Indian football thread

necromancer

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Pires will be making 790,000 Euros in 8 weeks, phew.
 

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tbf india really sucks.

I mean U.A.E right now are horrible, and drawing with you guys 2-2 should have been a great sign, but even though U.A.E are horrible, they're still not as bad as india.

just showing you how bad india are, u.a.e players can fuck themselves with a hammer.
the aim of these articles is to increase knowledge about indian football among indians and if possible among others as well... till 60's and 70's we were real good... amongst the top teams in asia... then owing to a number of factors football went over to the dark side......
call home boy or whatever... i am NOT just a glory hunter i do support our national team (Men and woman) and yes i write about them... i really dnt wanna get into any debackle with you cause u possibly wont be aware of the ground realities in here
 

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fuck cricket.
just because BCCI was smart enough to capitalize on the 83 WC win and market cricket and in a far superior way than another other gov run sports body (football, hockey)?? its really stupid logic......
 

necromancer

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just because BCCI was smart enough to capitalize on the 83 WC win and market cricket and in a far superior way than another other gov run sports body (football, hockey)?? its really stupid logic......

No, because -

1. It's a ridiculously boring sport fit for middle-aged men
2. Barely 4-5 countries are good at it and we pretend like we conquered the world after winning a world cup in home conditions - which btw is the only place where India can play even half-decent. Subcontinental superpower in a game played by single digit countries.
3. Indian Cricket = English Football.

Although I must confess that there is nothing like Test cricket to lull you into a gentle nap after a heavy meal on a Sunday afternoon.
 

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A few years ago India's national team came to Hong Kong for a qualifier game, and drew 2-2. Against Hong Kong, which is not even a country!
There's a lot of passion about the sport but it does not pay well to play.

I agree with necromancer, cricket is a boring sport.
20/20 is interesting, but test, hai..
 

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No, because -

1. It's a ridiculously boring sport fit for middle-aged men
2. Barely 4-5 countries are good at it and we pretend like we conquered the world after winning a world cup in home conditions - which btw is the only place where India can play even half-decent. Subcontinental superpower in a game played by single digit countries.
3. Indian Cricket = English Football.

Although I must confess that there is nothing like Test cricket to lull you into a gentle nap after a heavy meal on a Sunday afternoon.
I have nothing against any sport really and I love cricket as much as I love football .. maybe even lil more than football... but with all this discussion we are digressing away from the main topic which is Indian football.. people in India are hardly aware about our football players.. and this thread was aimed at spreading its awareness.. try looking up at our website you will find stuff about even our women and u-14,15,16 girls teams as well.....
 

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I-League’11-12 Preview & Predictions (Rd 15): Bagan Travel To Goa, Pune And Mumbai Ba

Posted by Sachin Madaan |
I-League’11-12 Preview & Predictions (Rd 15): Bagan Travel To Goa, Pune And Mumbai Battle Out A Derby!

TheHardTackle continues previewing the rest of the fixtures, after East Bengal thrashed Pailan Arrows 4-1 in the first Round 15 fixture.
—-
SHILLONG LAJONG
V
CHURCHILL BROTHERS
Nehru Stadium, Shillong
Kickoff: 1400 HRS, 18 Jan 2012
***
After acquiring the services of Renedy Singh, Shillong Lajong will be all set to take on the fourth-placed Churchill Brothers in their round fifteen clash of the I-league. The arrival of Indian midfielder Renedy comes as a pleasant surprise for Shillong’s supporters and left many in shock as this move was not anticipated by the football pundits. Pradhyum Reddy’s men have slipped down to tenth place after they were held to a goalless draw by Air India and are in a desperate need of points. Lyngdoh, who missed out against Air India due to suspension, is expected to start for the team from the east while Renedy would need to clear the medical first if he wants to feature in the clash against the Goans.
Last time around Shillong Lajong were handed a footballing lesson by Churchill as Henry Antchouet picked up a hat-trick, so Shilllong will have to play out of their skin in order to restore their lost pride. All in all, it seems a pretty daunting task for the Red. Menyonger is set to miss the match after he picked up his second booking against the pilots on Saturday.
Shillong Lajong expected line-up: Poirei (GK), Subhas, Lalhlimthara, Ralte, Renedy, John Lalramluaha , Lyngdoh , Lalchhuanmawia, James, Cristopher, Tuboi.
On Sunday, Churchill ended up on the losing side in one of the most entertaining matches of the I-league season thus far, with Mohun Bagan emerging victorious by three goals to two. Churchill came agonisingly close to grab the equalizer in the last ten odd minutes and must be kicking themselves for ruining all the chances that felt their way. This loss is bound to provide a lot of fire in their belly up ahead of their fixture against Shillong.
ND Opara will be the targetman for all their crosses inside the box and Henry could get the nod ahead of Ralte in the starting eleven especially after Ralte’s availability is still in doubt ever since he was carried off the field against Mohun Bagan. In Denzil, Antun, Raju and Gouramangi, the visitors possess a formidable backline which is expected to prove more than handful for the Shillong boys considering they didn’t even cause Churchill even an iota of concern in the first leg. Containing Rafi could also prove to be a tough task for the Shillong outfit.
Churchill Brothers expected line-up: Felix (GK), Antun, Henri, Beto, Denzil, Gouramangi, Rafi,Steven, Lenny, Raju, Opara.

TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch Out For:
Renedy Singh (Shillong Lajong)
ND Opara (Churchill Brothers)

TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Shillong Lajong 0-3 Churchill Brothers

PUNE FC
V
MUMBAI FC
Balewadi Complex, Pune
Kickoff: 18:30 HRS, 18 Jan 2012
***​
The big Maharashtra derby kicks off at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune on Wednesday evening. Derrick Pereira’s side is unbeaten in their last eight games and will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak against Mumbai FC. The Red Lizards currently occupy the fifth spot, with 23 points off their 14 games in the league. The lads from Pune played out a goalless stalemate against East Bengal in the last round, a match which could have gone either way, but somehow both teams clinched a single point out of the tie.
Once again, Coach Pereira will have a full squad, except captain Mandjou Keita, who got himself suspended after he was handed a caution in the last match, at his disposal as he prepares his team for return leg against Mumbai FC. The first leg of the same fixture ended in a goal less draw in December. Another win here could see the Pune side break into top four come end of this round.
Pune FC expected line-up: Abhra Mondal (GK ) , Caitano Costa , Chika Wali , Baldeep Singh , Douhou Pierre , Karma Tsewang , Anas Edathodika , Lester Fernandez , S Ramu , S.Singh, Jeje
Mumbai FC slip to eleventh spot in the league after the Khalid Jamil mentored side lost their second consecutive home game against Salgaocar in the league. The team from the west coast have now garnered fourteen points from as many games, as they now look forward to lock horns against in form Pune FC at Balewadi. Lack of concentration at the back saw Mumbai side giving away all three points in the last game.
Khalid Jamil would be hoping that his strikers start scoring again, as no one wearing a Mumbai FC jersey has hit the back of the net in the last two games. Another slip up in this crucial match for both the teams could see the Mumbai side slump further, as Chirag United Kerala look to leapfrog them.
Mumbai FC expected line-up: Nidhinlal(GK), Dhanachandra, Amiri, Peter Siddiquii, Kima, Keegan, Faizal, Cavin Lobo, Ebi Sukore, Abhishek, G. Friday.

TheHardTackle’s Men To Watch Out For:
Jeje Lalpekhlua (Pune FC)
Gbeneme Friday (Mumbai FC)
TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Pune FC 3-1 Mumbai FC

AIR INDIA
V
DEMPO SC
Cooperage Ground, Mumbai
Kick off: 15:00 HRS, 18th Jan 2012
***​

The Pilots are currently parked into the eighth spot in the league with six wins, six defeats and 2 draws against their name. Santosh Kashyap’s side brought their free fall to a halt when they played out a goalless draw against Shillong Lajong FC at Balewadi in the last round. Air India now welcome the table toppers in a vital round fifteen clash at the same ground. The reverse fixture ended in an eye popping result as the Airmen got the better of the Goan side courtesy of a late Manandeep Singh brace at Nehru Stadium.
Last year, the same tie ended up with nothing less than a humiliation for the institutional side as Dempo pumped 14 goals past the Air India goalkeeper. Santosh Kashyap would hope that his side rise to the occasion and bounce back in the league, especially after showcasing good quality of football in their first leg of matches.
Air India expected-line-up: Pawan Kumar (GK), Tamba, Oken Singh, Omi, Prem Kumar, Napoleon, Thomte, Manandeep, Samson Singh, Henry Ezeh
Dempo Sports Club maintained their number one spot in the league after the Goan side held on to their single goal lead against Chirag United Kerala in their last league home match. Dempo’s recent tipsy curvy performance is attested by the fact that the Goans have lost four out of their last seven matches, and won all the rest. Surprisingly, Dempo is yet to draw a match in the league. Armando Colaco and his squad travel to Pune to take on Air India in this round’s fixture.
Dempo will be boosted by the new signing of Trinidad and Tobago’s Densil Theobald, as the sturdy midfielder is expected to make his presence felt in this game. Dempo would be hoping to clinch all three points here in this tie and take a revenge for their two nil loss at home in the reverse fixture. With all the other contenders keeping pace with the Goans, any slip up could prove costly. A win here could pressurize both Churchill Bros. and Mohun Bagan for results, as both the teams play on Thursday.
Dempo expected line-up: Subhashish(GK), Rowilson, Creson , Roy , Samir , Anthony , Clifford , Peter, Climax, Joy, Ranti

TheHardTackle’s Men To Watch Out For:
Manandeep Singh (Air India)
Clifford Miranda (Dempo SC)
TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Air India 1-2 Dempo SC​


