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27Goa: FC Goa midfielder Phrangki Buam has joined Kolkata outfit Mohammedan Sporting on loan for the 2021-22 season.

The youngster, who arrived on Goan shores last season after sealing a permanent move from Shillong Lajong, is set to link up with the Black Panthers for their campaigns in the upcoming season.

Buam will be aiming to help Andrey Chernyshov’s side chase glory in the Durand Cup and the Calcutta Football League before striding on to the upcoming I-League season.

The boy from Meghalaya will look to get back to his best in the I-League, a tournament where he first shot to prominence during the 2018/19 campaign – where he finished as the second-highest Indian goalscorer thanks to his 6 strikes in 20 matches.

The 20-year-old made only one appearance for the Gaurs last season, coming on as a substitute for FC Goa in their last AFC Champions League game against Al Wahda.

Speaking on the move, FC Goa Head Coach Juan Ferrando stated, “Phrangki is a very professional boy. It has been a pleasure for me and the coaching staff to work with him. He is supremely talented and with the move, I hope he gets to play a lot of minutes and come back to FC Goa soon with a wealth of experience under his belt because for him, I believe the best is yet to come. All the best Phrangki.”

(FC Goa Media)

New Delhi: A day after Indian Men’s Senior National Team beat Hero I-League team Mohammedan Sporting 2-0 in an exhibition match at the VYBK on Sunday (August 26) evening, Head Coach Igor Stimac maintained that “we need to be careful as we head to the next two matches.”

He also named the list of 25 players who will be travelling to Nepal to play the back-to-back International Friendlies on September 2 and 5, respectively.

“We can’t expect much after 10 days of preparation. The legs are still heavy from the load, and we need to slow down, and refresh the players,” Stimac told www.the-aiff.com.

“I am happy with the manner our players performed. They should have scored a few goals much earlier. But it was not easy under the heavy downpour, and a heavy pitch,” Stimac explained. It rained all throughout the match, and the downpour was heavy from midway in the second half.

“The conditions were challenging,” Stimac added. “The boys are all ready for 45 minutes, and we need to be careful going into the next two games against Nepal. We understand that the ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC players will be in better shape than others for two matches against Nepal.”

While the ATK Mohun Bagan players join the camp in Kolkata today, the BFC players will join the rest of the squad in New Delhi on 29th evening. The Blue Tigers leave for Nepal the next day, i.e., August 30.

The National Team probables have been training in Kolkata since August 15. That had marked the return of the National Team camp in Kolkata after 15 years with the Blue Tigers last having camped in Kolkata way back in 2006 prior to the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

25-man India Squad:

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Mandar Rao Dessai, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Seriton Fernandes.

Midfielders: Lalengmawia, Bipin Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Yasir Mohammad, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Pronay Halder.

Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary.

(AIFF Media)

New Delhi: A day after Indian Men’s Senior National Team beat Hero I-League team Mohammedan Sporting in an exhibition match in the VYBK on Sunday (August 26) evening, Head Coach Igor Stimac maintained that “we need to be careful as we head to the next two matches.”

“We can’t expect much after 10 days of preparation. The legs are still heavy from the load, and we need to slow down, and refresh the players,” Stimac told www.the-aiff.com.

The Indian squad rode on a goal each from Farukh Choudhury and Ishan Pandita to win 2-0.

“I am happy with the manner our players performed. They should have scored a few goals much earlier. But it was not easy under the heavy downpour, and a heavy pitch,” Stimac explained.

It rained all throughout the match, and the downpour was heavy from midway in the second half.

“The conditions were challenging. The boys are all ready for 45 minutes, and we need to be careful going into the next two games against Nepal. We understand that the ATK Mohun Bagan and BFC players will be in better shape than others for two matches against Nepal.”

While the ATK Mohun Bagan players join the camp in Kolkata today, the BFC players will join the rest of the squad in New Delhi on 29th evening.

The Blue Tigers leave for Nepal the next day, i.e., August 30. The first International Friendly is slated for April 2, while the second one is on April 5.

A contingent of 23 players have been camping in Kolkata from August 15 onwards. The Blue Tigers had earlier played another exhibition match against a combined IFA XI which they had won by a solitary goal scored by Akash Mishra.

(AIFF Media)

Mumbai: Mumbai City FC announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Cássio Gabriel on a season-long loan from Campeonato Brasileirao Serie B club Vila Nova.

Fondly known as ‘Cássinho’, the 29-year old started his youth career at Fluminense’s under 20s side and went on to play for a number of Brazilian clubs such as Paysandu SC, Bento Goncalves, Guarani, Anapolis, ASEEV-GO, Penapolense, Piracicaba, Sao Bento, Botafogo and Mirassol before joining Vila Nova in June 2020. Cássio, who can play on either wings or through the middle as an attacking mid, made 12 appearances for Vila Nova and has one assist to his name.

