Football

NEW DELHI: With the latest edition of the Hero I-League set to begin on January 9, 2021, Gokulam Kerala FC kickstarted their pre-season amidst a highly-controlled COVID-safety environment in Kozhikode, Kerala. The club from the southern state has resumed training activities after the state-wide lockdown ended on October 31, 2020 while following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that have been put in place by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for its tournaments as Indian football moves forward together. "The protocols and guidelines issued

Bhubaneswar; 7th November 2020: Odisha FC is delighted to announce Steven Taylor as the captain of the Bhubaneswar-based side ahead of the seventh season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). The former Newcastle United defender was instated as Odisha FC’s new captain in a team meeting today. Head Coach Mr. Stuart Baxter announced his decision before citing Steven’s experience and leadership qualities as the pillars behind the appointment. “Steven will lead Odisha FC as captain for the upcoming season. As you already

Bhubaneswar; 9th November 2020: Odisha FC is delighted to announce the launch of new kits ahead of the seventh season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) scheduled to start from November 20 in Goa. The jersey designs are based on the art and culture of the eastern Indian state and celebrate the pure Odia spirit. Odisha is a state which has faced many devastating natural calamities but has always recovered from those and marched ahead in the path of development and success.

Bhubaneswar; 8th November 2020: Indian football is finally back. After the successful completion of the I-League Qualifiers in Kolkata, now the coastal state of Goa is getting ready to host the seventh season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) from November 20. Not only the footballers but also Odisha FC staff are giving their best to ensure that the club has a great tournament ahead. Odisha FC's head physiotherapist Dr. Firoz Shaikh and assistant physiotherapist Dr. Naved Hameed are working day in

NEW DELHI: “The thing about football — the important thing about football — is that it is not just about football.”This memorable quote by English writer Terry Pratchett encapsulates the passion that can be evoked by the 'Beautiful Game' — an example of which can be seen in the West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, where over 350 children came together to take part in the first edition of the Laitkseh Golden Baby League in the 2019-20 season while overcoming a number of hurdles, such

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced a squad of 34 junior players that will appear in two friendly matches against Iraq later this month. The junior squad has been announced as part of the team’s preparation for the AFC U-19 Asian Cup to be held in Uzbekistan. Qatar are in Group D alongside Tajikistan, Malaysia and Yemen for the Uzbekistan event. Sixteen teams will participate in the event. The teams are divided into four groups. The top four teams in the tournament

Two goals from substitute Yacine Brahimi late in the game propelled Al Rayyan to a hard-fought 2-0 win over Al Ahli in Round 4 (Group B) of the 2020-21 season Ooredoo Cup at the Al Arabi Stadium on Tuesday. Al Rayyan moved on to four points with their first victory, while Al Ahli remained on one point as they crashed to their third defeat. Al Rayyan wasted a number of chances before Brahimi converted a penalty in the 85th minute and then produced

Al Gharafa and Al Arabi played out a goalless draw in Round 4 (Group B) of the 2020-21 season Ooredoo Cup at the Al Arabi Stadium on Tuesday. The result saw Al Gharafa drop points for the first time in the tournament. They are now on 10 points, whereas Al Arabi have eight points. Al Gharafa were more on the attack in the first half, with Jonathan Kodjia and Sofiane Hanni at the helm of their offensives. Kodjia almost scored in the fourth

A goal at the start of second half helped Al Sadd beat Al Khor 1-0 in Round 4 (Group A) of the 2020-21 season Ooredoo Cup at the Qatar SC Stadium on Wednesday. Hashem Ali netted the winner in the 48th minute as Al Sadd registered their first win in the tournament. The Wolves have four points and Al Khor six. In the fifth minute, Al Sadd’s Baha Mamdouh was shown the yellow card for a reckless push against Leonardo De Souza. Two

NEW DELHI: The upcoming edition of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is set to feature a number of graduates from the latest batch of the All India Football Federation (AIFF)'s developmental side Indian Arrows and with the competition set to kick off in Goa on November 20, the young guns are hard at work as they prepare to take their Hero ISL bows. Among them is the rapidly-rising forward Vikram Partap Singh, who has 27 appearances for the Indian Arrows in the Hero