SALGAOCAR SC
V
HAL BANGALORE
Fatorda Stadium, Goa
Kick off: 15:30 HRS, 18th Jan 2012
***​
Karim Bencharifa’s side slowly, but maturely, made their move up to the table. After a torrid start to this season’s league, the defending champions are now slotted in the seventh position. Salgaocar is now unbeaten in their last five matches, winning four out of them. The most recent triumph came against a gritty Mumbai FC side, but Ryuji Sueoka slotted the ball home just in time to clock all three points for his side. Salgaocar now welcome Bangalore’s HAL to Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. In form goans would hope for nothing less than all three points against hapless bangaloreans in bid to break into top four. Salgaocar currently has 22 points of 14 games, and are tied with Prayag United SC in the table.
Karim Bencharifa would be without the services of versatile Ishfaq Ahmed for this match, as he picked up his second yellow card against Mumbai FC in the previous match. Another victory here could see the goan side capture the fifth spot, if other results go their way as well. The reverse tie of this fixture in Bangalore Stadium finished in another Ryuji Sueoka inspired victory earlier in December.
Salgaocar expected line-up: Karanjit Singh (GK), Saha, Meitei, Khelemba, Rino Anto, Francis Fernandes , Rocus Lamare, Tomba Singh, A. Rodrigues, Ryuji, Chidi Edeh.
HAL has certainly started the second leg of matches with a strong intent. The institutional side, which had only garnered a single point in the whole of first leg matches, have garnered two points in their opening two matches after the break. Still sitting right at the bottom of the league, HAL travel to Goa to face the defending champions in the fifteenth round.
Thyagraj’s side travel with more of hope than expectation as any points from this fixture would raise some eyebrows. RC Prakash would be TheHardTackle’s man to watch out for in the green jersey. Despite of the table speaking a thousand words in itself, the side has shown much heart in the last two performances and Thyagraj would be hoping that his side continues with the good performance.
HAL expected line-up: Pramod (GK), Adeola , Kenneth, Goutam, Sudesh, Meiti, James, Biju Kumrar, R.C.Prakash, Vinod, Abdulla Hamza.

TheHardTackle’s Men To Watch Out For:
Chidi Edeh (Salgaocar SC)
Gautam Debnath (HAL SC)
TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Salgaocar 3-1 HAL SC
 

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Round 15 preview- I league

continued

PRAYAG UNITED
V
CHIRAG UNITED CLUB KERALA
Salt lake Stadium, Kolkata
Kick off: 15:00 HRS, 19th Jan 2012
***​
Having started the year on a high, Prayag United would not be a happy outfit after they were held by HAL Bangalore to a goalless draw over the weekend. On Wednesday, they take on yet another team from the bottom half hoping to earn some much needed points in order to stay in contention for the championship. Prayag have not lost a single game at home this season but they would certainly like to get more numbers under the Win column as five out of their eight home matches were drawn.
Yakubu has not scored for the hosts in 2012 and he must be hungry to get this name on the score sheet in the New Year. Skipper Lalkamal has marshalled his troops exceptionally well and expect him to do the same against Chirag United. Bello Razaq has been rigid at the back and he is bound to cause a lot of concern for the Kerela team.
Prayag United expected line up: Abhijit Mondal (GK), Chinta, Bello Rasaq, Arnab Mondal, Deepak, Denson, Francis, Subhash, Gouranga , Joshimar, Yakubu
Chirag United came up with a gutsy performance against leaders Dempo and despite the loss, Pakir Ali’s was pleased with his men. Their away form would be the biggest cause of concern as they have faced defeat in five of their eight away matches. Offensively, the team has been shoddy to say the least and would find it difficult to get past Prayag’s back four.
Chirag have played with a lot of confidence since the turn of the year as their forwards are looking much more comfortable with the ball at their feet. On present form, one can expect Chirag to give a stiff competition to Prayag but THT predicts Prayag United to walk out of the match with three points.
Chirag United expected line-up: Sharath (GK), Sherin, Isaac, Sajesh, Charles, Jamshid, Asif, Sukhwinder, Usman, Anil,Sunday.

TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch Out For:
Yakubu (Prayag United)
Sunday (Chirag United Club Kerela)

TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Prayag United 2-1 Chirag United Club Kerela


