Page 6 - Indian Football Team

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Manvir helps India beat Kuwait 1-0 in away match

Manvir Singh struck a late goal as India beat Kuwait 1-0 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup second round qualifiers match here on Thursday. Manvir scored with a left-footed shot in the 75th minute as he connected a Lallianzuala Chhangte cross to help India win the match at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium here. Kuwait ended the match with 10 men as their player Faisal Alharbi was sent off after picking his second yellow card in the third minute of the added time for a high boot challenge on Chhangte. India play Asian champions Qatar next on November 21 in Bhubaneswar. India are placed in Group A alongside Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan with the top two from the group progressing to the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The top two teams from each group will also secure qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The Blue Tigers have never advanced to the third round of AFC's FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Ranked 106th in the world, India had beaten Kuwait (149th) on penal

AIFF sacks its secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran due to trust deficit

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has sacked its secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran due to "trust deficit", a top official said on Wednesday. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey served the termination letter on Tuesday to Prabhakaran, who got the high-profile job on September 3 in 2022. "The AIFF president has issued the termination letter to Prabhakaran. He is no longer the AIFF Secretary General," AIFF vice-president NA Haris told PTI. "Deputy secretary general Satyanarayan M will discharge his duties as acting secretary general," he added. Haris said there has been a "trust deficit" between Chaubey and Prabhakaran and even the AIFF executive committee members are not happy with the way the sacked secretary general worked. Prabhakaran was appointed at the first executive Committee meeting of the new dispensation which took charge after the elections on September 2. He was earlier serving as Football Delhi president. He resigned from that post and took charge as AIFF secretary

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

Asian Games Highlights, Day 5: Gold in Shooting, IND 5th in medals tally

Asian Games 2023 Highlights, Day 5: India won gold, silver and bronze in Shooting, Wushu and Equestrian respectively to finish with a total of 25 medals and lie in the 5th place in the medals tally

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

Asian Games 2023: Football coach Stimac lauds Sunil Chhetri and Jhingan

Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac has lauded senior players Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan for "brilliantly" guiding the younger team-mates after the side qualified for the round of 16 in Asian Games despite a controversial build-up. A rag-tag team with just Chhetri and Jhingan as notable names was assembled in the eleventh hour after the Indian Super League clubs refused to release their players named in the original squad. The team reached Hangzhou just hours before the first group match was to be played. The team lost 1-5 to China after playing the match without a single training session. The strategy sessions were held in flight and on transit. A 1-0 win over Bangladesh and a 1-1 draw against Myanmar took the team to knockouts as group runners-up, and they will face mighty Saudi Arabia in their round of 16 match on Thursday. "We qualified for the knockouts round despite all the problems. I am very proud of the boys especially for Sunil and Sandesh. They led these .

Asian Games 2023 Day 1 Highlights: India bag 5 medals in rowing, shooting

Asian Games 2023 Day 1 Highlights: The Indian team won five medals in rowing and shooting while it secured a medal by qualifying for final in women's cricket

Asiad 2023: India football teams' full schedule, squads, match timings

Indian men's and women's football teams have been drawn in groups where chances of them moving ahead to the knockout stage at the Asian Games are bright

Asian Games 2023 full India schedule, timings, medal hopefuls, streaming

Check the Asian Games 2023 full schedule of India from September 24 to October 8 in Hangzhou 2022 Games. Women's

Asian Games 2023 Highlights: India lose to Chinese Taipei in women football

Asian Games 2023 Highlights: The Indian women's football team lost 1-2 to Chinese Taipei while the men's football team beat Bangladesh 1-0. Women's cricket team moved to semifinal, Rowers did well

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: After China debacle, India face Bangladesh in must-win match

Battered by hosts China in their opening match after playing without any training session, India will be up against a tricky Bangladesh side in their must-win group match in the Asian Games football competition here on Thursday. A rag-tag Indian team reached here late Monday evening and played its first match without proper rest and sleep and was hammered 1-5 by China on Tuesday. Igor Stimac's team needs to beat Bangladesh in its second Group A game to remain in the fray for the knock-outs. A loss on Thursday may not straightway knock India out of reckoning as the best third-placed teams from the six groups can also advance to the Round of 16, but that will leave the team with a lot of uncertainties in the final game. Qualifying as one of the best four third-place teams could also set India up against tougher sides in the pre-quarterfinals. Bangladesh have never been an easy side for India in any level and they will also be desperate for a win after losing their opening match 0-1