A member of Iraq’s national team since 2014, Justin Meram understands the Middle East’s passion for football. The US-born midfielder – a familiar face to Major League Soccer fans following spells with Columbus Crew, Orlando City and Atlanta United – qualifies to play for Iraq through his parents. Now playing his trade with Real Salt Lake, the 31-year-old is well positioned to speak about next FIFA World Cup™ hosts, having visited and played in the country on various occasions during his international career.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) participated in the first Focus Day held in collaboration with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22) and Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) as part of the 2020 Qatar Sustainability Week. Entitled ‘Green Hospitality for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™’, the virtual event aimed to encourage sustainable operation practices in tournament-related hospitality sectors and highlight ongoing best practices in Qatar. Speakers discussed the FIFA World Cup™ as a legacy driver in implementing sustainable operation practices within

DOHA: Al Sadd came back from a goal down to outplay Al Duhail 4-1 and reach their 26th Amir Cup final at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday. It was a game of two halves yesterday with Al Duhail dominating the first, only to be outplayed by Al Sadd in the second. Edmilson had put Al Duhail ahead in the 10th minute after an error from Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barshem. Al Duhail, after a disciplined defensive show in the first half,

DOHA: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez on Saturday announced a squad of 27 players ahead of the two international friendlies against Costa Rica and Korea Republic on the 13th and 17th of November. The national team’s training for the current gathering will start on Sunday until the return date from Austria on November 18, after which the players will join the ranks of their clubs. The team’s list included: Muataz Barsham, Pedro Miguel, Tariq Salman, Abdel-Karim Hassan, Boualem Khoukhi, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Musab

NEW DELHI: Since its launch in 2018 the Golden Baby Leagues project has sparked a revolution across the length and breadth of India with over 35,000 children taking part in the 2019-20 season itself. The initiative has engaged and brought together a number of stakeholders – from academies to clubs to schools to companies to NGOs to local football authorities – such as the Lunglei District Football Association (LDFA) in Mizoram. The latest edition saw nearly 300 school children in a 12-km radius in

Because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, many things around the world were halted and so were games and sports. However, things are getting back to normal with some strict precautions and guidelines regarding health and hygiene. During the pre-season training of the Bhubaneswar-based Hero Indian Super League (ISL) team Odisha FC, the club’s media team caught up with Team Doctor Dr Praveen Choudhary for a short interview. “As you all know, we all are in a pandemic stage of Covid 19 and it

NEW DELHI: While the rest of the country braces up for the new normal of the festive season during a pandemic, the people in the small village of Rangalibazna in the foothills of the Himalayan Range in West Bengal are rejoicing a successful harvesting season. Among those rejoicing the bountiful harvest of 2020 is Indian Women’s National Team forward Anju Tamang and her family. The Tamangs have been a family of farmers on the foothills of the Himalayas, just south of the famous tourist

Chennai, October 31, 2020: Assistant Coach Admir Kozlić, Goalkeeping Coach Martin Raška and Sports Scientist Csaba Gábriš have joined Chennaiyin FC as Head Coach Csaba László’s backroom staff for the 2020-21 season. "I am delighted to confirm my staff members, that includes Admir, Martin and my namesake Csaba! Along with the existing staff, our aim is to have a successful season on and off the pitch. We will do everything in our power to create a family atmosphere that helps the team achieve

DOHA: An exciting battle is on the cards on Saturday when football giants Al Duhail clash with Al Sadd in the semi-finals of the Amir Cup. The match will be played at Al Duhail’s home turf at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium with kick-off set for 6:00pm. Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi said he knows what to expect from the clash. “I know everything about the players and our rivals. I just hope we deliver a good performance against Al Sadd,” Lamouchi said on

Mumbai, October 30, 2020: Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) today announced the first 11 rounds of fixtures for the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (ISL). Marking the return of the first major live sporting action in the country, the 7th season of India's premier football league kicks off with the defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan squaring off against Kerala Blasters FC on Friday, November 20, at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim, Goa. New entrants SC East Bengal will make their Hero ISL debut playing in one