SPORTING CLUBE DE GOA
V
MOHUN BAGAN
Fatorda Stadium, Margao
Kick off: 15:30 HRS, 19th Jan 2012
***​
Sporting have picked up four points from the two matches that they have played in 2012, but both these matches were played against the bottom two teams. In Mohun Bagan, they face their first big challenge of the year. An 87th minute strike by Ogaba helped Sporting to snatch a victory against Pailan but it will be an altogether different ball game against the mighty Mohun Bagan.
James Moga will have his task cut out against the experienced backline of Bagan. A win over Arrows saw the Flaming Oranje leapfrog Shillong into the ninth position which should give they a lot of confidence walking into this match against the Mariners. Containing Odafa would be the biggest cause of concern for the home side and considering the form the Nigerian is in, it can turn out to be a futile attempt. A tough match indeed for the Goan team, and even if they manage to hold Bagan for a draw it will be considered nothing less than a victory for them.
SC Goa expected line-up: Gerrad’D Mello(GK), Dowson, Rojen, Prajot, Jovel, Kalu, Boboi, Anthony D’Souza, Moga, Joseph, Piexoto.
Mohun Bagan emerged victorious last time they played on this ground in a nail biting contest against Churchill on Sunday. Odafa proved once again why he is the most expensive player in the I-league as it was his hat trick which was the difference between Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers. Jewel Raja picked up a knock on Sunday that saw him getting substituted at half time but he is expected to be named in the starting eleven for their clash against the Flaming Oranje.
Barreto was introduced in the second half and created a number of chances but his finishing touch still looks a bit rusty which might force Prasanta Banerjee to start him on the bench. Despite Barreto’s absence, the Mariners contain enough class and fire power in their arsenal to get the better of Sporting in the midweek clash. Souvik Chakraborthy is suspended from the clash agyer he picked up his second booking against Chuchill Brothers. For a majority of first half Jewel Raja played the role of a lone striker while Odafa was responsible for creating all the chances, but against Sporting expect both these men to start along side each other. Bagan lost against Pune but they walk into this match on the back of a hard fought victory and will be favourites against Sporting Clube de Goa.
Mohun Bagan expected line-up: Sangram Mukherjee(GK), Surkumar, Rakesh, Anwar, Manish Mathani, Jewel, Snehasis, Nabi, Dhanarajan, Asim, Odafa.

TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch Out For:

James Moga (Sporting Clube de Goa)
Odafa (Mohun Bagan)


TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Sporting Clube de Goa 0-3 Mohun Bagan

link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i-league11-12-preview-predictions-rd-15-bagan-travel-to-goa-pune-and-mumbai-battle-out-a-derby/
 
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necromancer

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It's pretty clear that Indian football is set for a boom anyway. Foreign clubs are investing (If I'm not wrong, City will soon set up an academy at Lavasa - once the legal problems of the city are sorted out).. Bayern have been a significant first mover in repeatedly coming to the country..

So my conclusions might be far-fetched, but I definitely see a dent in cricket popularity coming up soon enough. Once the big 3 retire (and they are very close to it), we will struggle to win matches everywhere.. and there is only so much you can do marketing-wise without success to back it up.

Football is picking up in metros as well, in addition to the traditional Goa, Kerala, Bengal strongholds. Mumbai, Pune particularly have good clubs now and kids are more interested in playing football than cricket. Metro visibility means corporates will be more interested in sponsoring football.

The time is really ripe for a marketing blitz. And I would certainly bet that to happen over this decade. Nouveau riche clubs like City and PSG, along with Bayern would be leading it, with corporate partnerships as well.
 

necromancer

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De Laurentiis btw was talking recently about marketing Napoli in India - his advisors suggested that football could overtake cricket in popularity soon. That's certainly far-fetched and unlikely, but is also a trend indicator.
 

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also Merda have organised a contest in india in association with Tata and its winner will get to travel to San Siro and practice there
 

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necromancer

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also Merda have organised a contest in india in association with Tata and its winner will get to travel to San Siro and practice there

Daym! Wasnt aware of this. Good stuff by Inter.
 

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kick boxing hmmmm impressive!!!!!!!!! go to sleep man kick boxing .. sheeshhh
 

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Syed Rahim Nabi – India’s Player Perfect

THT Heroes: Syed Rahim Nabi – India’s Player Perfect

Amidst the 30,000 Indian fans, who had gathered to bid farewell to Baichung Bhutia in the match against Bayern Munich from Germany, Syed Rahim Nabi brought the first cheer on the faces on Indian fans, when he charged in to make a solid tackle on Arjen Robben and stole the ball from him. After the match when Baichung rightfully stole the limelight, Nabi left the field as the best Indian player with solid defending and occasional runs down the flank. Even in the recently concluded SAFF cup, Sunil Chettri had stolen the limelight from him. However, the year 2011 gave us enough instances to show that Nabi is the next star of Indian Football. TheHardTackle looks at the career of the silent hero of the Indian Football team.

Mr. Versatile Of Indian Team – The Beginning

A Tata Football Academy product, Nabi started his career as a striker. He then moved to midfield and the more recently as a left fullback. Nabi has represented India at various age group levels and made his senior debut back in 2004. He is perhaps one of the most versatile players the country has ever seen. The Mohun Bagan star has been fielded at different positions by different coaches and he has responded admirably – a rare quality among Indian players. In football, coaches come with different ideologies and strategies. Nonetheless, all the coaches of Team India have included one player unanimously – Syed Rahim Nabi. The Hoogly-born footballer has been an integral part of almost all the national team squad for quite sometime. With as many as 42 caps, Nabi won the Nehru Cup in 2007 and 2009 and the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.


