Football

KOLKATA: The Indian football ecosystem has already started to move forward together with the Hero I-League Qualifier 2020 and Mohammedan Sporting already sealing a berth in the Hero I-League 2020-21. The Qualifier has been the first-ever sporting action in India organised by any sporting Federation since the lockdown. Add to that -- around four-and-a-half thousand miles away, another Indian has just hit the pitch. Indian Women’s National Team forward Bala Devi had decided to stay back in Glasgow, Scotland during the worldwide lockdown enforced

Spanish Tiki-Taka flavour will be at the forefront in the upcoming seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISI) as seven of the eleven clubs have coaches from Iberian Peninsula at the helm of affairs. Out of the eleven teams, seven clubs have coaches from Spain, while two are from England and the remaining are from Hungary and Scotland, for the upcoming season which will be held in Goa in November. The coastal state will host matches at three different venues without spectators

Having secured top spot in the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020 and subsequent promotion to the Hero I-League 2020-21, Mohammedan SC are all set to take on FC Bengaluru United at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Monday, (October 19, 2020). The match kicks off at 2 pm IST, and will be broadcast live on the 1Sports channel, and will also be streamed live on the 1SportsFacebook page. Mohammedan Sporting, who have won all of their three matches so far and amassed nine

A day prior to the conclusion of the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020 and with just one round of matches to go, the final round of tests for Covid-19 have already been completed by the All India Football Federation. League CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar applauded the medical staff who have “helped in the smooth conduct of the tournament.” “Our top priority was always the safety of the players and officials who are involved in the tournament. The fact that we have had over 1,200 tests

KOLKATA: On Friday (October 17, 2020), Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting Club marked their return to the Hero I-League for the first time since the 2013-14 season and according to club legend Moidul Islam, the achievement is a ‘monumental’ one. “It’s definitely a monumental achievement for Mohammedan Sporting to win the Hero I-League Qualifiers. The club has so many fans all across the country that it is really right up there at the top in terms of fan support,” Islam told www.the-aiff.com. Moidul Islam, who along

Bhubaneswar; 17th October 2020: The Indian contingent of Odisha FC started training in groups adhering to all the health and safety norms laid out by the League on Saturday. The players under the guidance of Indian Assistant Coach and former international midfielder Mr. Steven Dias started training at their designated training pitch at Betalbatim, Goa. Meanwhile, the foreign players have also started arriving at the team hotel. Experienced Defender Steven Taylor and forward Diego Mauricio have already checked in earlier while Hero ISL

Garhwal FC looked set to sign off their Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020 campaign with a win but ended up having to share points with ARA FC despite the team from Gujarat missing a first-half penalty. Defender Neeraj Bhandari gave his team an early lead but a late penalty from Surajit Seal saw both teams walk off the field at the Kalyani Stadium with honours even on Friday (October 16th, 2020). Garhwal made three changes to the starting line-up from the previous game, chief

The AFC Champions League – West Zone matches, which were recently held in Qatar from 14 September to 3 October, marked the successful return of football in Asia following its suspension in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen teams from Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan competed over 36 matches for a spot in the final of the continent’s most prestigious club competition. The matches were played across four venues, three of which will be used during the

As we head into the fourth matchday of the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020, two old foes prepare to face off in a game that could very well decide who will take their place in the Hero I-League 2020-21 season. Bhawanipore FC are all set to cross swords against Mohammedan SC, in what will be billed as the Kolkata Derby of the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020. The match is set to kick-off at 4.30 PM IST at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium on Friday, October

Al Gharafa picked up full points while Al Arabi, Al Rayyan, Al Ahli and Umm Salal picked up a point each in 2020-21 season Ooredoo Cup on Wednesday. At the Al Duhail Stadium, Al Gharafa beat Al Kharaitiyat 3-1 in Round 3 (Group B). Al Kharaitiyat took the lead through Hassan Ali in the 30th minute, but Al Gharafa struck back through Ahmed Al Janahi (34th minute), Sofiane Hanni (45+2) and Almahdi Ali (90th minute). The result saw Al Gharafa move to nine

