qualifiers: Rail SC, Jharkhand 1-3 State Bank of India, Orissa - Goals: 0-1,0-2 Arshad Ali (18',46'), 1-2 Krishna Mahto (82'), 1-3 Sandip Das (90).
Referee: Sitender Saha (Delhi).

30th Federation Cup - Northeast Zone qualifiers: Khliehriat West Club 1-3 NISA, Thangmeiband; Manipur - Goals: 0-1 Vidyasagar Singh (3'), 0-2 N Jimony Singh (23'), 1-2 Edison (32'), 1-3 M Bijen Singh (39').
Referee: ...

11th Goa Professional League: Dempo SC 7-1 Raia Sporting Club - Goals: -.

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Madhya Pradesh 0-2 Mizoram
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Chhattisgarh 0-7 Uttar Pradesh

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Naga Hospital Colony 0-0,3-2 The Eighty-8 FC [penalties]
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: New Market XI 4-1 Nava Jyoti Yuva Club


September 25
    RESULTS & NEWS

30th Federation Cup - East Zone qualifiers: Peerless SC, Calcutta 2-0 South-East-Central Railway, Chhattisgarh - Goals: 1-0 Uzozle Emmanuel Junior, 2-0 Surojit Chakraborty.
Referee: Bikramjit Purkayastha (Delhi).

30th Federation Cup - Northeast Zone qualifiers: FC Kuki, Mizoram 1-1,2-3 Assam State Electricity Board [penalties]
Referee: S Shujauddin (Jharkhand).

Calcutta Super Division: West Bengal Police - SAIL = match abandoned
Calcutta Super Division: Eastern Railway SC - Police AC = match abandoned
Calcutta Super Division: Bengal-Nagpur Railway - Tollygunge Agragami = match abandoned
Calcutta Super Division: Calcutta Customs 1-0 Mohammedan AC

11th Goa Professional League: Salgaocar SC 3-0 Velsao Pale SC - Goals: 1-0 Anthony Barbosa (78'), 2-0 Beevan D'Mello (81'), 3-0 Sachin Gawas (90+').

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 5: Uttarakhand 0-1 Jharkhand
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Karnataka 2-7 Manipur
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Chandigarh 1-9 Assam
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Gujarat 2-4 Himachal Pradesh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Delhi 6-1 Bihar
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 8: Goa 1-0 Haryana

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Lamkang Students' Union 2-2,0-2 Life Sports Dimori Cove [penalties]
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Phezou Boys Club 4-0 Christ King Higher Secondary

::: Churchill Brothers name Zoran Djordjevic as new coach :::
After firing their coach Emeka Ezeugo yesterday Churchill Brothers SC today appointed Serbian Zoran Djordjevic as their new coach. The Serbian arrived in Goa today and will directly take charge of the team.

::: 49th Subroto Mukherjee Cup: Army Boys U17 champions :::
A silly mistake by the Mizoram goalkeeper Laltanpuia in the 41st minute helped Army Boys, Bangalore to win their maiden Subroto Cup title in the under-17 age group played at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium. Defeating Orissa in the semifinals who were the hot favourites to win the U17 title certainly gave a moral boost to the Bangalore boys as they went on to defeat Government Central Higher Secondary School, Mizoram by 2-1 in the finals of the Subroto Cup. After seeing the final, it seems Indian football is certainly on the right track as both the teams displayed a wonderful game of football which was also well appreciated by the spectators from a professional point of view.
It was certainly worth a final as both the teams had equal opportunities but the tide swung in the Army boys favor in the 41st minute when T Jackichan Singh freekick from the top of the box was not collected well by the Mizoram keeper Laltanpuia, who fumbled the ball and it went inside the post to give the crucial lead once again to thhe Army Boys. The Army boys took the lead in the 11th minute when they utilized a counter attack as T Jackichan pass was well materialized by Tej Kumar Singh who easily netted the ball with his right foot at the far post. Army Boys failed to sustain their lead and was punished for slopping defending when Mizoram captain Malsawmtlunga cross went directly inside the bar post to make it 1-1 from the right flank. After the equalizer Mizoram played a much more combined game than the Army boys in first quarter of the game and could have taken the lead in the 16th minute but V Lalchhunawma's freekick was brilliantly saved by Army Boys keeper Biman Nandi who was in top form. Biman Nandi saved at least two close shots to deny the Mizo boys to take the drivers seat and was certainly the best player along with T Jackichan Singh. Army boys were reduced to 10 men when Pintu Sardar was ejected for a rough tackle from behind, which was the second yellow card for Pintu as the referee didn't hesitate to show him the red card. Though Army Boys were down to 10 men but they were determined enough to sustain their lead. They played a much better game than their rivals and registered their first ever U-17 Subroto Cup title.
T Jackichan Singh was adjudged the Best Player of the Tournament, who was awarded with Rs 5,000 and an ungeared scooter while Orissa's Sankho Marandi was chosen the Best Promising Player who was also awarded with an ungeared scooter. Army Boys coach G Venugopal was chosen the Best Coach.


September 24
    RESULTS & NEWS

30th Federation Cup - South Zone qualifiers: Titanium XI, Trivandrum 0-1 BEML (EM), Bangalore - Goals: 0-1 Mohammed Hayath Khalendar (87').
Referee: Egidio D'Costa (Goa).

3rd Manipur State League: AMOFA, Moirang 1-3 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal
3rd Manipur State League: Manipur Police SC 2-1 NEROCA
3rd Manipur State League: NLYC, Churachandpur 1-2 Eastern Sporting Union
3rd Manipur State League: Tiddim Road Athletic Union 0-2 YWC, Thambalkhong
3rd Manipur State League: USA, Khurai 0-0 TRUGPU, Nambol

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 1: West Bengal 6-1 Tamil Nadu
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Uttar Pradesh 0-2 Mizoram
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Chhattisgarh 1-1 Madhya Pradesh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 3: Maharashtra 0-1 Kerala

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: United Boys Club 1-1,2-3 D Khel Junior Boys [penalties]
9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Science College, Kohima 0-5 Tribal Spirit

::: ONGC will continue support for I-League :::
The second edition of the I-League will kick off on September 26 with East Bengal Club taking on the newly promoted club Chirag United SC at Barasat Stadium in Calcutta, while at Margao's Nehru Stadium Vasco SC take on Sporting Clube de Goa in a Goan derby.
ONGC will continue their support in the 2nd edition of the I-League with a total prize money of Rs 12,5 Million and a total sponsorship package of Rs 60 Million, which is Rs 10 Millions lower then last years sponsorship. The Second edition of the l-League will be played at Calcutta, Goa, Mumbai and Ludhiana. Zee Sports, will telecast the matches of the ONGC I-League Live and Exclusive starting from September 26. The matches will from this season onwards be mostly played on weekends and the duration of the league will be close to eight months.
With the inaugural I-League champions Dempo SC qualifying for the AFC Cup semifinal, it will surely disturb the I-League fixtures and commenting on that AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco said, "it is really good occasion to have press conference as Dempo has qualified for AFC Cup semifinal, it will surely disturb our I-league fixture but we expect to find the remedy soon." Dempo's triumph in the quarterfinal stage has surely given a chance to the AIFF to take the credit on their side and it is just because of the competitiveness of the I-League according to AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and he said, "Dempo SC win in quarterfinal is the impact of I-League and there is no doubt in it. These clubs play plenty of competitive matches in the I-League which result them to prepare better for other tournaments."
As far as venues is concerned there is still some security issues with the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai though there will two matches played at the ground to check whether everything is in place. A committee of the AIFF has already revisited the ground and was satisfied with the arrangements but there are still some concerns about it. The Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon and Delhi's Dr. Ambedkar Stadium has been kept as reserve grounds for the I-League. Commenting on that Mr. Das Munshi said, "if we don't find Cooperage well enough to conducted matches for whatsoever concern, we may shift matches to DY Patil or Kolhapur Stadium. We are in talks with Mr. Praful Patel and negotiating the things as the cost to hire DY Patil Stadium will be more in comparison to other grounds."
Apart from the I-League the AIFF is also concentrating on the India U16 and Senior teams which will participate in final round of the 2011 Asian Cup. "There is huge amount needed for the preparation of the team, we are in talks with corporate houses, so that we can match up to other countries. Our Chief Coach Bob Houghton has already had the plan and project which may require more than 20-25 crore for the preparation of AFC Cup," said the AIFF President Das Munshi.
The AIFF is also concentrating more on the Central, Northeast and Northern regions but the state which has impressed them a lot is Haryana and commenting on this Mr. Das Munshi said, "according to our chief coach we surely need well built players in the Indian team, and Haryana and Punjab are best place to spot the talent, we will be concentrating on the north so that we have some well built and good players in the Senior as well as junior team."
The I-League still lacks professionalism and it can be seen as the Í-League has only reached 60% of the AFC guidelines which is also a huge obstacle in the development of football in India. There are still few clubs who are lagging behind to meet the minimum guidelines levied as per AFC. Speaking on this the AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco said, "only 60% of the I-League team has meet the minimum requirement as per AFC guidelines and there are still 3-4 who are lagging behind."
The AIFF president also thanked ONGC for their continued support to the I-league and said, "we are thankful to ONGC for their continued support to Indian football. It is beginning of a new journey; we have undertaken to recapture the lost glory of football in India. With a very strong and ambitious line-up of respective clubs and the various incentives which are being provided to clubs participating in ONGC I-League, we expect the second edition of the of the I-league to be a big draw and a challenging encounter for dazzling and entertaining display of football than before."

