Page 2 - Indian Football Team

Chhetri not named in Jamil's 35 probables for CAFA Nations Cup squad

Talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri has been left out of the 35 probables named by newly-appointed Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It's unlikely that he was dropped on the basis of his form in the four matches he played after coming back from his international retirement. However, it's also not known whether Chhetri himself requested not to consider him for the tournament, to be held later this month, or if he was rested as his Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC is yet to start pre-season training. Bengaluru FC recently suspended salaries for its first-team players and staff, including that of Chhetri, due to uncertainty surrounding the ISL's future. However, Jamil's list of probables includes other Bengaluru FC players like goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, defenders Chinglensana Singh, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, and midfieler Suresh Singh. All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials are

Dalima Chhibber: Indian women's team is on track to qualify for World Cup

Chuffed about Indian women football team's qualification for the AFC Asian Cup, defender Dalima Chhibber on Tuesday said the side will enter the continental tournament with an aim to secure a historic berth in the FIFA World Cup. Dalima expressed confidence that the Indian team, comprising fine players like Pyari Xaxa and Sangita Basfore, can punch above its weight to script history. "It means everything to us and we have qualified because of our abilities," Dalima said during the launch of the Subroto Cup school football tournament. She attended the occasion as Guest of Honour. "We are heading towards a golden future. Recently, our U20 team also qualified for the Asian Cup. It is a sport that every country plays, we are taking steps in the right direction and it is a matter of time that we achieve success and qualify for the FIFA World Cup," Dalima added. Dalima, who plays as a defender, last appeared for India in 2024, shared her thoughts on India's historic qualification for the

AIFF announces $25,000 reward for U20 women after Asian Cup berth

The All India Football Federation on Sunday announced a cash incentive of USD 25,000 for the Under-20 women's team as a reward for their qualification to the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup for the first time since 2006. The U-20 women's side topped Group D with seven points, capping their campaign with a 1-0 win over hosts Myanmar in Yangon on Sunday. Pooja scored the decisive goal in the 27th minute, finishing off a move she started on the counter. India, who had earlier drawn 0-0 with Indonesia and thrashed Turkmenistan 7-0, remained unbeaten and did not concede a single goal in the qualifiers. The AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup 2026 is scheduled to be held in Thailand in April 2026. The AIFF credited it to "sustained planning and developmental efforts over the past few years" in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India. The U20 women have been in camp since December 2024 and have played the Pink Ladies Youth Cup in Turkey, defeating teams like Hong Kong and Jordan. Ahead of t

11 ISL clubs urge AIFF to inform SC about current Indian football crisis

Eleven Indian Super League clubs on Friday urged the AIFF to urgently bring the "current situation" of Indian football arising out of the uncertainty over ISL's future to the attention of the Supreme Court before which a case relating to the constitution of the national federation is pending. The ISL clubs, in a letter, said that they will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently if the All India Football Federation does not act on their request. Out of the 13 ISL clubs, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal did not sign the letter. The development came a day after the AIFF proposed the Super Cup in September to ensure sufficient competitive matches for the clubs after ISL organisers FSDL put a "pause" on the league due to uncertainty over the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA) it signed with the national federation in 2010. Following a directive from the Supreme Court, the AIFF has been asked not to negotiate new terms of the MRA (with FSDL) until a final

Who is Khalid Jamil? Meet India's 1st local football coach in over a decade

India is set to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup later this month, facing tough opponents like defending champions Iran and 2023 Asian Cup quarterfinalists Tajikistan.

India football coach announced! Khalid Jamil is 1st Indian coach in 13 yrs

His coaching credentials also include an AFC Pro License, and he has twice won the AIFF Men's Coach of the Year award (2023-24 and 2024-25).

India football coach announcement on Aug 1; here are top contenders

The AIFF's executive committee is meeting on August 1 with a single focus: appointing the next head coach for the men's senior national team

Manolo Marquez to continue with FC Goa after stepping down as India coach

After stepping down as Indian men's football team head coach earlier this month, Spaniard Manolo Marquez on Friday re-joined FC Goa to helm the club for the 2025-26 season. FC Goa announced that Marquez has signed to continue as the head coach for the upcoming season, his third at the club. "No one forgets the Don and the Don never forgets home. Welcome Back Boss," FC Goa posted on their social media handle. I was very happy during the previous two seasons, where the team showed consistent improvement each year. The level of organisation that the club operates with is not commonly observed in Indian club football, making FC Goa a very special club, Marquez said of his return in a club statement. It was clear for me that if I were to continue in India, it had to be with FC Goa, he added. The Indian Super League, the country's top-tier competition is, however, on "hold" due to the uncertainty over the issue of the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement -- to expire on December 8 --

From hope to havoc: How AIFF is derailing Indian football's future

Over the past two years, India's men's national football team has seen a dramatic fall in the FIFA rankings, currently slipping to 133, the lowest it has been in nearly a decade.