Kalyani, October 14, 2020: Gujarat-based ARA FC and FC Bengaluru United played out a pulsating 1-1 draw in the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020 at the Kalyani Stadium on Wednesday (October 14, 2020). It seemed that forward Pratik Swami’s strike would prove to be the difference between the two sides but substitute Asrar Rehber successfully converted from the spot with the game’s last kick to rescue a point for Bengaluru United. Both teams came into the match on the back of contrasting results, with Bengaluru

KOLKATA: The ‘new normal’ of football has set in with the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020. Following the strict COVID safety guidelines, those operating in and around the tournament have already conducted four successful matches, two each in Kolkata and Kalyani respectively. While all the five teams – Garhwal FC, ARA FC, Bhawanipore FC, Mohammedan SC and FC Bengaluru United – have made their own adjustments to adapt to the new rules and regulations for their own safety, there is yet another team that is

Bhawanipore FC head coach Sankarlal Chakraborty lauded Garhwal FC, who are at the bottom of the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020, as the “fittest” team in the competition, as he erred on the side of caution on the eve of the clash between the two sides at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium in Wednesday, October 14 in Kolkata. The match between Garhwal FC and Bhawanipore FC is all set to kick off at 12.30 PM IST on Wednesday. Garhwal FC currently sit at the

Looking to build on their win in their last match against Garhwal FC in their previous game FC Bengaluru United will hope to build on the momentum when they take on ARA FC of Ahmedabad at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium on Wednesday (October 14) at IST 4.30pm. The match will be broadcast live on the 1Sports channel and will also be streamed live on the 1Sports Facebook page. It’s one loss and one win for Bengaluru from their first two matches in the

Odisha FC heads into its pre-season of the Indian Super League with a diverse and young bunch of Indian talent. Amongst them are Indian International Vinit Rai, Jerry, Nandhakumar, Arshdeep, Sajid, Daniel, Gaurav, Shubham and Ankit Bhuyan who carry on from last season. New joinees like Samuel, Kamaljit, Ravi, Kamalpreet, Thoiba, Paul, George D’Souza and Hendry will eye this pre-season as an opportunity to stake their claim for starting spots when the Indian Super League kicks off. Young prodigies like Bodo Jr, Premjit

KOLKATA: Amidst India’s first sporting tournament post the COVID-19 Lockdown -- the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020, the nation awoke to a tragic piece of news on Monday (October 12, 2020) as former Indian National Team captain Carlton Chapman had passed away. The former midfielder used to operate in the centre of the park for the Blue Tigers in the late 1990s and the early 2000s and had even donned the captain’s armband, leading icons like IM Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia on the pitch. “He

In a bid to develop football from the grassroots in Odisha, Bhubaneswar-based Hero Indian Super League (ISL) club Odisha FC conducted a webinar for budding coaches and players. In this webinar titled "Principles of Attack and Defense in Football", club's Grassroots Coaches Mr. Mahabir Nath and Mr. Aiswaryan Pillai shared their experience and spoke to the participants regarding various skills and techniques involved in the sport. Explaining more about the webinar, Mr. Nath said, "In last season, we had many programs with coaches

The 29-year-old Portuguese attacker who is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, is set for a first stint in India following a spell at Japanese club Matsumoto Yamaga. "It feels great to join Chennaiyin FC, a club that represents a city with rich culture and a wonderful fanbase. My conversations with our Head Coach (Csaba László) have been great so far, and I truly believe in the project he has in mind for us. I will work extremely hard to fulfil

Mohammedan Sporting take on newbies ARA FC in Hero I-League Qualifiers KOLKATA: With the second round of Hero I-League Qualifiers 2020 matches coming up, Mohammedan SC will be looking to put their missed chances from their previous game behind them and aim to pick up the three points against newbies ARA FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday, October 11, 2020. FC Bengaluru United, Garhwal FC look to bounce back after initial defeats KOLKATA: Having lost their respective opening

Doha: Qatar’s preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is on schedule amidst the Coronavirus with ‘85 percent complete’, a top official responsible for delivering the infrastructure required for the tournament said. “Despite the coronavirus pandemic, we remain ahead of schedule when it comes to delivering all the infrastructure required for the FIFA World Cup and are well on course to delivering everything well in advance of the tournament,” Khalid Al Naama, official spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy told