'Virat Kohli is very close to me, understands me'
Both teams showed urgency to find the winner but were denied, with Malaysia coming close just before the final whistle.
Odisha FC delivered a magnificent performance to sweep aside Bengaluru FC 4-2 in their Indian Super League (ISL) match in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
Chhetri had made his 150th appearance for India in March and scored on the occasion against Afghanistan in Guwahati. India, though, lost that game 1-2.
As Chhetri celebrates his 31st birthday today, here is a look at what makes him stand out.
'When the girls said they want to play football, the mothers were encouraging.' 'It was the fathers who were against the idea.'
A 16-year-old Sunil Chhetri's joy knew no bounds when he was handed over a token amount of Rs 1000 for his first-ever contract with a Delhi-based club, recalled his childhood coach Mohammad Sajid on Thursday.
Refusing to share her exact concerns, Mary Kom said she would rather discuss them in the meeting with Mandaviya and BFI top brass.
Anwar was handed a four-month ban by All India Football Federation (AIFF) in early September with the governing body holding the player "guilty" of terminating his contract with Mohun Bagan in an unjust manner and signing a new deal with East Bengal, having returned to his parent club Delhi FC.
Head coach Manolo Marquez will seek his first win with Team India in an international friendly against Vietnam in Nahm Din, Vietnam on Saturday which was originally planned as a Tri-Nation tournament before Lebanon's withdrawal.
Vishal Kaith's twin saves in the tiebreaker helped defending champions Mohun Bagan make a splendid comeback from two goals down to edge star-studded Bengaluru FC 4-3 (2-2 after full-time) to reach the Durand Cup final for a record 30th time in Kolkata on Tuesday.
'Marquez is trying to instil his philosophy, and that's going to take time. In every camp, we're getting closer to what he wants from us as a team. With time, training, and the level of coaching he has, I have no doubt we'll be a strong team in the qualifiers.'
Talented winger Lallianzuala Chhangte "would not mind" stepping up as the next number 9 of the Indian football team, after talismanic forward Sunil Chhetri's illustrious career comes to an end in Kolkata on June 6.
Marquez had only two training sessions with the team before naming a 26-member squad featuring new and returning players as India adapts to life after Sunil Chhetri's retirement.
Stimac, whose contract was terminated on Monday, coached India for five years.
'Indian football captain and legend Sunil Chhetri dropped by at the Chinnaswamy to watch RCB practice, and spent time with Virat Kohli and the boys. @chetrisunil11's fielding skills are fire!' RCB tweeted.
India lost all their three matches and without scoring any goal in the Asian Cup.
Only a few players become legends in their playing days and Sunil Chhetri belonged to that rare tribe, India's head coach Igor Stimac said in a glowing tribute to the talismanic skipper, who will hang his boots on June 6.
Bhat is the youngest among the probables shortlisted by the AIFF for the India under-23 squad.
'All the very best! We'll be cheering and supporting you'll,' Jemimah said in a video posted on AIFF's official X handle.
Gurpreet was in the thick of things when the ball went over the line and out of play.
Sunil Chhetri stirred up emotions in his final international outing but the Indian football team just could not rise to the occasion as it settled for a goalless draw against Kuwait.
RCB are currently placed sixth in the IPL standings with 12 points from 13 games and will take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings in a must-win match in Bengaluru on Saturday.
In a game that had its moments, India had a great chance of scoring from a free kick after Gurkirat Singh was fouled near the Bangladesh box.
'Just like I do on football, I will try my best.'
Bengaluru FC's academy graduate Vinith Venkatesh scored the winner as the Blues picked up their first points of the ISL season with a 1-0 win over East Bengal.
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.
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.
At 39, he is, understandably, a different footballer but the hunger for goals remains.
Gurpreet named India captain for World Cup qualifying match against Qatar
India suffered one of its most embarrassing defeat in recent years despite Sunil Chhetri's 94th international goal in his 150th match.
It also showed that a side placed 102nd in the FIFA World Rankings can thwart a team placed 77 places above them. And India did keep the mighty Aussies out for 50 minutes before a fatal error saw the Blue Tigers punished after all the good work.
Not only the senior team but the young Blue Colts also emerged victorious in the SAFF Men's U-19 champions after hammering Pakistan in the final and clinching a vigorous 3-0 victory.
Don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves, we're still alive: Stimac
Following a virtual meeting on June 16th, 2024, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a change in leadership for the Senior Men's National Team.
wo months into his stint as West Bengal governor, La Ganesan copped national criticism for pushing Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri, in order to get clicked during the Durand Cup prize distribution ceremony in Kolkata.
Defending champions India held their nerves to beat Lebanon in the penalty shootout and set up a title clash against Kuwait.
India head coach Igor Stimac on Monday stated that his team has a great deal to learn from their Tuesday 2026 FIFA World Cup round 2 qualifying encounter against Asian champions Qatar.
AIFF seeks investigation into Qatar's controversial goal against India
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances