Page 3 - India Football

Indian football team coach Stimac's contract extended until 2026

Senior national team head coach Igor Stimac's contract has been extended until 2026, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Thursday, rewarding him for overseeing three title triumphs this year. As per the contract, the Croat will automatically get an extension by another two years if India qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Former India stopper Mahesh Gawli, the assistant coach of the senior men's team, was appointed as the head coach of the men's U-23 team. Stimac, a member of the Croatia side that finished third at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, took charge of the Blue Tigers in 2019 and has won four major titles with the side, including two SAFF Championships. "The federation, the members have decided to extended the contract of our national team, Igor Stimac, until the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. We have agreed to this, agreed to continue as one team," AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran said during a virtual interaction. Stimac w

We need to play as cohesive unit against Saudi Arabia, says Sunil Chhetri

Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri feels they will have to play as a "cohesive unit" if they are to challenge the mighty Saudi Arabia in their round of 16 match at the Asian Games here on Thursday. Chhetri is aware of the problems India is facing during their current campaign in Hangzhou. He is also conscious of India's dismal track record against Saudi Arabia and the strength of the West Asian side. He believes that if India can stick to the right strategies and his young teammates continue to play as a cohesive unit as they did in the three earlier outings, then the pre-quarter-final battle could be a tantalising one. "We were shown a lot of clips from the Saudi games by our coach, not only the ones that they played here but also a few of their matches from the recent past. He spoke about different ways in which we go out and apply ourselves. "On the face value, they are a very good side with a lot of good, decent players, who are good with the ball...a lot of quality in

Asiad 2023: India beat Bangladesh, keep alive knockout hopes in football

Sunil Chhetri scored from the penalty spot to keep alive India's hopes of a knockout entry in the Asian Games football competition football

Asian Games schedule today: IND vs MAL cricket, IND vs BAN football & more

Indian women's cricket team will be in action on September 21 in Asian Games 2023 along with men's and women's football teams, rowing and sailing in Asiad

Asiad 2023: India football squad announced, Sunil Chhetri named captain

The Indian football governing body thanked clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) and the FSDL for coordinating with the national body to release players in the Asian Games.

Indian football coach Stimac picked team on astrologer's advice: Report

Then secretary-general of AIFF Kushal Das said that astrologer Bhupesh Sharma was paid Rs 12 to 15 lakh for his services for May and June 2022

Kings Cup football: India drawn against higher-ranked Iraq in semi-final

The Indian senior men's team will face Iraq in the semi-final of the 49th King's Cup football tournament in Chiang Mai, Thailand on September 7. The match will take place at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai. Thailand will take on Lebanon in the other semi-final later on the same day, as per the draw announced by the Football Association of Thailand on Wednesday. The finall of the tournament will be played on September 10. The losing semi-finalists will meet in the third-place play-off. As per the draw mechanics, Iraq (as the highest FIFA-ranked team - 70th) and Thailand (as hosts and ranked 113th) were placed in separate match-ups, and drawn against the remaining two teams -- India, ranked 99th, and Lebanon, ranked 100th. India's last meeting with Iraq was a 0-2 defeat in a friendly in Baghdad in 2010. It will be India's fourth participation in the King's Cup in Thailand, with the most recent one coming in 2019, where the Blue Tigers went down to Curaao in the semi-fin

Durand Cup 2023: Details of teams, venues, live-streaming, and more

The Durand Cup 2023 began on August 3. The oldest football tournament in Asia was first organised by Indian Armed Forces and played in 1888 in Shimla

Violence has taken away my house, everything we had: Indian footballer

It was a humid May evening as usual in Kozhikode, as India footballer Chinglensana Singh ambled down the ground to enter the dressing room. Once there, he saw a trail of text messages and a barrage of missed calls on his phone. Worried, he promptly tried returning the calls but to no avail. But soon the centre-back from the strife-torn state found out that he had lost almost everything in the violence that broke out there on May 3, the same day that he was representing Hyderabad FC in an AFC Cup playoff (Asian continental tournament) match against Mohun Bagan in faraway Kozhikode. "It has taken away everything from us, everything we earned, everything we had," the player, hailing from Khumujama Leikai in Churachandpur district, told PTI. "I heard the news of our house being torched and then the football turf that I built in Churachandpur was burnt. It was really heartbreaking. "I had the big dream of providing a platform to the youngsters but it was taken away. Fortunately, my fami

I-League likely to start in first week of October; Women's League from Nov

The I-League 2023-24 season is likely to kick off in the first week of October and the Indian Women's League could be held from November 18 to March 16, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Thursday. During a meeting with the clubs, the AIFF discussed the possibility of having the I-League in different formats. A lengthy discussion was held on the pros and cons of the formats, which the AIFF management took note of. A decision on the same will be taken at a later date. The I-League clubs were also advised to improve their pitch conditions and have floodlights installed for their matches. A range of awards were also announced for the I-League Best Pitch, Best Match Organisation, and Best Media Activities. The winning prize for each category is Rs 2.5 lakh, while that of the runners-up is Rs 1.5 lakh. The IWL meeting began with the news of Gokulam Kerala FC being allowed to participate in the AFC Women's Club Championship (Pilot) 2023 after the AIFF requested the Asian

Asian Games 2023: Indian football teams may get govt clearance - Report

With Kalyan Chaubey at the helm of affairs at AIFF, he could convince the government to make an exception for the Hangzhou Asian Games in China, which begins on September 23.