The AIFF will also be making the I-League a legal entity which will be registered under the Society Act, for which they are looking for a suitable CEO for the smooth and efficient functioning of the I-League. But so far that CEO hasn't been found by the AIFF.
As far as the prize money is concerned the winner walks away with Rs 5 Million while the runners-up would get Rs 2,8 Million. The third-placed team will be given Rs 2 Million and for the first time the team finishing 4th will also be given Rs 1 Million. The team winning the Fair Play award will be given Rs 100,000. Among the individual prizes there is Rs 50,000 for Best Striker, Rs 25,000 for the best Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder and Forward while the Best Player will also be given Rs 25,000. The Man of the Match award of every match will take away Rs 5,000.

::: Churchill Brothers sack coach Emeka Ezeugo :::
Just a couple of days before the start of the second edition of the I-League last years runners-up Churchill Brothers SC have sacked their Nigerian coach Emeka Ezeugo.
The club was left with no other alternative then to take this drastic step after the relationship between the coach and players turned sour. Problems started to surface a few weeks ago at the Durand Cup when Emeka openly criticised his players. Amongst other things questioning the abilities of Indian international defenders Gouramangi Singh and Govin Singh. Since the return from Delhi things had gone from bad to worse with players refusing to train under Emeka, who also skipped a few days training. Another aspect not liked by the players was his arrogant attitude and in his absence the club has won three Goa Pro League matches ahead of the I-League.
With little time remaining Churchill Brothers are looking to sign a new coach with Zoran Djordjevic from the Balkans the prime candidate.

::: 49th Subroto Mukherjee Cup: Nagaland U14 champions :::
Greenwood School, Nagaland clinched the U14 Sub-Junior Subroto Cup trophy today by defending their rivals Bangladesh Krira Shikha Protisthan from Dhaka by 2-0 in the final played at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium. Undisputedly Nagaland were the superior side and defeated the Bangladesh boys by dominating the whole game. Bangladesh never looked comfortable in front of the fleet legs of the Naga boys and was left helpless by their opponents performance. Nagaland got the dream start in just the 3rd minute when Lunminlal netted a clean freekick from the top of the box giving no chance to the Bangladeshi goalkeeper Rafi Rehman to react. Lunminlal has been superb in the whole tournament and was later adjudged the best player in the age group U14 for his consistent performance in the tournament.
Nagaland doubled their lead in the 19th minute when they again capitalized a set piece from the top of the box, Nyuhenlo freekick found its way to the far post making it 2-0 for Nagaland. His freekick from the top of the box was wrongly judged by the Bangladeshi goalkeeper Rehman who found himself in the wrong position. Bangladesh though was equally good in ball passing and making moves but they were completely checked by the Nagaland defenders. The only time when the Bangladeshi boys came near to score a goal was in the 61st min when Mohammed Joynal Abedin 40 yard shot was tapped over the bar post by Nagaland goalkeeper Pusu. Nagaland went on dominate the rest of the game and winning the trophy with ease. Nagaland Coach Mughato Sumi was adjudged the best coach while the fair play trophy went to Sikkim.


September 23
    RESULTS & NEWS

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AFC Cup 2008 | Quarterfinal | 2nd leg | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore | 20.45 local time:

Home United, SINGAPORE 3-4 Dempo SC
Goals: 0-1 Mboyo Iyomi (1'), 1-1 Peres de Oliveira (13'), 1-2,3-4 Roberto Mendes Silva (25',83'), 2-2,3-2 Indra Sahdan Daud (36',38'), 3-3 Climax Lawrence (45')

HOME UNITED: 18-Lionel Lewis; 4-Juma'at Jantan (77' 25-Ram Shankar), 6-Muhammad Shahril Bin Mohomad Alias (88' 8-Muhammad Nurhilmi bin Jasni), 14-Rosman Sulaiman, 11-Syed Fadhil, 7-Shi Jiayi (60' 17-Mohammad Shahril bin Ishak), 9-Valery Hiek, 15-Tengku Mushadad, 20-Peres de Oliveira [C], 3-Indra Sahdan Daud, 10-Kengne Ludovick
Unused Substitutes: 1-Ridzuan Fatah, 22-Shukor bin Zailan, 23-Mohammed Nur Azreen, 29-Mohammed Saiful Nasri, 30-Mohammad Azhar bin Sairudin
DEMPO: 1-Abhijit Mondal; 18-Valeriano Rebello, 3-John Charles Dias, 28-Mahesh Gawli, 16-Samir Naik; 14-Anthony Pereira, 8-Climax Lawrence [C], 11-Roberto Mendes Silva, 15-Clifford Miranda; 9-Ranty Martins Soleye, 20-Mboyo Iyomi.
Unused Substitutes: 21-VP Satish Kumar, 4-Cressan Antao, 23-Dominic Noronha, 7-Nacimento Silveira, 22-Nicolau Borges, 30-Joe Rodrigues, 17-Joaquim Abranches
YELLOW CARDS: Valery Hiek (16'), Muhammad Shahril Bin Mohomad Alias (30'), Tengku Mushadad (90+1', all Home United); Anthony Pereira (72'), Clifford Miranda (90+2', both Dempo).
YELLOW-RED CARD: Valery Hiek (30').
REFEREE: Fareed Ali Mohamed Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates).
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Mohammad Kadhoum Arab (Iraq), Sulaiman Al Shammari (Kuwait).
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mohamed Omar Alsaeedi (United Arab Emirates).
MATCH COMMISSIONER: Manirul Islam (Bangladesh).

ATTENDANCE: 1.341

Match Report:
AFC report: India's Dempo SC booked their place in the semifinals of the AFC Cup after a thrilling 4-3 win over Home United at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday. Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg, Home United only needed to prevent Dempo from scoring to progress to the semifinals, but the visitors clearly had other ideas.
Dempo got off to a dream start and took the lead with only 45 seconds on the clock when the Home United defence struggled to deal with Beto (Roberto Mendes Silva) in the box and the loose ball fell to Mboyo Iyomi, who struck a weak half-volley low to Lionel Lewis' right. The hosts were rocked by the early goal and were at sixes and sevens trying to stem the Dempo attacks but the visitors bid to take advantage of the situation paved the way for the equaliser. Breaking through the Dempo backline on a quick counter-attack in the 13th minute, Home United skipper Peres de Oliviera found space and time before firing a shot into the top corner of the goal. But Dempo were back in front ten minutes later when Beto, a constant threat in the box, rose high to head home a corner from Clifford Miranda. Home United were dealt another blow four minutes later when Valery Hiek was sent off for a second bookable offence but it didn't stop them from searching for another equaliser. That duly arrived in the 36th minute when Kengne Ludovick was brought down in the box and though De Oliveira's penalty was parried by Abhijit Mondal, Indra Sahdan was on hand to tuck home the rebound from close range. And two minutes later Indra was again on target as he diverted a low cross from the right by Ludovick into goal. However, any hopes PN Sivaji's side had of holding the advantage until the break were dashed in injury time when Climax Lawrence's low drive again found Lewis wanting in the Singapore goal.
Despite being a man down Home United were the more aggressive side after the break with Indra and Ludovick constantly probing the Dempo defence. Lewis was on hand to parry an effort late in the game but was unable to stop Beto from drilling home the loose ball and put the game well beyond the hosts in the 83rd minute. Home United's Ludovick had the ball in the net a minute later but the referee's assistant had his flag up for an infringement.

30th Federation Cup - South Zone qualifiers: Sathyabama FC, Pondicherry 0-4 Integral Coach Factory, Chennai - Goals: 0-1 Dhadeus (5'), 0-2,0-3 Suresh Kumar (20',40'), 0-4 L Johny (45').
Referee: Amjad Khan (Maharashtra).