2011 – When Nabi Shot to Fame
After having struggled to get a place under Bob Houghton, in the run-up to Asia Cup 2011, Nabi made it to the starting eleven after injuries to Mahesh Gawli and Sameer Naik. Nabi played all three matches in the Asia Cup on the left wing and came-up with inspired performances. He then played in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers, where several senior players were rested, and helped India to qualify by topping the group. Nabi proved how versatile he’s when he came to team’s rescue by moving to the left full-back position from left midfield, after Debabrata Roy was sent-off in India’s 3-0 defeat to UAE in July last year in the World Cup Qualifiers. In the reverse leg, Nabi started as a left full-back and played an inspired role in India’s 2-2 comeback. For the first time, fans saw Nabi’s importance as left-back, when he combined well with Clifford to torment UAE with his overlapping runs.
After the appointment of Savio Medira and Nabi became a more prominent player in the team and cemented his place as the left full-back in the squad. He scored India’s equalizer in the 88th minute in a friendly against Malaysia in Guwahati in November and then was rightfully handed the captain’s armband for the second friendly against Malaysia in Kolkata. The captain led by example and India won 3-2.
SAFF Cup was when Nabi rose as the most valuable player for the Bhangra Boys with his overlapping runs and solid defending. With Jeje and Chettri looking out of sorts, after their trial with Rangers, Nabi scored India’s first goal against Bhutan, which invigorated the team. His overlapping runs and combination with Clifford Miranda was one to watch out for. Nabi again proved to be India’s man Friday when he scored the opening goal in the 3-1 semi-final win over Maldives. Nabi was the only spark in an otherwise average performance by the team. Sunil Chettri may have won five Man of the Match awards and the Man of the Series award but Nabi was the one who deserved it the most and even Chettri recognized it after the tournament. Ahead of the SAFF final, Afghanistan coach Mohammed Yusuf Kargar had singled out Indian wing back Syed Rahim Nabi as the man to watch out for.
Kurgar said -
“Nabi is a great player for India. It is for his calibre that the Indian
defence has been tough to infiltrate in this tournament.”


Nabi’s goal scoring ability, along with solid defending, helped India win the SAFF Cup and in the final Nabi played with stitches on his head. This is what Nabi said after the SAFF Cup triumph -
“Everyone loves to be a striker and score, it makes headlines. But since I have learnt to play in various positions I am a sought-after player. I graduated from the Tata Football Academy (TFA) as a striker.”
Nabi’s hard defending and tireless marking of Robben brought out the best from the Dutchman, who was forced to raise his game to get past Nabi. Nabi was by far India’s best player on the field against Bayern and gave a good account of him against the German outfit and the Indian crowd cheered his tackles and his duels with Robben.

Club Career
Nabi joined the TFA in 2001 and after a year joined Mohammedan Sporting, where he played for two seasons scoring 11 goals for the side in 31 outings. His career took off when he joined East Bengal in 2004, where he scored 15 times for the Red-&-Gold outfit in 93 appearances and was an inspirational player. Nabi won the hearts of the Laal-Holud-faithful fans, when he scored a brace against Mohun Bagan in 2009 in the I-League and was adjudged the Man of the Match. Except the I-League Nabi won all the major trophies with East Bengal in his six-year stay at the club and helped them qualify for AFC Cup several times.

The versatile footballer broke the hearts of the East-Bengal fans, when he joined arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in 2011.For the Mariners, Nabi has dished out some impressive performances and has been one of the best Indian players in the I-League. Apart from his solid defending, he has chipped in vital goals for the club. At a young age of 27, Nabi has already played for the three giants of Kolkata – Mohammedan, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and has won the hearts of the fans across the football crazy city.
The Road Ahead
“Nabi-Da” as he popularly called by his teammates, is now a senior member of the team and must guide the youngsters along with Gourmangi and Chettri. His desire to work hard and his fitness are admirable and his presence will motivate the young guns to follow suit. Nabi will be an integral part of Savio Medeira’ s plans in the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup in March and the Nehru Cup in August. He can score, make assists and defend stoutly. At 27, Nabi has a lot of matches ahead of him and is indispensable to the Indian team. He may not be the most flamboyant members of the team but is certainly one of the most effective and dependable players in the country. Talented enough to be a part of any top Asian team, an offer from a foreign club will boost Nabi’s confidence and also improve his skill-set. Nabi completely deserved the AIFF Player of the Year award, which he narrowly lost out to Chettri, but hopefully this is the year he will be rightfully felicitated.
Savio’s Gems: Chettri (right) and Nabi (left)
TheHardTackle hopes Nabi continues with his splendid performances. 2011 was when he announced his arrival as the player to look forward to and the India fans will hope that 2012 is when he will set the stage on fire with his excellent all-round performances, both for country and club.
—–
Written by guest author Rahul Bhutani

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/tht-heroes-syed-rahim-nabi-india’s-player-perfect/
 

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Because of AIFF's negligence India missed out on a spot in AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE play-off.
 