During his stint with Fluminense’s youth side, the Patrocinio-born midfielder was also loaned to the Croatian club Hajduk Split in 2013, the only club Cássio played for outside of his native Brazil.

Cássio Gabriel said: Mumbai City have a great profile back home in Brazil. There are a number of Brazilians who have played at Mumbai City and I’ve only heard positive things about the Club. Mumbai City are the defending champions and their ambition is what convinced me that this is where I want to be. The Club wants to win titles, they want to be the best, not only in India but at a continental level, and I am really excited to be part of a Club of this mentality.

The ISL is one of the fastest-growing leagues in the world, and the quality of football being played here is really great. I know we have a massive season ahead of us, defending the ISL title as well as the AFC Champions League campaign. It will be a new challenge for me, but I am fully prepared for it, and I cannot wait to start this exciting journey with my new family.

Head Coach, Sergio Lobera said: Cássio comes from an excellent football pedigree and brings a lot of valuable experience along with his skillset on the pitch. I believe he can be a vital member of the Mumbai City family and certainly contribute positively to the team’s performance. We are pleased to have a great talent like Cássio on our side.

(Mumbai City FC Media)

 

Goa: FC Goa confirmed that they have completed the signing of young winger Nongdomba Naorem on a free transfer.

The 21-year-old has put pen to paper on a long-term contract after passing medical and agreeing personal terms.

Immediately after inking the deal, Naorem told fcgoa.in: “Today is a big day. I am very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in India. It’s a club that I feel is the best fit for me and is one that I have admired for a long time.

“I am now looking forward to understanding what the coach demands from me and script a new chapter in my life.”

FC Goa’s Director of Football Ravi Puskur was also delighted at having completed formalities. He said, “We’re delighted to secure the services of Nongdamba.  He’s a highly technical player and has the directness needed in one on one situations for a player in his position. He caught our eye with his performances for Mohun Bagan in the I-League in the 19/20 season and was unlucky to have his season curtailed by injury last year. We feel that he can develop into a player who fits very well into our system and can become a differential player with a real emphasis on providing the end product.”

Nongdomba moves to Goa after two seasons with Kerala Blasters – the first of which he spent out on loan with Mohun Bagan, helping them to the I-League title in 2020 alongside fellow Gaur Alexander Romario Jesuraj. That season saw him bag 2 goals and 5 assists in 16 games for the Mariners.

Last season saw him play 3 games in the ISL in the colours of Kerala before an unfortunate injury brought down the curtains to his campaign earlier than expected.

Hailing from Wabagai in Manipur, Nongdomba came through the ranks at the Minerva Punjab Academy. He shot to fame first with some eye-catching performances for the Indian national U17 team in the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017.

He has since then gone on to play for the Indian Arrows in the I-League before making the switch to Kerala. His sole campaign in that competition will be remembered for a breathtaking solo goal – which saw the nimble-footed winger cut in from the left before dribbling and willing past 5 Shillong Lajong defenders before slotting the ball past the keeper.

(FC Goa Media)

Male, Maldives: Bengaluru FC’s frontmen had a field day at the National Stadium in Male, as Marco Pezzaiuoli’s side ended their AFC Cup campaign with a 6-2 win over Maziya S&RC, on Tuesday. Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva and Leon Augustine scored first half goals, before strikes from substitutes Sivasakthi Narayanan and Bidyashagar Singh’s brace kept the Blues’ lead intact after Hamza Mohamed and Asadhulla Abdulla had pulled two back for the hosts.

Earlier, Pezzaiuoli made five changes to the team that was held to a goalless draw by Bashundhara Kings, handing starts to Sarthak Golui, Pratik Chaudhari, Rohit Kumar, Udanta and Leon, while goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu captained the side in the absence of Sunil Chhetri. On the other bench, Risto Vidaković made three changes to the Maziya team that lost to ATK Mohun Bagan.

The Blues started the game on the front foot and broke the deadlock just six minutes from kick-off when Sarthak and Leon combined down the right flank. The eventual cross from the Bengaluru right-back found Udanta arriving in the box, and the winger made no mistake in burying his header to put Bengaluru 1-0 up.

Only moments later, Pezzaiuoli’s men were knocking on the Maziya door again, through Udanta and then Leon. Rane’s attempted cross for Udanta was a yard ahead of him before Udanta’s cross found Leon, but the latter skewed his shot wide.

The Blues scored their second goal in fortuitous circumstances when Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva poked the ball home in the 19th minute. Attempting to collect a long punt, Maziya ’keeper Shareef misjudged the flight of the ball and Silva chased the ball down and scored from close range, past the reach of Shareef. Silva would put the ball in the back of the net once again on the half hour mark, only for the assistant to raise his flag for offside.