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 5: Uttarakhand 2-1 Jharkhand
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Karnataka 3-1 Assam
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Manipur 2-1 Chandigarh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Gujarat 1-2 Bihar
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Delhi 5-0 Himachal Pradesh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 8: Tripura 0-2 Haryana

9th NSF Martyr Trophy, Kohima - Round 1: Nagaland Police 1-0 Tragopan Club

::: 49th Subroto Mukherjee Cup Semifinals :::
Army boys defeated the hot favourites Orissa by a solitary goal in the semifinals to make it to the finals of 2008 Subroto Cup in the under-17 age group. This was the first defeat for the Orissa boys in the tournament and proved a vital one as their hopes were crushed by the Army boys. On the other side despite missing their three key players, Army boys proved too good for the Orissa boys and made history by reaching the finals of Subroto Cup. The only goal of the match was scored by Elvis Kipgen in the 18th minute when he netted a close range effort after Orissa goalkeeper Mithun Tanty fumbled the ball in the penalty box. Orissa were no doubt the better team of the two but failed to capitalize on their chances in the second half which proved costly for them. Shayam Bankira hit the post in the 47th minute, the only time when they came close to score the equaliser. Army boys went to hold the decisive lead throughout the game and emerged as winners after the scheduled time.
In the other semifinal of the U17 age group Mizoram defeated SAI, Calcutta by 2-1 to set-up a clash with Army Boys in the final. Both the teams were locked in a 1-1 draw in scheduled time and the match went into extratime. K Lalawmpuia scored the winner in extra time (83rd minute) to seal a berth in the final of the 2008 Subroto Cup. Mizoram took the lead in the 19th minute through Joseph Lalnunpuia goal but SAI, Calcutta equalised through Abhishek Debnath to keep their hopes alive in the match in the 45th minute. Finally it was the Mizoram Boys who had the last laugh and registered a well deserved win that will surely lift their spirit and the tempo when they meet Army Boys in the final on September 25.
Meanwhile Dhaka, Bangladesh will take on Nagaland in the U14 finals tomorrow. Dhaka, Bangladesh defeated Jharkhand by 2-0 in the first semifinal while Nagaland defeated the Army boys by 2-1 in the second semifinal.

Foster's Times Cup::: Foster's Times Cup final results :::
The Grand Finale of the first-ever Foster's Times Cup was held on September 13 at the Poriat Grounds in Calangute, Goa. In total 127 local amateur teams participated in the Foster's Times Cup, the highest ever number of teams in any such event in Goa.
The Men's final was won by Navelim Villagers Union, who beat local side Calangute Association and earned a pize money of Rs 51,000. Calangute Association's Russel Fernandes earned the "Best Players Award", while his teammate Agnelo Fernandes was the "Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament". Caitan Pereira of champions Navelim Villagers Union was named as "Best Defender of the Tournament".
In the Veteran's Final Milagres Sports Club also defeated Calangute Association, while in the Women's category Real Goa got the better of Top Ten.

::: PIFA boys win for Podar International the Cup :::
Podar International School won the International Schools Invitational Soccer Tournament 2008/09 hosted by Navrachana International School, Vadodara in Gujarat. Podar International beat Symbosis 1-0, Mahatma Gandhi International 3-0, Navrachana (A) 7-0 in the playoffs and then went on to beat Navrachana (B) 6-0 in the finals. The goals were scored by Khaim Talib (2), Dev Krsna (2), Anmol Takeria (1) and Yug (1).
PIFA students Dev Krsna, Anmol Takeria, Khaim Talib & Crish Shah were part of the winning school team.


Soccerex 2008: Where is Football going? Foreign Ownership for a Global Game
Soccerex are delighted to announce that Amanda Staveley and David Dein will be participating on a panel entitled 'Where is Football going? Foreign Ownership for a Global Game' at Soccerex 2008 this November in Gauteng, South Africa.

Amanda Staveley is the senior partner of private equity firm PCP Capital Partners. She has been recently heralded as one of the most powerful women in Football after successfully brokering Abu Dhabi United Group's shock multi million pound takeover of Manchester City. As an advisor to the Dubai International Capital (DIC) she was chosen to lead negotiations in their proposed takeover bid of Liverpool FC. Staveley values the glamour of British football and has been reported as saying "We should be very proud of our football, everyone wants to invest here." At Soccerex 2008, Staveley will draw upon her experiences of cultivating business contacts in the Emirates and the rest of the world over the past decade, to reveal her thoughts on why football clubs are sparking so much interest from across the globe.

During his already illustrious career, David Dein has held a number of high profile positions including vice-chairman of Arsenal and vice-chairman of the Football Association. Whilst at Arsenal, Dein was responsible for football matters at the club taking an active role in the transfer of players and contract negotiations where he was able to use his extensive network of football contacts. He has always shown a great interest in the global game and has been intrinsic in injecting foreign influence into English football by successfully bringing Arsène Wenger and Sven-Göran Eriksson to England. Dein will use his extensive knowledge and experiences to address delegates at Soccerex about this recent emergence of foreign influence and its effects on both clubs and national teams.

Foreign owners are particularly attracted by the advertising value of Premier League clubs, whose matches are broadcast in more than 200 countries. Clubs have become brands in their own right, and any business or product that becomes synonymous with a club can gain massive global exposure and name recognition. Indeed with 8 out of the 20 Premier League clubs already under foreign ownership, including heavyweights Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa it is clear that the recent trend in foreign ownership is an issue right at the forefront of the global football community.

'Where is Football going? Foreign Ownership for a Global Game' is just one of the topics to be covered in Soccerex's diverse programme of conference panels.
Soccerex 2008 is the leading business convention for football worldwide taking place on 23-26 November, Gauteng Province, South Africa.

For further information regarding Soccerex 2008 please visit Soccerex website




September 22
    RESULTS & NEWS

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 1: Tamil Nadu 5-4 Orissa
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Chhattisgarh 0-8 Mizoram
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 3: Meghalaya 1-0 Kerala
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 4: Punjab 14-0 Pondicherry

::: 30th Federation Cup Zonal qualifiers from tomorrow:::
The 30th Federation Cup will kickoff tomorrow with zonal qualifiers across the five zones - south, east, northeast, west and north to be held over the next three weeks. The new format of the Federation Cup includes zonal qualifiers, then a stage which includes the I-League Division 2 teams and then the 16 team final knockout tournament in December in Delhi and Gurgaon.
For the complete 30th Federation Cup Zonal qualifying fixtures .

::: Tomorrow's Goa Pro League match postponed :::
Tomorrow's Goa Pro League match between Churchill Brothers SC vs Vasco SC has been postponed indefinitely. The two sides had asked for a postponement due to them both starting their I-League campaign this weekend.

::: 49th Subroto Mukherjee Cup Quarterfinals :::
The Orissa boys dashed the hopes of Chandigarh Football Academy to qualify for the Semifinal of the 2008 Subroto Cup in the Under-17 age group by defeating them 2-1 in the quarterfinal played at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi. The CFA boys were totally outplayed by the Orissa boys in both quarters of the match and saw their exit of the Subroto Cup. The 6th Administrator Cup winners who had defeated Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy were outclassed by their rivals who were solid in all departments in comparison to the Chandigarh Boys. Orissa took the lead in the 31st minute from Suresh's header and doubled their lead in the 70th minute by Umesh Kujur's goal. Chandigarh got the consolation goal just before the closing time of the game in the 71st minute by Pankaj Negi.
Orissa now take on Army boys in the first semifinal on September 23 while Mizoram will take on SAI, Calcutta in the second semifinal in the U17 category on the same day. The Army boys will also compete in the semifinals of the under-14 age group when they take on Nagaland. Bangladesh's Dhaka will take on Jharkhand in the second semifinal in the U14 on September 24.

U14 Semifinals: Army Boys - Nagaland; Jharkhand - Dhaka, Bangladesh
U17 Semifinals: Mizoram - SAI, Calcutta, Army Boys - Orissa

::: 47 team for 9th NSF Martyrs' Memorial trophy :::
Altogether 47 teams from three states Nagaland, Manipur and Assam will take part in the month long 9th NSF Martyrs' Memorial Trophy organized by the Angami Students Union in remembrance of late Kekuojalie and Late Vikhozo.
Top teams including defending champions Nagaland Police; two times runners-up (2000, 2002) New Market XI; Excel United, Kohima; Bro Lengri Youth Club, Assam; Tribal Spirit and Merhiilietsa FC; Lamkang Students Union; Marahangshii FC; Anal Students Union are taking part in the 33-day tournament.
On Tuesday at 1.00 pm at local ground, Kohima, the tournament will be formally declared open Dr. Nganshi K. Ao, Minister PHE.
The trophy carries a cash prize of Rs 70,000 with trophy for the champion and Rs 35,000 for the runners-up with trophy. Besides there will be also three categories of individual prizes worth more than Rs 5000 with citations - Best Goalkeeper sponsored by Star Sports Kohima, best Player to be sponsored by Fountain Club Kohima and Highest Scorer to be sponsored by Neisakholie Riipreo, Clairvoyance Solution Pvt. Ltd. Kohima.
As there will be free entry to the inaugural match, the organizing committee appealed to all Head Teachers of Government Schools and Proprietor / Principal of Private Schools and Higher Secondary to send Class - IX & X for High School and Class - XI-XII for Higher Secondary Schools with Teachers In-charge to the inaugural function positively.