Asiad 2023 India vs China football highlights: China thrashes India 5-1

This was India's 57th game in the Asiad history as they returned to the continental tournament after a break of 9 years

Asian Games 2023 football: China thrash under-prepared and jaded India 1-5

A severely-fatigued and under-prepared Indian team got a rude reality check with hosts China out-muscling them 1-5 in an opening group league encounter of the Asian Games football competition here on Tuesday. Giao Tianyi (17th min), Dai Weijun (51st min), Tao Qianglong (72nd and 75th minute) and Hao Fang (90+2) scored for the hosts, while Rahul KP's (45+1 minute) equaliser from an acute angle was possibly the best strike of the match. It was heartening to see a third-string team holding the title contenders on an even keel during the first 45 minutes, which saw Indian custodian Gurmeet Singh Chahal valiantly save a spot-kick taken by rival captain Zhu Chenjie. India now need to beat Bangladesh and Myanmar in their remaining two games to qualify for the second round. Myanmar beat Bangladesh 4-2 in another game in this group. Having reached the Games Village late on Monday evening, the third-string Indian team, with not even four specialist defenders in their ranks, didn't have enoug

Asiad 2023: More than its share of controversies for Indian team already

The deepening crisis in wrestling ahead of the Asian Games turned out to be the biggest controversy in the run-up to the continental showpiece, which will begin in Hangzhou on September 23. Even as the Indian contingent prepares to fly out to China with the target of achieving the 100-medal mark for the first time in the history of the Games, the country's grapplers, especially Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia will be in the spotlight, as he along with five others launched a campaign to oust the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to ensure "safety of women grapplers". Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the continental Games. WRESTLING: The sport took centre stage not for sporting achievements but off the mat issues as some of the most decorated grapplers in the country, including Olympic medallists Punia and Sakshi Malik and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat protested for

Asiad 2023: Why do certain events of Hangzhou 2023 begin on September 19

Fans of the Asian Games are confused as to why certain events like football cricket and Volleyball begin on September 19 while the opening ceremony is on September 23

Asiad 2023: No training and proper rest, India football team face China

Set to play their opening match without any training session and proper rest after the last-minute announcement of the squad, India will be the clear underdogs against formidable China in their Asian Games group game here on Tuesday. India were able to stitch a rag-tag final squad only on Friday and the team left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to even have a training session together. Moreover, two players -- defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga -- out of the 22 players picked will join later as their visas were not ready. The Indian contingent's chef de mission Bhupinder Singh Bajwa has, however, said that the duo will get their 'express visas' in a day or two and they will join the team. In any case, the duo will not be available for the Group A match against China on Tuesday and that will be a blow for India. Also head coach Igor Stimac said on Sunday that senior defender Sandesh Jhingan and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri will not play the

Asiad 2023: Stimac says certain elements stopped us from having best team

India football team head coach Igor Stimac, on Sunday, lashed out at the Indian Super League (ISL) organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and clubs for not releasing players for the Asian Games as the national federation was forced to stitch an under-strength ragtag side at the last moment after hectic parleys. While Stimac did not take names while addressing a virtual press conference ahead of team departure but dropped enough hints about who all scuppered his and AIFF's plan to field a strong squad, comprising players from current senior national side. "If I knew that certain elements will stop us from going with the best possible team, I would have rather picked all the players from the I-League and request to train with them for two months and prepare with them for the Asian Games," a fuming Stimac said during media interaction. "It would not have been much different," he added, making clear what he thinks about the third-string players that ISL clubs have ...

Asiad 2023: Indian football team departs for Hangzhou without two players

Defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga did not accompany the Indian football team that left the country on Sunday for the Asian Games in China as their visa was not ready but a top IOA official said the duo will get their travel documents in a day or two. Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga were apparently not in the initial long list of 50 players submitted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for the Asian Games and hence they did get their accreditation even though they were named in the 22-member team named in the last minute. India's Asian Games contingent Chef de Mission Bhupinder Singh Bajwa allayed any fears of the two players missing out of the Asian Games. They will, however, not be available for the first match against China on Tuesday. "I and AIFF president (Kalyan Chaubey) have applied for express visa for the two players with letter from the sports ministry and the visa should come by tomorrow or day after. The Chinese embassy said normal visa will tak

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.