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India to bid for the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup
 

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Oman v India Preview : First Real Test for Savio Medeira

OMAN
v
INDIA
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
23rd Februaury 2012, 3:00 PM IST


Indian coach Savio Medeira will look to test various combinations before the much coveted AFC Challenge Cup when India take on Oman in Muscat in the first of their two friendly matches. Under Savio India have gone undefeated in seven matches but this is the first time that India will be playing abroad. This match will also be Oman’s last warm-up game before the World cup qualifier against Thailand and with all three teams Oman, Thailand and Saudis in the fray to capture the coveted second place in the group, Oman is expected to take this match seriously as well.
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Team News and Tactical Brief:
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Oman (FIFA Rankings 95)

With the FIFA World cup qualifier against Thailand on 29th of this month on their mind, Oman will be expected to go full throttle against India. A FIFA ruling has forced the Oman Football Association to start the match at 13.30 local time which prompted the Oman FA to change the timings and location of the India friendly to match the timings of the World Cup qualifier. The Indian friendly was supposed to be played in Seeb earlier at 18.30 local time.
Oman is coached by former French international Paul Le Guen who has had coaching stints with clubs like Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and Glasgow Rangers and after he tested his reserves in the match against Wigan last week, he is expected to field a strong team against the Indians. The timings of the match have been changed on Guen ‘s advice as he wants his players to get used to playing in the heat. Oman’s star goal-keeper Ali al Habsi who plays for Wigan will miss the India friendly. This is what Oman FA’s CEO Hazzaa al Saadi said about the match:
“The kick-off time of the match will be 1.30 PM, which is the same as the kick-off time of the Oman-Thailand World Cup qualifier match at SQSC on February 29. Except for Ali al Habsi, who plays for Wigan Athletic in the UK, all the other professionals are expected to play against India”
Oman’s star striker Al Hosni who plays in Saudi Arabia will be back in action after missing the wigan game. Also expected to feature are midfielders Juma Darwish and Younis Mubarak, as well as forward Hassan Rabeea. All three of them impressed the Wigan manager Roberto Martinez last week. What will worry Indians is that Oman defeated Australia in the last match played at this very stadium in the World cup Qualifiers.
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India (FIFA Rankings 154)
A young look Indian side has been selected for the AFC Challenge cup with a host of talented youngsters replacing the likes of Climax Lawrence, Mahesh Gawli and Steven Dias among others. The team has had a few training sessions at ‘The Sevens’ stadium in Dubai. The couple of friendlies will provided Savio a good opportunity to test his lads and will provide the young turks an invaluable experience of playing abroad.
Karanjit Singh is expected to start in the goal. The Salgaocar goal-keeper has been in terrific form over the last year or so and Savio is expected to keep the faith in him. The defense will see Mr. Versatile Rahim Nabi on the left and with Nirmal Chettri injured, Savio will start with either seasoned Sameer Naik or the youngster Gurjinder Singh on the right flank. Savio will look to stick to the winning formula of the SAFF cup where Nabi and Nirmal tore the opponents with their overlapping runs. The center-defense needs to be sorted out with Gawli now retired. Gourmangi and the comeback man Raju Gaikwad, returning after an injury, are expected to start with Arnab Mondal of Paryag sure to get a look in as well. With Anwar Ali in the mix it is going to be a pleasant headache for Savio.
Midfield is where Savio will try out his cards with as many as 12 midfielders named in the probable squad. Clifford Miranda will retain his place on the left flank after impressive performances in the SAFF cup with Lalrindika Ralte a doubtful starter having still not fully recovered from the injury. Jewel Raja and Rocus Lamare are expected to dictate play from the centre of the park with Rocus Lamare as a holding midfielder and Jewel in a more attacking role as a play-maker. Reisangmi Vashum of East Bengal is expected to start on the right flank where he had an impressive game against Bayern. Adil Khan, touted as one of the best talents in the country has started training after missing the initial part of the training camp due to an injury. Savio will give some of his youngsters which include the likes of Lester Fernandes, Francis Fernandes and Lenny Rodrigues a look in this match and the following match against Azerbaijan.
A lot needs to be settled in the final-third of the pitch for the Indians with Jeje out for a couple of months due to injury. Reports from the Dubai camp suggest that Sunil Chhetri has still not fully recovered from the foot injury that kept him out of the game against Bayern and is not expected to start against Oman, though he may make a late appearance. Sushil Kumar has established himself as number three in the pecking order behind Jeje and Chhetri and will start the match alongside either Manandeep or Sabeeth.
This is what Savio had to say before the match
“We all know that Oman’s football standards are much better than India.This time we have more youngsters in the side and we want to see how well they adapt to the pressure of these big teams like Oman which will be a good preparation for them in years to come.We have a fine blend of seniors and new players. So this mixture is really working for us and the youngsters are learning a lot from their senior players and in the long run I am sure we will be at our best.”