September 21
    RESULTS & NEWS

Calcutta Super Division: Eastern Railway SC 1-0 Indian Air Force
Calcutta Super Division: Bengal-Nagpur Railway 1-1 SAIL
Calcutta Super Division: Calcutta Customs 1-2 Police AC
Calcutta Super Division: Mohammedan AC 1-1 Tollygunge Agragami

11th Goa Professional League: Churchill Brothers SC 2-2 Salgaocar SC - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Dannies Fernandes (26',36'), 2-1 Jerose Oliveira (40'), 2-2 Ivan Fiel da Silva (43').
11th Goa Professional League: Vasco SC 1-0 Velsao Pale SC - Goals: 1-0 Fulganco Cardozo (84').

1st Haryana State League: Ambala FC 2-0 Golden Star Club, Mahendragarh - Goals: 1-0 Sourav (26'), 2-0 Manish (57').
1st Haryana State League: Chotu Ram Club, Rohtak 2-0 BFC, Fatehabad - Goals: 1-0 Dhillo, Surender.
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Police 3-1 HYC, Hissar - Goals: 0-1 Vinod (36'), 1-1 Ranvir (76'), 2-1 Mahabir (78'), 3-1 Ashok (80').

3rd Manipur State League: Southern Sporting Union 4-0 USA, Khurai
3rd Manipur State League: TRUGPU, Nambol 2-0 Manipur Police SC
3rd Manipur State League: NISA, Thangmeiband 4-0 Tiddim Road Athletic Union
3rd Manipur State League: Eastern Sporting Union 1-0 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal
3rd Manipur State League: NEROCA 3-2 NLYC, Churachandpur
3rd Manipur State League: YWC, Thambalkhong 3-3 AMOFA, Moirang

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 5: Uttarakhand - Jammu&Kashmir = walkover as J&K withdrew from tournament
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Karnataka 6-0 Chandigarh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 6: Manipur 1-3 Assam
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Delhi 1-0 Gujarat
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 7: Bihar 1-0 Himachal Pradesh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 8: Goa 3-0 Tripura

::: I-League matches in Calcutta could be postponed by a day :::
The I-League's Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Air-India match scheduled for September 28 and the Mohun Bagan AC vs Air-India scheduled for October 3 could both be postponed by a day as the Calcutta Police has requested the switch due to constraints in manpower on those days. A decision on changing the dates is yet to be taken.


September 20
    RESULTS & NEWS

11th Goa Professional League: Raia Sporting Club 0-4 Sesa Football Academy - Goals: 0-1 Israil Gurung (6'), 0-2 Agnelo Monteiro (72'), 0-3 Savio Carneiro (78'), 0-4 Marcus Mascarenhas (80').

1st Haryana State League: Mahendragarh - Ambala FC = postponed due to rains
1st Haryana State League: Raghav Club, Gurgaon 1-0 Punjab SC, Faridabad - Goals: 1-0 Abhishek (79').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Police 0-0 BFC, Fatehabad - Goals: none.
1st Haryana State League: Chotu Ram Club, Rohtak 0-2 HYC, Hissar - Goals: 0-1 Ravi (74'), 0-2 Vinod (86').

31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 1: West Bengal 4-0 Orissa
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 2: Uttar Pradesh 2-1 Madhya Pradesh
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 3: Maharashtra 1-4 Meghalaya
31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (U16 Nationals) - Group Stage Cluster 4: Punjab 23-0 Pondicherry

::: Yakubu Yusif apologises to Salgaocar, cleared to play for East Bengal :::
Veteran Ghanian striker Yakubu Yusif has been allowed by Salgaocar SC to sign for East Bengal Club on lien for the remainder of the season for a compensation fee of Rs. 700,000 after sending letter of apology to the Goan club. Yakubu has also returned a Rs 1 Million advance fee paid to him by Salgaocar.
In the letter Yakubu writes, "I express my unconditional apology to the management of Salgaocar Sports Club for having deserted and not playing for the Club despite being selected, contracted and having a subsisting and binding contract and been cleared and declared as a Non-Amateur Football Player of Salgaocar Sports Club by All India Football Federation by virtue of Inter State Registration Transfer to play for the Club. Such act of mine has caused immense disrespect and embarrassment to the prestigious Salgaocar Sports Club.
I submit and state that the above acts have been totally unethical and unprofessional as a Non-Amateur Football Player for which I once again am apologetic, regretful and shall never repeat the above acts again."

::: AIFF bans East Bengal U19 player for six month's :::
The AIFF Disciplinary Committee met yesterday to decide to ban East Bengal U19 player Saikat Saha Roy for six months and impose a fine of Rs. 5,000 for having been involved in a farcas at the Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy vs East Bengal Club quarterfinal match of the U19 I-League.
The Disciplinary Committee decided to hand out such a harsh punishment against Saikat, who has played for the senior East Bengal team in this seasons Calcutta Premier League, to ensure that youngsters learn a lesson that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

::: Kerala U16 squad announced :::
The Kerala FA has announced its 20 player squad for the 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (under-16 Nationals) to be played in Mahilpur, Punajb from September 20 to October 6.
Kerala U16: Shifin N Shah, Shihas Kamar, Abhishek N Joshi (Captain), Sain Mohammad (vice-Captain), Paul Victor M, Amal Binoy, Kirankumar, Juniad, Akhil P Cyril, V Jinu, P Sameel, Mohammad Rafi, J Abhijith, Srinath, C Raj, Akhil K Joseph, Akash Pradeep, Jude James, Noufal, R Shiju. Manager: Baby Jose.


September 19
    RESULTS & NEWS

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Final: Sporting Clube de Goa 1-3 Tata Football Academy - Goals: 0-1 Jagdeep Singh (8'), 0-2 Niroshan Mani (52'), 1-2 Roy Colaco (68'), Jagtar Singh (77').
Yellow Cards: Raju Gaikwad (50'), Gurjinder Singh (59'), Ramandeep Singh (60', all Tata Football Academy).
Yellow-Red Card: Raju Gaikwad (86', Tata Football Academy).
Referee: PS Sasikumar (Kerala).

Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: FCI, Guwahati 3-1 Assam State Electricity Board - Goals: 1-0 Rajesh Boro (48'), 1-1 Mani Kanta Brahma (64'), 2-1 David March Goyari (76'), 3-1 Nikodin Johari (78').

::: Elvis Goes new Vasco SC coach :::
Elvis Goes has been named as the new Vasco Sports Club chief coach for the upcoming I-League. Goes has been named after Stanley Rozario declined the job to rather take-up the coaching assignment with East Bengal Club. Goes replaces Roberto Fernandes who will continue as the clubs assistant coach.

::: Two City leagues for Kerala :::
AFC press release: Project Kerala will boast two provincial leagues by December, in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
After a meeting with AFC Vision India officials on Thursday, the Kerala FA decided to launch the two eight-league clubs as part of its efforts to boost professional and competitive football in the state. The matches will be played on a home and away basis featuring the best teams in the two regions.
The AFC's Vision Asia programme has set the criteria for clubs to be eligible for provincial leagues, highlighting best practices in management, finance, facilities, legal and technical ability.
The Vision Asia team also conducted a Club Development Seminar to inform clubs of the principles of development and management. The seminar was attended by Kerala FA General Secretary KP Sunny, CEO Michael Andrews, Development Officer M Assis and Competitions Officer Anil Kumar.

::: Former beggar boy to play for Kerala U16 :::
IANS report: A former beggar boy will represent Kerala at the national sub junior football tournament that begins in Punjab Monday, an official of a boys' home said Friday. A resident of the Janaseva Boys Home near here, Raja, 14, was given a warm farewell for his trip to Punjab by about 100 other inmates.
Bipin Jose, who is in charge at the home, told IANS that the boy was the darling of the inmates in the 5-15 age group.
Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Raja was forced into beggary in 2003 when he got off a train at Thrissur in Kerala. After a year of drudgery, during which he was once beaten with iron rods for failing to collect enough money as a beggar, Raja made it to the boys home to start life afresh.
"From the time he joined us, he has been quite mature for his age. He is now in Class 8 at the NSS Higher Secondary School... The biggest advantage he has is his stamina and his passion."
Raja finally met his father last year just before he died.
"From then on he was a changed person. He is determined to work hard in his life and is a role model for the other boys," said Jose.
Raja began attending a football coaching class organised by the Cochin City Football Academy.
"He has got talent. We are providing the best guidance to him. I have high hopes for Raja as he is a good forward," said former Indian football team vice-captain CC Jacob.

