India's miserable campaign in the AFC Challenge Cup ended with a 0-4 rout by strong contenders DPR Korea in their last league encounter at the Dashrath Stadium, in Kathmandu, on Friday.
Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri on Tuesday warned his players against complacency if they have to defend the AFC Challenge Cup which begins in Kathmandu on March 8.
Hosts India have been grouped with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for the second edition of the AFC Challenge Cup.
Football captain Sunil Chhetri wants India to "set a benchmark" by regularly qualifying for AFC Asian Cup, the continent's premier tournament.
History beckons trailblazers Bengaluru FC as they lock horns with Air Force Club of Iraq in the summit clash of AFC Cup in Doha on Saturday, aiming to become the first Indian football club to clinch a continental title. Bengaluru FC have already created history by becoming the first Indian club to qualify for the final of a continental tournament after they defeated defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in the semifinals on 4-2 aggregate last month. Before this, the farthest an Indian club had advanced in a continental tournament was the two AFC Cup semifinal appearances by Dempo in 2008 and East Bengal in 2013.
Dempo failed to qualify for the AFC Cup quarter-finals after suffering a 1-3 defeat to Kuwait Sports Club in the round of 16 match in Kuwait City. Dempo, without key defender Mahesh Gawli, who had to sit out because off a booking, were the second-best team for most part of the single-leg pre-quarter-final at the Kuwait SC Stadium on Tuesday night.
The delay in installation of floodlights at the Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa, has forced the state's football association to ask the All Indian Football Federation to shift Dempo's AFC Cup quarter-final to another venue. This is a big blow to India's National League champions, who are scheduled to play their AFC Cup home match against Singapore's Home United on September 16.
Climax Lawrence struck in injury time to take India to a 1-0 victory over Afghanistan in their first match of the AFC Challenge Cup at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Dempo paid for their profligacy with an own goal by their captain to go down 2-3 to Sur Club of Oman in the AFC Cup Group A thriller at Nizwa. The I-League champions, who beat Lebanese powerhouse Al Ansar in their opening pool match, wasted a couple of clear chances and conceded an own goal by star playmaker Climax Lawrence.
Dempo Sports Club exploited the shaky rival defence scoring a 3-1 win over Lebanon's Al Ansar in the opening group match of the AFC Cup at the Nehru Stadium in Margao on Tuesday.
'The whole team is motivated with what's happening in Palestine, it's a difficult time for all families. But we're professional players, we should keep it up the same way as we've been working in the last few weeks.'
The National Football League champions scored a 2-0 away victory over Singapore Armed Forces FC.
While the players did the job on the field, the man quietly working behind the scenes was former India centre-back Mahesh Gawali.
High on confidence but low on performance, India will look to put behind the recent reverses when they take on Chinese Taipei in their opening match of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying tournament in Yangon on Saturday.
Mahindra United drew with Al Nejmeh 3-3 in the away match in Beirut and lost the AFC Cup tie on 5-4 aggregate.
No continent has escaped the 'cancer' of football match-fixing and it is too big a problem for one organisation to tackle alone, AFC acting president Zhang Jilong warned as the regional body and INTERPOL kicked off a two-day seminar on the issue on Wednesday.
East Bengal became the first Indian team to qualify for the AFC Cup knock-out round with an unbeaten record after thrashing Vietnam outfit Sai Gon Xuan Thanh 4-1 in their concluding Group H league match at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Ranti Martins and Chidi Edeh struck a brace each to outplay Sur Club of Oman 5-2 in their final Group A match and take their side to their maiden AFC Cup quarter-finals in Margao on Wednesday.
India began their campaign AFC U-16 football championships campaign on a disappointing note, losing 2-3 to United Arab Emirates at the Nehru Stadium in Margao on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Riding on Haitian Sony Norde's superb display, Mohun Bagan beat Colombo Football Club 2-1 in the return leg fixture to storm into the play-off stage of the AFC Cup South Asia Zone on 4-2 aggregate in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Hosts Dempo SC went down tamely 0-4 to Nasaf FC of Uzbekistan in a Group-A encounter of the AFC Challenge Cup, at the Balewadi Sports Complex, in Pune, on Tuesday.
Sushil Kishku scored a brace as the Indian under-19 football team blanked Pakistan 5-0 in their Group B qualifying match for the AFC Championship.
India's top clubs were drew 2-2 with Brothers Union of Bangladesh and Turkmenistan's Merv respectively in the second round.
The Asian Football Confederation have suspended former President Mohamed Bin Hammam after a lengthy audit of their accounts revealed fresh allegations of financial wrongdoing, the body said in a statement on Tuesday.
Stephen Constantine said he has accepted the contract extension offered to him by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which will make him the longest serving national coach in the history of the sport.
Holders Korea Republic thrashed Jordan 3-0 while Japan beat North Korea 2-0.
India suffered one of its most embarrassing defeat in recent years despite Sunil Chhetri's 94th international goal in his 150th match.
Kuruniyan ACL tear sparks row, Mohun Bagan 'refuse' to release players for Asian Games
India head coach Igor Stimac on Wednesday said his team has a "couple of players" with few injury issues but that will not stop them from going all out in an attempt to secure full points against Uzbekistan in the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on Thursday.
A goalless draw against Chinese Taipei gave India the top spot in Group A.
North Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Turkmenistan in their opening group game of the AFC Challenge Cup in Colombo on Wednesday.
A 22-member India Under-23 football squad left the country on Sunday to defend their title in the AFC Challenge Cup to be held in Colombo from February 16-27.
The CEOs have been discussing a collaboration for some time, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
India opened their campaign by defeating Lebanon 5-2 in the opening match of the AFC U-22 Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after soccer's global governing body called for Asia and Oceania bids on October 4.
AIFF Player of the Year, Sunil Chhetri will lead India in the AFC Challenge Cup to be held in Kathmandu from March 8.
Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move into the top four when they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United
Images from the Premier League matches played on Saturday, March 9.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday set aside the election of Praful Patel, who was last year elected as the president of All India Football Federation for a four-year term, his third successive tenure.
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