Expected Starting Lineup : Karanjit Singh (GK); Sameer Naik, Gouramangi Singh, Raju Gaikwad, Nabi; Vashum, Lamare, Jewel, Clifford; Sushil, Manandeep

I

TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch Out For:

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Syed Rahim Nabi (India): Nabi will be once again India’s man to watch out for with his overlapping runs and stout defending. Arguably the most experienced player in the squad after the retirement of Climax and Gawli, he will have to lead by example for India to do well and he will don the captain’s armband in all probabilities with Chettri injured. An epitome of versatility and reliability Syed Rahim Nabi is a player India counts upon.


Al Hosni (Oman): The striker who played for Belgian club Charleroi for a couple of seasons now plays for the leading Saudi club Al-Ahli. He lead the club to the podium finish in the Saudi Champions Cup, 2011 and has a prolific strike-rate in national colors scoring 38 times in 73 appearances.The Indian defense will have to keep an eye on him if India are to do well

TheHardTackle’s Blast from the Past

Oman have never lost to India in the four encounters, winning two of those – including a 5-1 hammering of the Blue Tigers in Kochi in the FIFA WC 2006 qualifiers. India however held Oman to a draw in Muscat in the reverse leg. Syed Rahim Nabi remains the only player from the current team to have played in that match where he played as a winger.
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TheHardTackle’s Prediction
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India 1-2 Oman
The Hard Tackle expects the Indian team to put up a brave fight against the Oman team. Oman will find it tough to go past a stubborn Indian defense but because of the absence of Jeje and doubts over the availability of Chettri, India will find it tough to find the back of the net more than once.
It will be a great experience for the young Indian team to play against the big boys of Asia and the result of this match will not count if we can go and perform big in the AFC Challenge in March. TheHardTackle wishes all the best to the team.

link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/oman-v-india-preview-first-real-test-for-savio-medeira/
 

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Indian Football : BREAKING NEWS (23rd February, 2012) :

Indian Football : BREAKING NEWS (23rd February, 2012) : Liverpool Legend Drops Out Of PLS

Robbie Fowler seems to have backed out of Premier League Soccer as he tweeted this on Wednesday – “Ah well.. India looks like it’s cancelled, boots are clean and looking for a new place to play. #professionalnotamateur”.
AIFF will be conducting selection trials for the inaugural U-22 Asian Cup 2013, the qualifiers kick-off on June 23, 2012. The trials which would kick-off on March 3, and end on March 8 would be held at Pailan World School in Kolkata.
GOALKEEPERS: Jagroop Singh (Prayag United SC); Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Jayanta Paul (both Kingfisher East Bengal); Ishan Debnath (Mumbai FC); Ravi Kumar, Sayan Roy (both Pailan Arrows), Soram Poirei Angamba (Shillong Lajong FC).
DEFENDERS: Collin Abranches (Air India), Abhishek Das, Saikat Saha Roy (both Kingfisher East Bengal), Joy Mrong Kharraswai, Ronaldo Zothanzama (both Shillong Lajong); Sourav Chakraborty (McDowells Mohun Bagan); Akashdeep Singh, Bikramjit Singh, Arijeet Singh, Sonu Beniwal, Vishal Kumar, Souvik Ghosh, Deepak Devrani, Prathmesh Maulingkar, Pritam Kotal, Irfan Khan, Chingkhei Yumnam, Jayabrata Dhar, Ravinder Singh, Lalrozama Fanai (all Pailan Arrows); Rollingson Hungyo (Pune FC), Joyner Monte Lourenco (Sporting Clube de Goa), Manpreet, Narayan Das (both TATA Football Academy).
MIDFIELDERS: Usman Ashik (Chirag United Kerala); Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers SC); Brian Mascarenhas, Romeo Fernandes (both Dempo SC); KSH Malemngangba Meiti, Deepak Prakash (both Hindustan Aeronautics Limited); Souvik Chakraborthy, Manish Bhargav (both McDowells Mohun Bagan); Bikramjit Singh (Sr), Ongnam Milan Singh, Sehnaj Singh, Prabir Das, Tirthankar Sarkar, Shankar S, Yaikhom Randhan Meetei, Simranjeet Singh, Siam Hangal, Pronoy Haldar (all Pailan Arrows); Ganeshan (Pune FC), Senhasis Datta (Prayag United SC), Clifton Dias (Salgaocar SC), Borges Rowllin, Niroshan Mani, Stephene Barreto (all Sporting Clube de Goa); Jonychand Singh (SESA); Shahir S (Chirag United Kerala);
FORWARDS: Manandeep Singh (Air India); Vinod Kumar (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited); Bijendra Rai, Malswamfela, Holicharan Narzary, Alwin George, Pankaj Sona, Rajinder Kumar, Sumit Passi (all Pailan Arrows); Jeje Lalpekhlua (Pune FC); Pritam Singh (Sporting Clube de Goa).
The start of IFA Shield can be further delayed after Rob Bann’s announcement of trials for U22 squad. The clubs which are already without players for India senior camp will further lose players to U22 camp and may decline to play in the Shield.
Sikkim will be hosting a knock-out tournament between March 2nd and 9th comprising of teams from eight North Eastern states. The tournament will be named after Mohun Bagan legend Dr T Ao, who was the first captain of Indian Olympic football team. The winner will be a cash amount of Rs. 7 lakhs.
World media has began reporting about the postponement of PLS. The Guardian has published an article on the same.
Salgaocar thrashed Baina SC 8-0 to top the Mormugao Zone of U14 GFA League. Dylan Lourenco and Liston Colaco scored three goals each in the match.