India's football ecosystem is scared with uncertainty: Chhetri on ISL pause

Former captain and top striker Sunil Chhetri on Wednesday said the current state of "uncertainty" in Indian football is very concerning and the sport's ecosystem is "worried, hurt, and scared" by the top-tier ISL being put on hold indefinitely. Chhetri, who turns up for Bengaluru FC in the league, said he has been inundated with phone calls and messages expressing apprehensions about the future of the sport in the country. "It began with worrying about how I am on borrowed time with what I have left in the tank. But speaking with players from across clubs, I've realised that my selfish problem isn't as important," the 40-year-old Chhetri posted on X. "The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I've received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs - not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. "Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with," he added.

AIFF parts ways with Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez

Marquez's time in charge included just eight matches, yielding only one victory, a 3-0 win over the Maldives in a friendly earlier this year

Indian legends slam AIFF after India's disappointing loss vs Hong Kong

Bhaichung Bhutia, visibly disheartened by India's regression, said the country's football is in disarray and directly blamed AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey for the downfall

Coach Manolo optimistic on eve of India's AFC Asian Cup qualifier tie

The recent defeat against Thailand notwithstanding, India head coach Manolo Mrquez on Monday exuded confidence on the eve of their vital 2027 Asian Cup qualifier match against Hong Kong here. Placed in Pot 1 for the qualifiers, India, ranked 127th, got off to a slow start in the qualifiers with a draw against Bangladesh in March before losing 0-2 to Thailand in a friendly last week. "In my opinion, most coaches are not worried about the scores in the friendly games. We are focussing on the important match (Hong Kong)," Manolo said. "I know everyone speaks about the score (against Thailand). But if we scored from the chances we created, it would have been different. This is football." Out of the three matches they have played so far this year, they have won one, drawn one, and lost one. The Group C table is still a clean slate with all four teams level on a point apiece after both games on matchday 1 on March 25 ended goalless. India and Bangladesh drew in Shillong, while Hong Kon

India get wake up call before Asian Cup qualifier, beaten 2-0 by Thailand

The defeat serves as a timely reality check for the Blue Tigers ahead of their must-win AFC Asian Cup final round qualifier against Hong Kong on June 10.

India vs Thailand international friendly live match time and live streaming

Thailand, positioned 99th in the world rankings, are also participating in the same qualifiers, with their next challenge being a match against Turkmenistan.

India seek inspiration from last 2 wins in another friendly vs Thailand

India will take inspiration from their last two wins and talismanic Sunil Chhetri's good form when they face Asian rivals Thailand in an international friendly football match here on Wednesday. For India, Thailand have been one of the most familiar continental rivals outside of South Asian countries. Both are among middle-rung Asian countries in the FIFA charts. From the Asian Games to the Asian Cup, from the King's Cup to the Nehru Cup, the history of India versus Thailand clashes in men's football is a long one. Since the first meeting at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, when India won 4-1, the two teams have played 26 times. India have won seven matches, while Thailand emerged victorious 12 times, and seven were draws. The previous two matches, however, were both won by India in 2019. A sensational 4-1 win at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi, before a narrow 1-0 victory to win bronze at the King's Cup on Thai soil. Chhetri, who scored the first two goals in the Asian Cup ..

Indian team call-up a proud moment for me and my family: Nikhil Prabhu

Nikhil shared his journey, experiences, and thoughts ahead of joining the camp with Business Standard, and he looks forward to transferring his decent form from the Indian Super League.

India can't wait to rectify mistakes made during contest vs BAN: Chhetri

Talismanic India striker Sunil Chhetri on Sunday said that his side cannot wait to make amends of the mistakes they had committed in the goal-less draw against Bangladesh in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round contest in March. India were held to a 0-0 draw by lower-ranked Bangladesh in their opening Group C match of the Asian Cup qualifying third round match on March 25 in Shillong, which left head coach Manolo Marquez fuming. India are up against Hong Kong in their second match -- an away game -- on June 10 in Kowloon. Chhetri said the match against Hong Kong will be a chance for the team to redeem itself. "The initial feeling after the Bangladesh game was that we let ourselves down, let the country down. After I saw the replays, I thought we, as a team, could have done so much more. It was a huge opportunity to take the lead in the table, playing Bangladesh at home. We should have done so many things better," Chhetri said. "Ending up with just a point, I think we players have no

AFC Asian Cup Qualifier: India vs Bangladesh live time, streaming today

The live streaming of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier between India and Bangladesh will be available on the JioHotstar app. India vs Bangladesh football match live telecast available on Star Sports 3

India eyes win against Bangladesh after 3-0 triumph over Maldives

A 3-0 thrashing of Maldives in their first international match of the year will certainly boost their confidence, but India will be wary of a tricky Bangladesh in their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match here on Tuesday. India notched a commanding win over lower-ranked Maldives here on March 19, which marked the first win under the charge of Manolo Marquez. The win was also significant as the talismanic Sunil Chhetri led the team with a superb goal in his international return, his 95th in India Jersey. Bangladesh have been familiar but tricky rivals for India and historically it has not been easy outings whenever the two sides faced each other. India though are currently ranked much higher in the FIFA chart -- 126th as against 185th on Bangladesh. The last match between the two sides had ended in a 1-1 draw in the 2021 SAFF Championships in Maldives with Chhetri scoring India's goal. Chhetri had also scored India's both goals in the 2-0 win over their eastern neighbours in a