Football: India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
India's international ranking
1947-2017
The Indian team has been ranked among the world's top 100 six times (May 05 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)
1996, February
Fifa ranking: 94 (India's best achieved ever)
2015
Fifa ranking: 101
2015: Asian Football Confederation rankings
The Times of India, Sep 14 2015
AFC'S MARKING SYSTEM - India 22nd in technical ranking
A new technical ranking system of the Asian Football Confederation has placed India in 22nd spot among the continent's 46-member countries, the highest among South Asian nations. The technical ranking system released by the AFC recently takes into account the performance of the national team and clubs (at AFC competitions) of a particular country in the last four years and points are given accordingly. India has 18.636 points (11.951 for performance by national team + 9.318 for per formance by clubs) in the latest technical rankings. India lies 27th among AFC countries in the latest FIFA rankings (155th in the world). South Korea leads the technical rank ings chart with 88.354 points (63.326+25.028), followed by Saudi Arabia (84.666), Iran (79.435), Japan (71.191), UAE (68.261), Australia (65.395), China (61.229), Qatar (56.280), Uzbekistan (52.334) and Kuwait (43.635) in top 10.
2017
Fifa ranking: 100 (No. 100 spot shared with Nicaragua, Lithuania and Estonia)
World’s No. 101, Asia’s 11th
India rise to 101, ranked 11th in Asia, April 7, 2017: The Times of India
Indian football upswing is reflecting in the FIFA rankings with the senior national team achieving a ranking of 101, its best ever in over two decades. The ranking of 101elevated India to 11th ranked team in Asia, thus, inching closer towards realizing larger dreams.
The Stepehen Constantine-guided national team, in the last two years, has had 11 victories in 13 matches (including an unofficial match against Bhutan) scoring a total of 31 goals. National coach Constantine said: “It has been a difficult road. Bringing in new blood and creating competition for places in the team has been a process, and I'm pleased we are moving in the right direction.“ captain Sunil Chhetri said, “This change in ranking also pushes us up on the Asian circuit and working our way up further will give us favorable draws in continental competitions. Our biggest task now is to make it out of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
FIFA rankings, India amongst top 100
First time in two decades! India break into top 100, May 5, 2017: The Times of India
When Stephen Constantine took charge of the national team for the second time two years ago, one of his primary objectives was to help India break into the top 100 of Fifa rankings.
The widely-travelled British coach's wish was fulfilled as India jumped one place to be ranked No. 100 in the latest Fifa rankings released on Thursday . This is the first time in 21 years, and only the sixth occasion after Independence, that the Indian team has been ranked among the world's top 100.
Constantine's side shares the No. 100 spot with Nicaragua, Lithuania and Estonia. India's best Fifa ranking is 94, achieved in February 1996.
“As long as we keep heading up the ladder, I am happy . It means that we are heading in the right direction. There are major matches ahead and we cannot take things lightly. There's no place for complacency ,“ Constantine said in an All India Football Federation statement.
According to former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, a progress in rankings reflects a “perception“ about a country's standard. “No doubt the national team has been doing well in recent times and it has been reflected in the latest Fifa rankings. Rankings are determined not just by a team's performance, but by many other factors. However, what it does is create a positive perception about a country's football,“ he said.
The best Indian teams
Form as in 2017
The Times of India, Jan 07 2017
A 10-TEAM AFFAIR
BENGALURU FC Best performance:
I-League champions (2014, 2016); Coach: Albert Roca; Skipper: Sunil Chhetri; Ground: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
MOHUN BAGAN Best performance:
National Football League champions (1998, 2000, 2002); I-League champions (2015); Coach: Sanjoy Sen; Skipper: Katsumi Yusa; Ground: Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Kolkata
EAST BENGAL Best performance:
National Football League champions (2001, 2003, 2004); Coach: Trevor Morgan; Skipper: Mehtab Hossain; Ground: Barasat Stadium, Kolkata
MUMBAI FC Best performance:
Fifth (2016); Coach: Santosh Kashyap; Skipper: Steven Dias; Ground: Cooperage Stadium, Mumbai
SHILLONG LAJONG FC Best performance:
Sixth (2014, 2016) Coach: Thangboi Singto; Skipper: Chinglensana Singh; Ground: Nehru Stadium, Shillong
AIZAWL FC Best performance:
Eighth (2016); Coach: Khalid Jamil; Skipper: Rohmingthanga; Ground: Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl
DSK SHIVAJIANS Best performance:
Ninth (2016); Coach: Dave Rogers; Skipper: Subrata Paul; Ground: Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune
CHURCHILL BROTHERS Best performance:
I-League champions (2009, 2013); Coach: Joseph Afusi; Skipper: Keenan Almeida; Ground: Fatorda Stadium, Goa
MINERVA PUNJAB FC (DEBUTANTS) Best performance:
Debutants (2017); Coach: Surinder Singh; Skipper: Manandeep Singh; Ground: Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana
CHENNAI CITY FC Best performance:
Debutants (2017); Coach: Robin Charles Raja; Skipper: Dharmaraj Ravanan; Ground: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
MAKING THEIR DEBUT....
Minerva Punjab FC bring top-flight football back to Ludhiana and north India following JCT's pullout after the 2010-11 season. Down south, Chennai City FC are the second club from Tamil Nadu to play in the national league after Indian Bank during 2006-16
International matches won by India
Away
June 2005
In India’s first ever football series with Pakistan, India won on 16 June in Peshawar after a 1-0 win put the team a game ahead. India won the three-match series on goal-average.
March 2017
Mar 23 2017, The Times of India
The Indian football team broke the jinx of not having won an away international friendly since June 2005 when they beat Cambodia 3-2 at the Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium. Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Sandesh Jhingan scored the goals.