link-:http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i...ruary-2012-liverpool-legend-drops-out-of-pls/
 

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Nabi is not starting... Savio has lost it!! :S
 

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2 mins 2 goals game over...
5': Oman 2-0 India
 

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Azerbaijan 3-0 India: Medeira’s Men Produce Another Defensive Nightmare

Mr review of India's performance against Azerbaijan
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan

Azerbaijan 3-0 India: Medeira’s Men Produce Another Defensive Nightmare

India suffered their second defeat in the space of five days as they went down by three goals to Azerbaijan. Savio Medeira made quite a few changes in the Indian team from the one that took the pitch against Oman with only four players retained for the tie against Berti Vogts’s European side.
In a wonderful gesture, the Indian national team wore black arm bands to show their respect to Sailendra Nath Manna – the former captain of India who passed away earlier in the morning.
First Half
Gourmangi Singh wore the captain’s armband for the first time as Samir Naik was rested by Savio but this decision of the Indian manager backfired as the Indian back line did not seem to have learnt their lesson from their game against Oman, as they went on to concede a goal against Azerbaijan in the third minute itself due to shambolic goalkeeping by Subhasish Roy Chowdhury. A shoddy clearance from the Dempo SC goalie gifted the possession to the opposition and Vugor Nadirov wasted no time in slotting in the first goal of the match leaving the Indian team shell shocked.
The Blue Tigers failed to recover from yet another early blow as their European opponents completely dominated proceedings for the rest of the first half. The Indian side was thoroughly outclassed in the middle of the park and Azerbaijan, playing in an all white kit, kept on bombarding their goal with crosses from either of the flanks. However, the Europeans were unable to put the finishing touches on their crosses.
The persistence of Azerbaijan finally paid off in the dying moments of the first half as they earned a penalty when Mahir Shukurov was brought down inside the box by Indian defender Raju Gaikwad. Mahir coolly converted from the spot to give Azerbaijan a two-goal advantage into the break. Meanwhile, Indian forwards looked clueless with the ball at their feet as Azerbaijan’s keeper – Achayev Kamran was merely reduced to play the role of a spectator.

Second Half
The second half was an altogether different story for the men in blue as they looked a lot more assertive in their game play. India came really close to score their opener but Joaquim Abranches’s header was barely but successfully kept at bay by Kamran. Adil Khan and Jewel Raja went on to trouble the Azeri midfield but the later managed to hold onto their two-goal lead. The Europeans continued on with their attacks, but the half time team talk seemed to have revived the defensive play of the Indians as they looked far more confident in dealing with opposition attacks.
As the game progressed, the momentum of the game came down considerably with the players tiring out. Sushil Kumar again failed to make an impact ahead of the field and one must think that his days are numbered in the national colors unless his performances improve drastically.
All the Indian hopes of making a comeback into the match were dashed eight minutes from time when an unmarked Nizami Hasiyev netted Azerbaijan’s third goal from an inch perfect cross which came in from the right flank.
The match eventually ended 3-0 in favour of Azerbaijan as the Indians ended their dismal Dubai training camp by conceding eight goals in just two matches. Savio has a lot on his plate at the moment and needs to do a lot of thinking especially in the defensive department ahead of their AFC Challenge Cup campaign.
The team will fly back to New Delhi on 3rd of March for their final training camp before boarding the flight to Kathmandu the very next day, where they are scheduled to participate in the AFC Challenge Cup beginning on the 9th of March.
AFC Challenge Cup was India’s route to the Asian Cup last time out, but a repeat of that feat looks a bleak possibility this time around.

link- http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/a...iras-men-produce-another-defensive-nightmare/
 

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yes yes i know, you would comment :)

2 really prominent players of ours have hung up their boots recently.. and backline was juvenile to say the least.. still i mean a full strength indian side is <<<<< a full strength Oman.. despite that it is still a shameful performance

2 goals in the first five minutes and 2 goals in the last 5 minutes ... we lost the plot then and there itself..

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