FC Goa players, including India captain Sandesh Jhingan, and support staff have accepted pay cut for the truncated ISL season starting on February 14.
FC Goa defeated Sporting Club Delhi 1-0 in the Indian Super League, with Dejan Drazic scoring the decisive goal. FC Goa climbed to the top of the table with the win.
FC Goa defeated Mohammedan Sporting Club 2-0 in their Indian Super League match, with goals from Pol Moreno and Dejan Drazic.
Indian men's football team captain Sandesh Jhingan on Wednesday questioned the logic of spending crores on Lionel Messi's high-profile 'GOAT Tour', saying the extravagance has forced him to think if anyone is really concerned about investing in Indian football, which has effectively come to a standstill.
Bengaluru FC players, including India legend Sunil Chhetri, have accepted pay cut for the truncated Indian Super League season, starting on February 14.
The injury to the 32-year-old stalwart is a big blow to India as they take on a strong Afghanistan side in their third and final Group B match on Thursday.
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With just two points from three games and placed third place in the group, India have no room for error as only the top team can advance.
The move follows an online meeting held earlier this week, where captains discussed the growing uncertainty surrounding the paused ISL season.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday announced 23 probables for the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifiers match against Bangladesh and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri's name is missing from the list.
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India's distressed football players issued a joint statement on Tuesday pleading with the administrators to get the currently paused Indian Super League (ISL) season underway.
Indian Super League side FC Goa suffered a 0-2 defeat to FC Istiklol of Tajikistan in their second AFC Champions League 2 Group D match in Hisor, Tajikistan on Wednesday.
India now have two points from three matches after a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh and 0-1 loss to Hong Kong in their earlier match.
Fourteen players, including Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, are not immediately joining the preparatory camp for next month's Asian Cup qualifying round matches against Singapore as three clubs have delayed the release of their players, which will be a cause of concern for head coach Khalid Jamil.
The AIFF said in a statement that Jhingan "is under expert medical care in Goa, and his recovery and rehabilitation are being closely monitored"
India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 followed by matches against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
The senior India squad began its preparatory camp in Bengaluru on August 15 ahead of next month's CAFA Nations Cup, but 13 players, including seven from Mohun Bagan, have skipped the camp.
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India are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round qualifiers along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. The matches will be being played on a home-and-away round-robin format.
India, who made it to two successive Asian Cups for the first time in 2023, are aiming to extend the streak. Hong Kong also qualified for the previous tournament, but with only one available berth, either side is bound to miss out.
Hosts Bengaluru FC gained the upper hand against FC Goa with a commanding 2-0 win in their first-leg semifinal of the Indian Super League on Wednesday.
Kalyan Chaubey alluded to lack of goals from the Indian strikers, which he said could be one of the reasons for the poor show by the team under Manolo Marquez.
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Sunil Chhetri returns to the national team,
Marquez also confirmed Chhetri's involvement in the friendly match that will mark his 152nd cap for India.
The Gaurs looked to set the tone of this game from the onset, with Boris Singh hammering a shot from distance way too high to the target in the seventh minute.
The Gaurs were relentless in their attack post the 30-minute mark and their persistence eventually bore fruit when Sahil Tavora found Boris on the right flank with acres of space.
Tuesday's match holds importance for India as any slip-up could be disastrous in their bid to make it to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
FC Goa secured a 2-1 victory over Odisha FC in the Indian Super League, climbing to second place in the standings.
National coach Manolo Marquez coached FC Goa handed Bengaluru FC a comprehensive 3-0 defeat in an Indian Super League match in Goa on Saturday.
Brison Fernandes bagged his second successive brace as visitors FC Goa notched a 4-2 victory over Odisha FC.
Both teams showed urgency to find the winner but were denied, with Malaysia coming close just before the final whistle.
Sandesh Jhingan, upon his arrival at the airport in Doha, said, 'No group in the Asian Cup is easy. Of course, we've got Australia, and they need no introduction. But what we have learned in the last few years is that we must never fear any opposition.'
Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri will be spearheading the Indian challenge and besides his longtime teammate Sandeep Jhingan, he will also be able to avail the services of Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga.
While the players did the job on the field, the man quietly working behind the scenes was former India centre-back Mahesh Gawali.
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Talisman Sunil Chhetri, senior defender Sandesh Jhingan and first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu were on Tuesday named in a 22-member Indian men's football squad for the upcoming Asian Games.
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