::: Delhi U16 squad announced :::
The Delhi SA has announced its 20 player squad for the 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (under-16 Nationals) to be played in Mahilpur, Punajb from September 20 to October 6.
Delhi U16: Goalkeepers: Pranav Purohit, Shashwat Misra. Defenders: Atul Rawat, Yogesh Rawat, Bhupender Singh, Anmol Tirkey, Ankit Yadav, Abhijit Burman, Purusharth Singh. Midfielders: Sachin Kohli (vice-Captain), Michael Chongthu, Tanuj Gulati, Gopal Pathak, Ishaan Pakrashi, Soumitra Maity. Forwards: Kislay Sajwan (Captain), Rohan Tuli, Supunya Devavrat, Nirbhay Narang, Arun Sharma. Chief Coach: Nirmal Singh.


September 18
    RESULTS & NEWS

11th Goa Professional League: Vasco SC 0-2 Salgaocar SC - Goals: 0-1 PK Anil Kumar (60'), 0-2 Beevan D'Mello (85').

Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: Assam Dynamo Club 1-0 SAI, Guwahati - Goals: 1-0 Vanlalghaka (25').

3rd Manipur State League: NLYC, Churachandpur 1-6 TRUGPU, Nambol
3rd Manipur State League: NEROCA 4-0 Eastern Sporting Union
3rd Manipur State League: Tiddim Road Athletic Union 3-0 USA, Khurai
3rd Manipur State League: Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal 2-0 YWC, Thambalkhong
3rd Manipur State League: Manipur Police SC 1-1 Southern Sporting Union
3rd Manipur State League: AMOFA, Moirang 1-1 NISA, Thangmeiband

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Semifinal: Tata Football Academy 2-2,5-4 Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy [penalties] - Goals: 1-0 Jagannath Sana (4'), 1-1 Malswamzuala (68'), 1-2 Daniel (95'), 2-2 Raju Gaikwad (116').


September 17
    RESULTS & NEWS

11th Goa Professional League: Velsao Pale SC 0-4 Churchill Brothers SC - Goals: 0-1 Jaison Vales (54'), 0-2 Mashangva Genius Zenith (57'), 0-3 Felix Chimaokwu (68'), 0-4 Nicholas L Rodrigues (90+').
11th Goa Professional League: Raia Sporting Club 0-1 Sporting Clube de Goa - Goals: 0-1 Anthony D'Souza (90+').

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Tata Football Academy 4-1 JCT Football Academy
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy 2-1 East Bengal Club

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Semifinal: Sporting Clube de Goa 3-2 Dempo SC - Goals: 1-0,3-1 Rosario Mendes (11',31'), 2-0 Mackroy Peixoto (23'), 2-1 Terence Fernandes (26'), 3-2 Vazel D'Silva (55').

::: Tamil Nadu eager for Vision Asia success :::
AFC press release: Tamil Nadu football officials have pledged their support for AFC's Vision Asia development programme. Members of the Tamil Nadu Football Association's new administration have said they are committed to the ideals of Vision Asia and are keen to boost the standards of football in their state. The TFA is the fourth association to join Vision India, which comes under the Vision Asia umbrella.
TNFA President Dr. Cletus Babu, who took charge of the body two months ago, met with Vision India Director Imtiaz Ur-Rehman this week to map out the immediate goals.
"TNFA looks to AFC to learn of the international best practices of football management and to assist the clubs in Tamil Nadu of the modern principles of administration, marketing and media management."
The first task is for the TFA to revise its statutes to comply with world governing body FIFA standards, which they hope to complete by the end of September. The TFA, which has already appointed a CEO to run Project Tamil Nadu, will also launch a provincial league in June next year that is in line with Vision Asia principles.


September 16
    RESULTS & NEWS

::: IndianFootball.Com's International Perspective :::
In the latest IndianFootball.Com's International Perspective write-up our Harmit Singh Kamboe looks at the Public Private Partnership for building and running the BMO Field stadium in Toronto, Canada titled "Public Private Partnership for Football Stadiums".
Click here to read the complete >>IndianFootball.Com International Perspective article

IndianFootball.Com | AFC Cup

AFC Cup Special
with lots of news, stats, pictures and more
click here
AFC Cup 2008 | Quarterfinal | 1st leg | Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad | 20.00 IST:

Dempo SC 1-1 Home United, SINGAPORE
Goals: 0-1 Rosman Sulaiman (37'), 1-1 Mboyo Iyomi (78')

DEMPO: 1-Abhijit Mondal; 18-Valeriano Rebello, 3-John Charles Dias, 28-Mahesh Gawli, 16-Samir Naik, 14-Anthony Pereira, 8-Climax Lawrence, 11-Roberto Mendes Silva, 15-Clifford Miranda, 9-Ranty Martins Soleye, 20-Mboyo Iyomi
Unused Substitutes: 21-VP Satish Kumar, 4-Cressan Antao, 23-Dominic Noronha, 7-Nacimento Silveira, 22-Nicolau Borges, 30-Joe Rodrigues, 17-Joaquim Abranches
HOME UNITED: 18-Lionel Lewis; 5-S Subramani, 14-Rosman Sulaiman 11-Syed Fadhil, 9-Valery Hiek, 4-Juma'at Jantan, 15-Tengku Mushadad (85' 30-Mohammad Azhar bin Sairudin), 2-Farhan Farook (46' 22-Shukor bin Zailan), 20-Peres de Oliveira, 3-Indra Sahdan Daud (89' 25-Ram Shankar), 10-Kengne Ludovick
Unused Substitutes: 1-Ridzuan Fatah, 23-Mohammed Nur Azreen, 29-Mohammed Saiful Nasri
YELLOW CARDS: Tengku Mushadad (23', Home United)
REFEREE: Abdullah Mohamed Al Hilali (Oman)
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Saleh Mohamed Abdulla Hasan Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates), Khaled Rashed Salem Alallan (Bahrain)
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mahmood Mohammed Juma Al-Ghatrifi (Oman)
MATCH COMMISSIONER: Tokuaki Suzuki (Japan)

ATTENDANCE: 180.

Match Report:
AFC report: Congolese striker Mboyo Iyomi headed home 12 minutes from time as Indian league champions Dempo salvaged a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their AFC Cup quarterfinal tie against Home United on Tuesday. Rosman Sulaiman gave the visitors the lead with a brilliant long-range strike in the first half but Iyomi's late goal leaves the I-League side with plenty to play for in the return match in Singapore in seven days' time.
Dempo could consider themselves unfortunate not to be taking a lead to South East Asia after having the better of the match but failing to make the most of their chances in front of goal, particularly in the first half. The lanky Iyomi could have opened the scoring after 14 minutes but his weak header was palmed away by Home United goalkeeper Lionel Lewis. With Dempo employing a three-pronged attack that saw Iyomi playing alongside Nigerian Ranty Martins Soleye and Brazilian Beto up front, the hosts dominated proceedings in the opening period but missed three good chances in quick succession midway through the half with Soleye the culprit on two occasions. The Nigerian was heavily marked throughout but had a great chance in the 25th minute when he received the ball on the right side of the box only to see his powerful shot denied by Lewis. From the ensuing corner, Iyomi headed wide. The Indian side would rue those misses when Rosman struck in the 37th minute. Brazilian playmaker Peres de Oliveira played the ball back to the defender, who was lurking outside the Dempo box and slammed his shot past goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal from 30 yards.
Dempo intensified their attacks in the second half with Iyomi continually causing problems for the visitors with his aerial prowess. He was continually denied by the brilliance of goalkeeper Lewis but his persistence finally paid off in the 78th minute when he glided in to head home the equaliser. Bolstered by the equaliser, Dempo turned up the heat in the closing minutes and went close to claiming victory with four minutes remaining when Iyomi got to a loose ball in the Home United box only to see his shot well cleared by the visiting defence. The Singapore side held on and will enjoy a narrow advantage for the return game at the Jalan Besar Stadium next week.

Calcutta Super Division: Bengal-Nagpur Railway 0-1 West Bengal Police
Calcutta Super Division: Calcutta Customs 2-1 Indian Air Force
Calcutta Super Division: Mohammedan AC 2-1 SAIL
Calcutta Super Division: Tollygunge Agragami 1-0 Police AC

Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: SAI, Guwahati 0-1 Assam State Electricity Board - Goals: 0-1 Sanjeeva Rongpi (31' pen).
Assam State Electricity Board have regained the Guwahati Super Division title!

