Victory continued to elude last year's runners-up Mohun Bagan. The Kolkata giants went down 1-2 to JCT in a floodlit Round 2 I-League match at Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday.
Dempo Sports Club began their season with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Air India while defending champions Mahindra United were held to a goalless draw by new I-League entrants Lajong FC in the 122nd ONGC Durand Cup football tournament in Delhi on Monday.
Churchill Brothers booked a semi-final berth with a 2-0 win over Shillong Lajong FC, while Mohun Bagan began the season in style, thrashing George Telegraph 4-0 in the 114th IFA Shield in Kolkata on Friday.
Relegated in their debut season, Aizawl FC were readmitted to make up the numbers when Goan clubs fell out with the All India Football Federation over the I-League and Indian Super League merger issue. They made the opportunity count by winning the I-League in only their second season to script a rare and incredible story in present-day Indian football.
In a stunning development in Indian football, two-time champions Churchill Brothers were thrown out of the I-League along with three other teams for failing to fulfil the AIFF's club licensing criteria.
Dipanda Dicka's solitary second half goal gave Shillong Lajong their fourth home win of the season as they beat Churchill Brothers 1-0 in a seventh round I-League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday.
AIFF's Club Licensing Committee decided that based on the reports all the fourteen License Applicants failed to clear the Licensing Test.
Venezuelan Miku (64th minute and 78th) and skipper Sunil Chhetri (95th) starred for Bengaluru at the Balewadi Sports Complex as the side registered their fourth win this season to cement their place the top of points table.
Why this photograph of Aizawl FC fans is trending
Summary of I-League football matches played across India on Friday.
Images: Mohun Bagan get massive reception.
India's football coach Stephen Constantine announced his preliminary squad of 38 probables for India's forthcoming back to back 2018 World Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification matches against Oman and Guam respectively.
In one of the biggest achievements in Indian football history, unheralded Aizawl FC on Sunday lifted the I-League crown after they held Shillong Lajong 1-1 in a tense match in Shillong.
East Bengal rode on defender Bello Rasaq's header to defeat Salgaocar 2-1 and jump to second place in the I-League football tournament in Barasat on Sunday.
I-League leaders Bengaluru FC began their Federation Cup campaign in style with a 5-3 win over Sporting Clube de Goa in a thrilling match on Wednesday.
FC Goa beat FC Pune City 4-2 in a high-scoring match to climb back to the top of the Indian Super League football standings, in Margao, on Sunday.
The Highlanders were the more organised side from the moment the referee blew his whistle and their upper hand in the game finally paid dividends in the 26th minute of the first half.
Shrugging off disappointment of the loss to Shillong Lajong in their last outing, hosts Sporting Clube de Goa would be looking to log their first points in I-League when they take on newcomers Pune FC in a third round match in Margao on Saturday.
India's prolific film industry churns out scores of movies with plotlines bordering on the absurd every year but even Bollywood might have dismissed as too preposterous the story of the rise of soccer club Aizawl FC.
FC Goa became the second Hero Indian Super League side to book their place in the play-offs after a convincing 3-0 win over Kerala Blasters FC in Margao Monday.
Sporting Clube de Goa held a lacklustre East Bengal to a goalless draw in their penultimate I-League fixture at the Vidyasagar Krirangan, in Barasat on Friday.
Minerva Punjab FC will take on Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC on April 2 in the inaugural Super Cup football tournament which begins in Bhubaneswar on March 31.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
National football coach Stephen Constantine named 32 probables on Wednesday for India's upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup joint qualification Round 1 home and away matches against Nepal. India first host Nepal on March 12 at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Sajusarai, Guwahati, while the return leg is slated to be played in Nepal on March 17.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
R Malsawntluanga's injury time goal helped Aizawl FC hold Salgaocar to 1-1 draw in a fifth round encounter of the I-League, in Vasco on Sunday.
Dempo SC, on Wednesday, withdrew from the I-League for the upcoming season in protest against AIFF's proposed roadmap to restructure domestic football, dealing another body blow to the sport in India.
Bengaluru FC will begin their I-League title defence against Shillong Lajong at home at Kanteerava Stadium in the inaugural game of the new season on January 7.
Bengaluru FC rode on Sunil Chhetri double strike as they beat Salgaocar FC 3-2 in their Group B league match as the 36th Federation Cup football tournament kicked off in Vasco.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
Riding high on NorthEast United FC's home win against Kerela Blasters, team co-owner John Abraham said that his team will put up a strong fight in his side's next Indian Super League match against Atletico de Kolkata.
I-League: Plaza turns hero as EB pip Churchill 3-2
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Defending champions Minerva Punjab FC forfeited their I-League match against Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) turned down their request to relocate the fixture in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attacks.
Indian Super League franchise NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) co-owner John Abraham expressed optimism that the country's ranking in international football would go up to 'double digit' from the current 159th position in the next seven years.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
A narrow 1-0 win was not enough for a desperate Mumbai City FC who were knocked out by FC Goa 5-2 on aggregate in the Hero Indian Super League semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Margao, on Tuesday.