Maziya were forced into a change when Shareef was stretchered off and substitute custodian Mamatkhonov Mirzokhid was called into action. Mirzokhid’s first involvement saw him pick the ball from the back of the net, when Leon managed to beat the offside trap and slot home through  the Uzbek ’keeper’s legs to make it 3-0.

Leon came close to scoring his second of the game on the other side of the break, but Mirzokhid was well positioned to save his effort. Jesus Blanco was alert to make two crucial blocks right after, from Jayesh and Suresh, to deny the Blues a fourth.

Pezzaiuoli rang in the first of his five changes when Danish Farooq replaced Rohit Kumar, and made further substitutions later, sending on Ajay Chhetri, Bidyashagar Singh and Sivasakthi Narayanan. Maziya pulled one back in the 67th minute through Hamza, who beat the offside trap and slotted home past Pratik’s attempted tackle and Gurpreet’s stretch to make it 3-1. However, the Blues responded just three minutes later, as Sivasakthi latched onto a cross from Udanta with a neat touch and finish, for his first goal in Bengaluru colours.

Maziya reduced the deficit once again in the 80th minute, against the run of play, when Abdulla latched onto a pass from Mohamed and slotted home from close range. Udanta had a late chance to add to his exploits, but having controlled well and cut in on his left, his finish was found wanting. Keen to get in on the act, substitute Bidyashagar scored twice in seven minutes, both times from close range, to put the game beyond the reach of Vidakovic’s men.

The result confirmed a third place finish for Bengaluru, who ended their Group D campaign with four points from three games. The Blues are in action next at the 130th edition of the Durand Cup, having confirmed their participation in the tournament that’s set to take place in Kolkata, in September.

(Bengaluru FC Media)235

Male, Maldives: Bengaluru FC will look to end their AFC Cup campaign on a good note when they take on Maldivian side Maziya S&RC at the National Stadium, in Male, on Tuesday. Although both sides are out of the running for the knockout stages of the competition, there’s much to play for with a win potentially lifting the Blues to second place on the group, while defeat will mean a bottom-placed finish.

“It’s true that Maziya have played two games and lost both, but we need to respect them as a team. We need to focus on our style and do our best against them. From the game against Tribhuvan Army FC in April to the one against Bashundhara Kings on Saturday, we have made several steps forward. Ours is a young team and we are looking to progress with each game we play,” Pezzaiuoli said.

The Blues fell 2-0 to ATK Mohun Bagan in their opening group stage clash before a goalless draw against Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings on Saturday. Despite the stalemate confirming their elimination from the tournament, Pezzaiuoli maintained that his side were eager to finish on a high.

“In football it’s not always about winning. Yes, we wanted to do well in the AFC Cup but it wasn’t to be. It was tough to accept, but we trained this morning and I saw good team spirit and mentality from my players. We are eager to do well and finish on a good note against Maziya,” the Italian added.

The Blues’ boss confirmed that winger Ashique Kuruniyan would continue to miss out, having suffered an ankle injury in their playoff clash against Club Eagles. In a bid to give minutes to different players across positions, Pezzaiuoli handed debuts to summer signings Danish Farooq, Bidyashagar Singh, Rohit Kumar, Jayesh Rane, Alan Costa and Sarthak Golui in the first two group stage games. B Team graduate Sivasakthi Narayanan also clocked his first minutes for the senior team.

Maziya, who began their AFC Cup group stage with a 2-0 loss to Bashundhara Kings, fell 3-1 to ATK Mohun Bagan on Saturday, confirming their elimination from the tournament. The Blues have faced Maziya six times in the AFC Cup, winning on four occasions, and losing twice.

Kick-off at the National Stadium, in Male, is scheduled for 9.30 pm IST and will be telecast live on the STAR Sports Network, Disney+Hotstar and JioTV.

(Bengaluru FC Media)

Kolkata: Five Indian Super League (ISL) franchises and three I-League teams will be among 16-teams vying for the iconic Durand Cup football tournament, to be played in and around Kolkata between September 5-October 3, 2021. The tournament, now in its 130th edition was first held in the Mecca of Indian football back in 2019, after moving from its long time venue at Delhi.

Traditionally organized by the Indian Army on behalf of our Armed Forces, the World’s third oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament will this year also see the Government of West Bengal as joint hosts, who have been providing admirable support in all aspects of the organization.

Besides top ISL franchises FC Goa and Bengaluru FC, the other clubs from India’s top division would be Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC, and Hyderabad FC.