Guwahati Super Division - Relegation-leg: Assam Police Blues - Sunrise Club = walkover as Sunrise Club conceded the match

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Tata Football Academy 1-1 JCT Football Academy (match couldn't be played today)
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy 1-1 East Bengal Club (match couldn't be played today)

::: Mohun Bagan travel Jamshedpur & back in a day :::
Calcutta Premier League champions Mohun Bagan AC had planned to hold a camp in the steel city Jamshedpur from tomorrow ahead of the start of the I-League next weekend. But after the teams arrival in Jamshedpur the camp organisers from the UB Group along with Tata Steel officials couldn't offer the 38 member contingent any decent hotel to the liking of coach Karim Bencharifa. And in the evening the team took a train back to Calcutta. Now the club will try and organise a camp either in Haldia or in Calcutta itself.

::: Goa U16 squad announced :::
The Goa FA has announced its 20 player squad for the 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (under-16 Nationals) to be played in Mahilpur, Punajb from September 20 to October 6.
Goa U16: Shilton Fernandes, Flobert Monteiro, Albino Gomes, Jesmon Carvalho, Dario Rodrigues, Niall Cardozo, Raju Haldankar, Joy Dias, Esteven Mendes, Alesh Sawant, Tunard Fernandes, Meldon D'Silva, Sheldon Rodrigues, Vikharam Singh, Lesten Martins, Nickson Castanha, Brandon Fernandes, James Fernandes, Lyndon Cardoso, Quelan Fernandes. Officials: Mario Aguiar, Lino Pereira.


September 15
    RESULTS & NEWS

Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: FCI, Guwahati 1-1 Assam Dynamo Club - Goals: 1-0 Bhaskar Jyoti Bora (24'), 1-1 Padum Rabha (75').

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Tata Football Academy 1-1 JCT Football Academy (match interrupted due to heavy rains)
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy 1-1 East Bengal Club (match interrupted due to heavy rains)

::: 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers amended after INDIA win AFC Challenge Cup & qualify :::
The AFC today amended the qualifying draw for the 2011 Asian Cup after INDIA booked their place at the continental finals by winning the AFC Challenge Cup last month. INDIA have been taken out of the qualifiers and it now leaves Group C to be a three team affair with Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia fighting for two qualification spots from this group.
INDIA has been the first team to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup. They join hosts Qatar, defending champions Iraq, finalists Saudi Arabia and third-placed South Korea in the tournament to be played in January 2011.

I-League::: AIFF release I-League fixtures :::
The AIFF today released the fixtures of the second edition of the "ONGC" I-League upto Round 11 of the 22 round season. The league would kickoff on September 26 with East Bengal Club taking on Chirag United SC in Barasat, Calcutta; while Vasco SC would face Sporting Clube de Goa at the Nehru Stadium, Margao.
The issue of venue for the three Mumbai clubs hasn't been sorted out yet, but it looks likely that the Cooperage ground will continue to be the main venue with a couple of test matches to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in November and thereafter it could host more games.
Initially Barasat Stadium would be the home venue for the four Calcutta sides and only in mid-October after the Durga Puja's the Saltlake Stadium would be used.
Meanwhile the AIFF hasn't finalised the dates for the Round 10 & 11 depending on an international fixture which the AIFF is trying to organise for Team India in late-November.
Also defending champions Dempo SC fixtures could be changed if it makes it to the semifinals ad finals of the ongoing AFC Cup.
For the complete 2nd I-League - Division 1 fixtures .

::: NP Pradeep renews Mahindra United contract :::
Indian international midfielder Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep returned to Mumbai, discussed terms of his contract with Mahindra United and then he signed a new two year contract with the Jeepmen which included a salary hike. The new contract will keep him with Mahindra United until summer 2010.
In the end both internationals Steven Dias and NP Pradeep decided to remain with Mahindra United after having signed pre-contracts with East Bengal Club though they had contracts with Mahindra United.

::: Mohun Bagan U15 trials :::
Calcutta giants Mohun Bagan AC will hold trials for induction of players to the clubs Under-15 Team for the prestigious "Manchester United Premier Cup 2009" India qualifiers.
The trials will be held on September 19/20 at the clubs Maidan grounds from 07.00 IST onwards.
Interested players should come prepared with all their kits and with original age proof certificate. They should also carry with them a photocopy of this original age proof certificate to be allowed to participate in the trials.

Soccerex 2008 brings together emerging market experts to discuss the future of football
"India is a new market in football, a market of more than one billion people. That's not bad!"
Speaking at last year's Soccerex convention, Joseph S. Blatter commented on some of the key areas where he feels football can grow on unprecedented levels.

To reflect the importance of emerging markets such as India, China and other key territories Soccerex has assembled a panel of experts to discuss where they feel football can next make a significant impact. This high-level debate panel entitled 'Developing the game from inside and out - the importance of emerging markets', will include senior representatives from Liverpool FC, WIFA (Maharashtra), Lynx Group International and Strategic Sports Investment.
The panel will have IndianFootball.Com Editor-in-Chief Arunava Chaudhuri as the moderator.

Ian Ayre (Commercial Director, Liverpool FC) will outline what he thinks his club and football in general can do to push the commercial and sporting aspects of football in economic superpowers such as India and China. While working for Total Sports Asia Ian Ayre was responsible for the creation of new offices in China, Thailand, Japan, UAE and India. He will divulge his knowledge on local cultures and Asian business complexities that clubs face in these markets.

Vishwajeet Kadam (WIFA Vice-President), is at the forefront of football's development in India's burgeoning market. As well as working for WIFA, he is the President of the Pune District FA and CEO of a well-established educational institute called Bharati Vidyapeeth University. He is currently working closely with an English Premier League side in a joint bid to commission a Football Development Centre at his university. For the last Six years, Mr. Kadam also organises one of the most successful football tournaments in India, the Abhijit Kadam Foundation Memorial Cup, regularly attracting crowds in excess of 60,000.

Steve Bellis (Director of Commerce, Lynx Group International), brings his unrivalled expertise in the Chinese and Indian markets. Lynx Group International work closely with football clubs such as Everton FC, Bolton Wanderers FC and Nottingham Forest FC to enhance their brand profile in emerging markets. Before joining the Lynx Group Steve Bellis headed up the marketing department at Stockport County. Under his tutelage Stockport County toured China twice, commanding capacity crowds and attracting significant television coverage across the world. Steve has also recently enjoyed success in China with a football reality TV show entitled 'Soccer Prince', attracting an audience of 130 million. The show contains a strong grass roots element and genuinely assists football's development and popularity in China.

Completing this panel of industry leaders is the former England international Steve McMahon (Director, Strategic Sports Investment). As part of the Profitable Group, Strategic Sports Investment have worked with clubs such as Manchester United to further their commercial capabilities and create new and sustainable revenue streams across Asia.

With such abundance of local and international knowledge this panel offers a unique insight into football's expansion into new markets. So far 200 Football Clubs, Leagues and Federations from over 45 nations have confirmed their attendance, further establishing Soccerex as the meeting place for the global football community.
Soccerex 2008 is the leading business convention for football worldwide taking place on 23-26 November, Gauteng Province, South Africa.

For further information regarding Soccerex 2008 please visit Soccerex website




September 14
    RESULTS & NEWS

11th Goa Professional League: Salgaocar SC 1-0 Sesa Football Academy - Goals: 1-0 Beevan D'Mello (44').
11th Goa Professional League: Sporting Clube de Goa 2-2 Velsao Pale SC - Goals: 1-0 Thounaojam Sangkar Singh (10'), 1-1 Alvito Fernandes (69'), 1-2 Queterio Pango (73'), 2-2 Anthony D'Souza (85').

Guwahati Super Division - Relegation-leg: Assam Police Blues - Jewel Star Club = walkover as Jewel Star Club conceded the match

1st Haryana State League: Chotu Ram Club, Rohtak 2-1 Jhajar FC - Goals: 0-1 Mukesh (17'), 1-1 Raj Kumar (47'), 2-1 Jagdeep (67').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Police 7-0 Rewari FC - Goals: 1-0 Pradeep (5'), 2-0,3-0,5-0,7-0 Ravinder (18',69',75',87'), 4-0 Ashok (71'), 6-0 Sunil (??').
1st Haryana State League: HYC, Hissar 0-2 Ambala FC - Goals: 0-1,0-2 Manish (23',68').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Vidhyut Power Nigam 0-0 Punjab SC, Faridabad - Goals: none.

3rd Manipur State League: Southern Sporting Union 3-0 NLYC, Churachandpur
3rd Manipur State League: Eastern Sporting Union 0-1 YWC, Thambalkhong
3rd Manipur State League: Tiddim Road Athletic Union 0-1 Manipur Police SC
3rd Manipur State League: TRUGPU, Nambol 3-2 NEROCA
3rd Manipur State League: AMOFA, Moirang 0-1 USA, Khurai
3rd Manipur State League: NISA, Thangmeiband 1-0 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Mahindra United 1-2 Sporting Clube de Goa - Goals: 0-1 Mackroy Peixoto (32'), 0-2 Rosario Mendes (76'), 1-2 Kean Lewis (89').
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Quarterfinal: Dempo SC 2-1 Sesa Football Academy - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Avelino Fernandes (69',88'), 2-1 Charles Miranda (90+1').

::: Anil Ambani now eyeing Everton after Newcastle didn't work out :::
The latest reports out of England say that Indian business tycoon Anil Ambani has now set his sights on Liverpool-based Everton FC after his first choice takeover candidate Newcastle United has become too hot to handle. The problems at the Tyneside club has cooled-off Ambani's interest in Newcastle United.
And now Ambani is being linked with Everton FC as his son Jai Anmol is supposed to have attended Everton's pre-season friendly against PSV Eindhoven at Goodison Park a few weeks ago for informal talks with Everton owner Bill Kenwright and club director Robert Earl.
Everton owner Kenwright is currently on the lookout for a potential buyer with deeper pockets then him and Ambani surely would fulfill that critiria.
But one will have to see if this time the rumours are true...

::: AIFF allows foreign player replacement mid-season :::
The AIFF has decided to allow I-League teams to replace foreign players in the league mid-season but 'only' in case of injury to prevent the teams from dumping non-performers at their own will.
The players injury will be examined by a panel of doctors appointed by the AIFF before a replacement can be sought. Through such an official medical check the clubs won't be able to just dump players and sign replacements at their own will. The injured player would also get his salary upto the end of the season, a requisite under professional contracts.


September 13
    RESULTS & NEWS

Calcutta Premier League: Mohammedan Sporting Club 3-1 Chirag United SC - Goals: 1-0,2-1 Theodore Sunday Wrobeh (37',75'), 1-1 Subair Muritala Ali (52'), 3-1 Gautam Thakur (82').
Mohammedan Sporting: 22-Tharangachan; 23-Rajib Ghosh, 2-V Prem Kumar, 19-Gurpreet Singh, 30-Bijay Das; 27-A Jyothi Kumar (87' 25-Mohammed Shahid), 16-Sovan Chakraborty (76' 26-Gautam Thakur), 7-Roque Barreto (90' ??-Ehetesham Bucks), 5-Mir Farooq Hyder, 10-Mike Okoro [C], 11-Theodore Sunday Wrobeh.
Chirag United: 1-Arindam Ghosh; 16-Amitava Bhowmick (46' 35-Soumik Chakraborty), 15-Dulal Biswas, 2-Louis Nigi Ebami, 6-R Dhanarajan; 30-Gouranga Datta (79' 25-Shankar Oroan), 28-Mrinmoy Chakraborty (46' 8-Sasthi Duley), 27-Lalmalswama Hmar [C], ??-Arnab Mondal, 11-Snehashis Chakroborty, 32-Subair Muritala Ali.
Yellow Cards: Louis Nigi Ebami (16', Chirag United).
Man of the Match: Theodore Sunday Wrobeh (Mohammedan Sporting).
Referee: Shambhunath Shaw.

Calcutta Premier League: Peerless SC 0-0 Railway FC - Goals: none.
Calcutta Premier League: George Telegraph SC 1-1 Calcutta Port Trust - Goals: -.

Calcutta Super Division: Calcutta Customs 0-0 Eastern Railway SC
Calcutta Super Division: Mohammedan AC 1-0 West Bengal Police
Calcutta Super Division: Tollygunge Agragami 1-2 Indian Air Force
Calcutta Super Division: Police AC 2-1 SAIL

11th Goa Professional League: Churchill Brothers SC 5-1 Raia Sporting Club - Goals: 1-0,2-0 Odafe Onyeka Okolie (11',34'), 3-0 J Jugeshor Singh (42'), 3-1 Rakshak Naik (43'), 4-1,5-1 Felix Chimaokwu (56',88').

Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: Assam Dynamo Club 2-2 Assam State Electricity Board - Goals: 1-0,2-1 Lalrimfela (29',78'), 1-1 Debashis Kundu (59'), 2-2 Priya Kumar Singh (81').

1st Haryana State League: Chotu Ram Club, Rohtak 3-1 Rewari FC - Goals: 0-1 Aakash (1'), 1-1 Jagdeep (5'), 2-1 Bhupinder (68'), 3-1 Sandeep (78').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Police 3-0 Jhajar FC - Goals: 1-0 Ashok (25'), 2-0 Ranbeer (31'), 3-0 Vikash (53').
1st Haryana State League: Punjab SC, Faridabad 0-2 Ambala FC - Goals: 0-1 Rajiv Sharma (65'), 0-2 Sourav (78').
1st Haryana State League: Haryana Vidhyut Power Nigam 2-1 HYC, Hissar - Goals: 1-0 Inderjeet (27'), 1-1 Suchinder (66'), 2-1 Ravinder (89').

Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Central Railway (Mumbai Division) 0-0 Kenkre Football Academy
Mumbai Elite Division - Group B: Central Railway - Union Bank of India = match postponed due to rains

::: Stanley Rozario new East Bengal Club coach :::
Stanley Rozario has been appointed as the new coach of Calcutta giants East Bengal Club after their coach Manoranjan Bhattacharjee resigned earlier in the day. Rozario had coached the Army XI for many years and lately has been assistant coach to chief coach Bob Houghton with Team India.
Rozario, an AFC 'A' coaching licence holder, had left his former employer the Indian Army a month ago and had been holding talks with Goan side Vasco SC to coach them in the I-League when the East Bengal offer came in and he decided to take-up the challenge in Calcutta.
Manoranjan had resigned due to the teams poor performances in the Calcutta Premier League which had led to the fact that the club was out of the running for the title relatively early on in the league. That Manoranjan would resign was somewhat clear yesterday afternoon after the derby draw against Mohun Bagan. And it is the second time in a little over six month's that "Mona" as Manoranjan is fondly called resigned as the clubs coach. He had earlier resigned as coach after the last I-League where he had saved the club from relegation.


September 12
    IndianFootball.Com congratulates MOHUN BAGAN AC on winning their 28th Calcutta Football League title!!!

stats page
Calcutta Premier League | Round 14 | Saltlake Stadium, Calcutta | 15.00 IST

East Bengal Club 1-1 Mohun Bagan AC
Goals: 0-1 Jose Ramirez Barreto (25', pen), 1-1 Edmilson Marques Pardal (84').

East Bengal: 24-Subrata Pal; 27-I Surkumar Singh, 3-Nirmal Chetri 4-Suley Musah, 29-Saumik Dey; 22-Sanju Pradhan (73' 25-Parveen Kumar), 26-Mehraj din Wadoo, 9-Alvito D'Cunha (54' 30-Edmilson Marques Pardal), 19-Syed Rahim Nabi [C] (36' 28-Chhangte Malswamkima); 11-Sunil Chetri, 10-Ashim Biswas.
Mohun Bagan: 1-Sangram Mukherjee [C]; 24-Rino Anto, 3-Nanjangud Shivananju Manju, 29-Joseph Anandavasan, 26-Nallappan Mohanraj (76' 17-Rahul Kumar); 19-Shylo Malswam Tulunga, 25-Sargolsem James Singh, 20-Rakesh Masih, 23-Lalramluaha; 10-Jose Ramirez Barreto (85' 16-James Lukram Singh), 9-Pachau Lalam Puia (90+1' 15-Baichung Bhutia).
Yellow Cards: Nirmal Chetri (23'), Subroto Pal (24', both East Bengal); Nallappan Mohanraj (11'), Jose Ramirez Barreto (21'), Lalramluaha (28'), James Singh (34'), Nanjangud Shivananju Manju (88'), Baichung Bhutia (90+2', all Mohun Bagan).
Man of the Match: Rakesh Masih (Mohun Bagan).
Referee: Minangshu Bhattacharya.