The victory did come as a welcome relief for India who were playing their first match after mauling Puerto Rico in September 2016.
Second division I-League
2017: Neroca FC wins title
Manipur club wins 2nd div I-League title, May 23, 2017: The Times of India
Manipur's Neroca FC won the second division I-League beating Lonestar Kashmir FC 4-1to become the first team from any northeastern state to achieve the feat. The victory in Kashmir lifted Neroca to 23 points from 9 matches, 7 points clear of Kolkata's Southern Samity .
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das lavished praise on the champions saying: “After Aizawl FC's success we have another team from the North East who are keeping the flag flying high. I am sure their achievement will encourage more to take up the sport and spur off another social revolution, this time in Manipur.“
Following their sole loss in the zonal round to Mohammedan Sporting in Jan 2017, Neroca FC went on to continue an enviable unbeaten run of 12 matches including win against Lonestar Kashmir FC. In the final round, the Gift Raikhan-coached side conceded only three goals in eight matches while netting not less than fifteen.
2017: ISL gets AFC berth, I-League on brink
Marcus Mergulhao, ISL gets AFC berth, I-League on brink, June 11, 2017: The Times of India
Bengaluru, Possibly Tatas, To Sign Up; AIFF Moots Super Cup Format
The Indian Super League (ISL) has successfully managed to wean away Bengaluru FC from the I-League, reducing India's premier football competition to a secondary event much before anyone had predicted. Bengaluru FC will be among the two new ISL teams the other likely to be Tatas -which will be announced in the next 48 hours.
The Federation Cup champions have made it clear that they want to be part of a league that guarantees them a place in continental competitions AFC Cup and with AIFF now deciding to play both leagues simultaneously for six months, one AFC Cup slot will be handed over to the ISL champions.
“We have submitted our bid which means we want to play in the ISL. Our biggest concern has also been taken care of,“ said Bengaluru FC chief technical officer Mandar Tamhane, referring to the AFC Cup slot they had been seeking. Meanwhile, in Delhi, the meeting between I-League clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) remained inconclusive as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal sought more time to decide. Both clubs are expected to revert to the AIFF on Tuesday.
The AIFF, however, proposed a Super Cup to be played immediately after the conclusion of the two leagues with the winner qualifying for the AFC Champions League play-off and runner-up earning an AFC Cup slot. The Super Cup will be a contest between the four top teams each from both leagues.
Despite their recent assurances re garding the I-League, the AIFF had always made it clear that they wanted to make ISL, now into its fourth season, the top tier league and reduce national league to the second tier, or League One as it would be called. The plan understandably met with some early resistance; Goan clubs Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa pulled out in protest. The move, which has the blessings of Asian Football Confederation (AFC), is significant. It means the ISL is now no longer a glorified tournament, or a league only in name. Despite what the AIFF has to say , the ISL will be India's top-tier league, sooner rather than later. So where does that leave the I-League, or the likes of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal?
Even now, AFC simply laid out four routes for AIFF to follow, two of which, including one of maintaining status quo, were ruled out. The AIFF conveniently blamed shortage of time to run both leagues one after another like the last three years but as another club official pointed out, the AIFF were never in favour of that arrangement.
Goa
2017: the decline continues
Three years ago, Milagres Gonsalves was a hero. His winner for Kerala against his home state Goa in the Indian Super League saw him drawing praise from even Sachin Tendulkar. But three years down the line, Milagres has moved to England, not to play football but work for a courier company .
“There is nothing left for footballers in Goa anymore. The salaries on offer are meagre and nothing like what it used to be in the past,“ Milagres told TOI over phone.
Milagres isn't the only one to move abroad after hanging up his boots. Many promising footbal lers from the state have discarded their jerseys for a workman's clothes, some even trying their hand at local panchayat elections held here last month in the hope of pursuing an alternative profession.And those who have decided to fight it out, may be forced to look elsewhere if they don't get picked up at the ISL's domestic player draft in Mumbai on Sunday .
The tiniest state of the country, which was equally well known for its football as it was for its sun and sand, today hardly boasts of any of its legendary talent. From the six clubs that Goa had in the ILeague, India's premier football tournament, there is just one club representing the state at the national level. And with the decline of football--the state sport--the demand for players has come down too. From the heydays of Goan football when Clifford Miranda, Climax Lawrence, Samir Naik and Mahesh Gawli took home close to Rs 1 crore every year, to day most players have to settle for Rs 6 lakh.
Not too long ago, football was the most thriving industry in the state, rivalled only by mining and tourism. In 2012, the year Dempo SC became I-League champions for a record fifth time, the club spent approximately Rs 12 crore on player salaries alone, while rival clubs like Salgaocar FC, Churchill Brothers SC and Sporting Clube de Goa were not too far behind.
Outstation players had club coaches' numbers on speed dial and agents pestered club officials with CVs of top players from across the globe. Everyone wanted to come to Goa to make a living out of football and Goans themselves were reaping the benefits.
“You have to hold the AIFF responsible for all this. Had three top Goan clubs not opted out (last year) because of faulty AIFF policies, Goan footballers would have not faced any problems,“ said Goa Football Association president Elvis Gomes.
“We have decided to strengthen the Goa Pro League this season. Hopefully , the addition of a new team in the league will provide opportunities to several more footballers and a longer league would mean they will all have annual contracts. The money may not be as good as in the past, but I am sure they will all be able to earn decently ,“ said Gomes.
But Milagres isn't impressed.“I was in Goa last month and inquired with the clubs if there was an opening. The clubs need players but they are offering a pittance,“ he said, hoping the golden days of Goan football won't remain just in history books.