Challenging them would be the century-old Mohammedan Sporting of Kolkata, who were the first Indian winners of the Cup in 1940 and who would be leading a troika of I-League challengers including defending champions Gokulam Kerala and Sudeva FC of Delhi.

FC Bengaluru United and Delhi FC will represent the second division of the Indian football whereas two Indian Army teams (Red and Green), a team from Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, CRPF, and the Assam Rifles round-off the 16.

Three leading footballing venues of the State have been identified for the 130th Durand Cup, namely the Vivekananda YuvaBharatiKrirangan (VYBK) and the Mohun Bagan Club Ground in Kolkata as well as the Kalyani Municipal StadiumGround, which has been regularly hosting national level football matches over the past few years.

The Durand Cup is unique in the sense the winners are awarded three trophies with two rolling ones (the Durand Cup and the Shimla Trophy) and the President’s Cup for permanent keeping.

 

Chennai: Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC (CFC) have signed Polish striker Lukasz Gikiewicz on one-year deal ahead of the upcoming season.

The centre-forward is the fifth foreign signing for Marina Machans.

Lukasz, whose 200-plus club appearances so far have 49 goals and 21 assists to show for, will be eager to make his mark in his debut campaign in India’s premier football league.

“We look forward to Lukasz strengthening our attack and providing much-needed goals this season. This is a very positive signing for us,” said CFC co-owner Vita Dani.

Lukasz has also played in other Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Bahrain. He had finished top scorer of the 2017-18 Jordanian Pro League while playing for Al-Faisaly Amman.

“I am very happy to join the club. My aim is to immediately help the team in getting a third ISL title. The fans deserve it and so does the club that has won the league two times already,” Lukasz told the club media team.

Lukasz has featured in two of the world’s biggest club tournaments, the Europa League and the Champions League, making a combined 12 appearances. During his spell at Polish outfit Slask Wroclow, he played a crucial role in the club’s second league title in 2011-12 and also helped them lift the Polish Super Cup in the next year.

“Lukasz is a team player with good experience and a great personality. I believe he will help the team in many aspects, especially with goals,” CFC head coach Bozidar Bandovic commented.

After beginning his professional career 13 years ago with Polish club Olimpia Elblag, Lukasz, now thirty-three, has also played in Cyrpus, Bulgaria and Romania.

(Chennaiyin FC Media)

Male, Maldives: Bengaluru FC Head Coach Marco Pezzaiuoli maintained there was no pressure on his side as they prepare to face Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings, in their penultimate Group D clash of the 2021 AFC Cup, on Saturday. Kings, who ran out 2-0 winners against Maziya S&RC in their first group stage game, will be eager to get the better of the Blues, who went down to ATK Mohun Bagan by the same scoreline.

An own-goal from Mohammed Irufaan, followed by a strike from Brazilian winger Robinho, sealed three points for Oscar Bruzon’s side in their opening clash against Maziya S&RC. Speaking to the press ahead of the encounter, Blues’ boss Pezzaiuoli said the Bangladeshi side were a force to reckon with, having made light work of their League campaign, which they secured with four games left to play.

“We’re up against a team from Bangladesh that scored 55 goals in the League and are champions. They conceded only nine goals in the League, and won their first group game 2-0. They score a lot of goals and have a strong defence, are compact at the back and counter very well. We might have to change things a little bit because this is our third game. Our plan will be to maybe go backwards a bit and create space behind them to score goals and create chances,” said Pezzaiuoli.

Bashundhara, who made their AFC Cup debut last season in a campaign that was cut short due to the COVID19 pandemic, retained the 2020-21 Bangladesh Federation Cup in January. Pezzaiuoli handed starts to Ajay Chhetri and Naorem Roshan Singh in the clash against ATK Mohun Bagan, while Leon Augustine, Parag Shrivas and Ajith Kumar came off the bench in addition to summer signings Bidyashagar Singh and Danish Farooq.

“In life you cannot be negative. I choose to take the positives from the previous game where we had almost 70% ball possession against ATK Mohun Bagan. I think we only need to improve in certain aspects. There is no pressure. Football is not about pressure. We enjoy the games, and I am sure every team wants to be the number one in the Group. We want to win, and so do Bashundhara Kings. We have worked hard in training, and focused on certain things. We want to better our free-kicks and corners, and create better chances and finish them,” Pezzaiuoli added.

Having made several new foreign signings in Raul Becerra, Jonathan Fernandes, Khaled Shafiei and Robinho (on loan from Fluminense), the Blues will have to be wary of Bashundhara Kings’ attack, with the BPL side scoring as many as 67 goals in all competitions this season.

Kick off between the Blues and Bashundhara Kings at the National Stadium is scheduled for 4.30 pm IST, and will be telecast live on the STAR Sports network, Hotstar and JioTV.

(Bengaluru FC Media)