Full Time Match Stats:
East Bengal: Corners 4, Shots on target 8, Shots off target 6, Offsides 1, Fouls 17, Possession 52%, Yellow cards 2, Red cards 0
Mohun Bagan: Corners 2, Shots on target 2, Shots off target 2, Offsides 6, Fouls 17, Possession 48%, Yellow cards 6, Red cards 0

MATCH REPORT:
Mohun Bagan AC were crowned the Champions of the "Sahara" Calcutta Premier League 2008 after they fought out a miserly one-all draw with archrivals East Bengal Club at the Saltlake Stadium in Calcutta. With the sun out on a perfectly dry outfield, an entertaining and eagerly contested game was in prospect. However, what the spectators witnessed was a game low on quality albeit highly charged with emotions. A total of 34 fouls, evenly spread between both sides, marred the flow of the game and eight bookings made the referee the busiest man on the pitch. The only glittering moment in the entire match was Edmilson's thunderous goal which was alone worth the ticket money. Had he repeated his feat in the subsequent freekick, the league would still be an open one.
East Bengal looked the better team in the opening minutes as most of the game was played in the Mohun Bagan half. East Bengal could have got an early penalty after Ashim Biswas was brought down inside the penalty box but the referee was not convinced. Ironically, it was Mohun Bagan who won a penalty against the run of play as Nirmal Chetri's tackle on Shylo Malswam Tulunga was quite late and the referee showed no hesitation in making his decision in Mohun Bagan's favour. Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto struck the top left corner to put Mohun Bagan in the lead in the 25th minute. The goal seemed to upset East Bengal's gameplan and the rest of the half was an exhibition of kick-the-ball-upfield-and-hope-for-the-best football from both the teams!
East Bengal started the second half hoping the loss of their skipper Syed Rahim Nabi due to injury in the first half would not cost them dear. Alvito D'Cunha looked totally out of form and was finally replaced in the 54th minute by Edmilson Marques Pardal. Mohun Bagan started ensuring that their lead was kept intact and started playing defensively, occasionally venturing into the East Bengal half during counter-attacks. The match took a dramatic turn in the 84th minute when Edmilson scored one of the goals of the season as his fierce shot from a freekick beat Sangram Mukherjee all ends up. Mohun Bagan were conceding too many freekicks at the edge of their box and Edmilson almost ruined the party for the Bagan fans in his next attempt at goal. However, Mohun Bagan held on for a draw and ensured that the coveted title was theirs. Also, the efforts of a valiant Mohammedan Sporting Club in this edition of the Calcutta Premier League should not be forgotten as they ran Mohun Bagan close with very few so-called stars in their team. East Bengal need to put a disappointing campaign behind them and look forward to the forthcoming I-League.

POST-MATCH COMMENTS:
Karim Bencharifa (Mohun Bagan coach):
- it was a very very difficult match, it was difficult against a very good East Bengal team with lots of national team players
- this team has proved to everybody that we deserve respect
- I have been hearing all this nonsense regarding my team being coached by a high paid coach but i think we deserve some respect




Guwahati Super Division - Championship-leg: FCI, Guwahati 1-1 SAI, Guwahati - Goals: 1-0 Syed Ansar (28'), 1-1 Bijoy Khanikar (65').
Guwahati Super Division - Relegation-leg: Sunrise Club - Jewel Star Club = walkover as Jewel Star Club conceded the match

1st Haryana State League: Raghav Club, Gurgaon 2-0 BFC, Fatehabad - Goals: 1-0 Jadeja (72'), 2-0 Thakkar (85').

Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Bank of India - Akbar Travels = match postponed
Mumbai Elite Division - Group B: ONGC, Mumbai 8-1 PIFA-Colaba Youngstars FC

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group C: Tata Football Academy 5-0 East Bengal Club
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group C: Churchill Brothers SC 1-2 Mumbai FC
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group D: JCT Football Academy 2-1 Salgaocar SC
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group D: Air-India 0-1 Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy

::: Manchester United officials for talks in Delhi :::
A group of officials of English Premier League giants Manchester United FC headed by the club CEO David Gill visited Delhi for a one day trip yesterday.
The Manchester United delegation called on AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi at his Shastri Bhavan Ministry office to discuss potential areas of cooperation between the two sides. A possible area of collaboration is the upcoming Bharti-AIFF Football Academy in Goa.
The meeting with the AIFF president was followed-up by a visit to the AIFF Football House in Dwarka where they got to see the AIFF's offices and organisation. The Manchester United delegation should interest in the I-League and the National Team Development programme.
In the afternoon the Manchester United delegation met Bharti Enterprises Group vice-chairman Rajan Bharti Mittal, Hemant Sachdev and other Bharti Group officials to discuss means and ways to work together.
So Man Utd are working to build links and a relationship with Indian football. David Gill had mentioned this summer while on the clubs tour to South Africa that India was the only territory that the Red Devils hadn't explored and ventured into. Now they are working to change that...

::: Mumbai FC sign Hammond as third foreigner :::
Newly promoted I-League side Mumbai FC have signed Ghanian Abel Hammond from Ghana Premier League side Liberty Professionals FC as their third foreigner. The 23 year old striker joins his fellow countrymen defender James Cobblah Dissiramah and striker Ahmed Felix Aboagye at the Essel Group backed club.

::: 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (Under-16) in Mahilpur, Punjab; fixtures are released :::
The 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy (Under-16 Nationals) will be held in Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab from September 20 to October 6. In total 27 states from across India will be taking part in the first-ever U16 Nationals to be played in Punjab.
The Cluster league would be held from September 20 to 26, the Quarterfinal League from September 27 to October 2, the semifinals are scheduled for October 4, while the final will be held on October 6.
Matches will be played at the Khalsa College Stadium, Government Boys School ground and the Ground in front of the Khalsa College.
For the complete 31st Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy - fixtures .


September 11
    RESULTS & NEWS

29th Amba Medhi Cup, Mangaldoi - Final: Assam Rifles 3-0 Oil India Limited - Goals: 1-0 Bulu Jigdung (35'), 2-0,3-0 Akum Ao (57',85').

3rd Manipur State League: Southern Sporting Union 4-0 NEROCA
3rd Manipur State League: NLYC, Churachandpur 2-1 Tiddim Road Athletic Union
3rd Manipur State League: Manipur Police SC 2-0 AMOFA, Moirang
3rd Manipur State League: Eastern Sporting Union 2-2 TRUGPU, Nambol
3rd Manipur State League: USA, Khurai 1-1 Phoudel Youth Club, Thoubal
3rd Manipur State League: YWC, Thambalkhong 1-1 NISA, Thangmeiband = match abandoned due to pitch invasion of crowd

Mumbai Elite Division - Group A: Bengal Mumbai FC 1-2 Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers
Mumbai Elite Division - Group B: Maharashtra State Police - Mumbai United = cancelled due to bad weather

I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group A: Mahindra United 5-0 Vasco SC
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group A: Sesa Football Academy 0-3 Mohammedan Sporting Club
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group B: Sporting Clube de Goa 0-0 Pune FC
I-League (Under-19), Jamshedpur - Group B: Dempo SC 2-0 Chirag United SC

::: Calcutta Premier League: Mohun Bagan requests IFA to reschedule title deciding matches at the same day & time, request turned down :::
At a press conference today Mohun Bagan AC secretary Anjan Mitra informed the media that he has send a letter to the IFA (West Bengal) and has requested the rescheduling of the final day fixtures of Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting vs Chirag United. Mitra wants the title deciding matches of the Calcutta Premier League to kickoff on the same day at the same time.
The IFA, the governing body of football in Calcutta and West Bengal, looked into the proposal and held talks with their broadcasting partner Star Ananda about rescheduling both the matches for Sunday, but thereafter had to turn the request down.
The IFA asked Mohun Bagan to play their match as per schedule which Mohun Bagan agreed to and therefore the Calcutta derby will take place according to original plans.

::: Steven Dias signs fresh contract with Mahindra United :::
The summers biggest transfer saga came to an end today with Indian international winger Steven Dias signing a new two year contract with Mahindra United, which includes a hike in Steven's salary.
Meanwhile the other player involved in the transfer saga NP Pradeep is at home in Kerala for the Onam festivities and is expected back in Mumbai on Monday.

Foster's Times Cup::: The Foster's Times Cup Grand Finale on Saturday, September 13 :::
The Grand Finale of the first-ever Foster's Times Cup will be held on Saturday, September 13 at the Poriat Grounds in Calangute, Goa from 18.00 IST onwards. The chief guest will be Goa State Government Minister for Education Atanasio Monserratte. The guest of honour will be Goa FA president and Goa State Government Minister for Urban Development & Fisheries Joaquim Alemao. Others to attend will be Indian internationals Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence plus former India captain Bruno Coutinho and Salgaocar SC chief coach Subhas Bhowmick.
The Foster's Times Cup was initiated keeping in mind the love of football in Goa. This cup unlike any other cup is intended for amateur footballers only. Within a couple of weeks, there were an astounding 150 number of teams that registered for the Foster's Times Cup.
Within a span of a month, there were three zonals held across various parts of Goa. From a staggering number of 150 teams the tournament has come down to have 16 teams that will compete for the much coveted cup. There will be titles in three different categories up for grabs: Women's Winners, Veteran's Winners and the Final Winners Trophy.


September 10
    RESULTS & NEWS
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