Asian Games 2023: Football coach Igor Stimac's emotional appeal to PM Modi

In a heartfelt letter shared on Twitter, Stimac requested PM Modi to allow football to participate in the Asian Games, saying, 'We will fight for our nation's pride and the flag!

AIFF club licensing panel holds meet, mulls exemption for Premier 1 sides

The exemption requests were made by three Premier 1 clubs including Hyderabad FC, North East United FC, and East Bengal FC

SAFF Championship: Lebanon tops Group B, will face India in the semifinal

Lebanon set up a semifinal clash against hosts India with a 1-0 win over Maldives in a Group B match of the SAFF Championship here on Wednesday. Skipper Hassan Maatouk struck the all-important goal with his curling freekick in the 24th minute. Lebanon have topped the group with an all-win record in the four-team group. Lebanon will take on India in the battle for the summit clash on Saturday. The two teams met recently in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar, where India emerged the winners. The Maldives, ranked 154 in the FIFA Men's rankings, were hoping to punch above its weight by winning against Lebanon, whom they have never beaten in previously. Having already sealed their last-four berth, Lebanon head coach Aleksandar Ilic rested a few of his regular players including Karim Darwich. Lebanon started the match on a positive note, keeping plenty of possession and trying to stretch the Maldives defence. The deadlock was finally broken when Lebanon was awarded

Indian Super League 2023-24: FC Goa signs Udanta Singh on multi-year deal

India winger Udanta Singh has inked a multi-year deal with Indian Super League side FC Goa, the club confirmed on Wednesday. A proven performer in the ISL, Udanta's arrival further bolsters the Gaurs, who had recently clinched a loan deal with fellow Indian national team star Rowllin Borges ahead of the 2023-24 season. "I'm extremely excited and honoured to become a part of FC Goa. I have always admired the way Goa plays. It always took that bit extra to get over the line whenever we were playing Goa," Udanta said in a statement issued by the club. "There has been some mutual interest between us for over a year now to work together, and I am very happy that the deal has finally gone through. I believe I have a lot to give, and my dreams are to win many more trophies. I hope that starts here." Speaking on the signing, Ravi Puskur, FC Goa's Director of Football said, "Udanta is a player we have admired for a while now. His direct running with the ball, ability to go past players and

Sky's the limit and a long way to go for Sandesh Jhingan after 50 caps

On March 12, 2015, 21-year-old Sandesh Jhingan stepped onto the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium pitch in Guwahati wearing the blue of India for the first time.

AIFF chief wants restructuring of I-League for survival of smaller clubs

All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran "personally" feels that the I-League needs restructuring so that smaller clubs can survive by cutting down their players' travel and accommodation cost. Prabhakaran said he will propose a dialogue between the top brass and other stakeholders. He said if the money spent on logistics is reduced, clubs with less budget will survive and that will also help in the I-League having more teams across the country. "I-League is increasingly reaching to new geography and we need to capture new clubs, besides the old ones. The clubs should not put 80 per cent of their money to logistics. Currently, it's only 20 per cent which is going to football, the remaining is going for logistics. It can't be like this," Prabhakaran told PTI. "We have to see how we can reduce the cost of operation of clubs. The idea is not to reduce the budget, but that budget should not be used as cost for flying and for hotel. It could be used for t

'It's in a complete mess', Bhaichung Bhutia tears into 'free-for-all' AIFF

"The way AIFF is being run, I would say it is in a complete mess. You have President Kalyan Chaubey bypassing several state associations and holding tournaments without taking them into confidence"

We are aiming to reach top four in Asia by 2047: AIFF secretary general

All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran on Monday said the country's men's national team is working on becoming one of the top four sides in Asia by 2047. Often criticised for not living up to expectations in the last two-three decades, the Indian team will be competing in the next Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Qatar in January-February next year. This is the first time India has qualified for back-to-back Asian Cups. "We are currently ranked 19 in Asia and the goal, as per our Vision 2047 roadmap, is to reach the top four in Asia by 2047," Prabhakaran said on the sidelines of an event here. "If a country like Qatar can do what they have done in the sport, we are a country of 1.4 billion people and considering that we are one of the fastest growing economies in the world, I don't see any reason why we can't become a strong footballing nation. "We are often asked about this globally but we know our challenges. There has not been any vision, any

Supreme Court appoints ex-apex court judge to finalise AIFF constitution

The Supreme Court on Tuesday appointed former apex court judge Justice L. Nageswara Rao to take over the task of finalising the draft constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF)