Summary of I-League football matches played across India on Friday.
East Bengal began their I-League campaign in style, thrashing Shillong Lajong FC 4-0 in a one-sided match in Shillong on Wednesday. In Goa, Dempo fought back from a goal down to hold Salgaocar 1-1.
North Korean Kim Song Yong struck a brace in Bengaluru FC's convincing 3-0 win over Shillong Lajong to emerge as table toppers in the I-League, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
FC Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar claimed that Chennaiyin FC marquee player Elano Blumer had elbowed him and caught his neck, but Match commissioner AK Mamukoya hit the Goan team for ganging up Chennaiyin FC captain, Elano Blumer.
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.
An injury-time goal by Yusif Yakubu helped Mumbai FC earn a draw against ONGC at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
Dempo SC continued their unbeaten run and knocked Mumbai FC out of the tournament with a convincing 2-0 win and became the second team after Bengaluru FC to qualify for the semifinals of the Federation Cup.
Bengaluru FC were crowned as I-League football champions for the second time in three years as they blanked Salgaocar 2-0 in their penultimate league match, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Lambasting the Indian Super League (ISL) for the heavy penalties it imposed on FC Goa, the club's Brazillian coach Zico said the order is based on a "clearly cooked" video and has left him disgusted.
Defending champions Dempo's I-League title hopes went up in smoke after they went down 2-3 to Pune FC in Pune on Friday.
Images: Mohun Bagan get massive reception.
Skipper Sunil Chhetri struck twice to help Bengaluru FC beat Shillong Lajong 2-1 in a thrilling 12th round match of the Airtel I-League in Bangalore on Sunday.
In a massive reprieve for FC Goa, the Appeals Panel of Indian Super League, on Friday, revoked the 15-point penalty imposed on the club for "bringing disrepute" to the event following last year's final besides reducing the Rs 11 crore fine and lifting the ban on the franchise owners.
Indian Super League side FC Goa, which was slapped a Rs 11 crore fine and their co-owners Shrinivas Dempo and Dattaraj Salgaocar banned for two and three seasons respectively, has challenged the order of the tournament's regulatory commission.
Pune FC scored a 3-2 victory over Churchill Brothers to finish I-League 2010-11 in fifth position.
"The team has gelled well as a team and we are looking forward to do well this time. I have seen that the team players are disciplined, physically strong and most importantly they are eager and ready to learn more about football.
Douhou Pierre scored in each half as Salgaocar registered a resounding 4-1 came-from-behind win over Mohun Bagan in the 36th Hero Federation Cup.
While this gesture is hardly the first display of the former Indian coach's philanthropic nature, yet he prefers not to speak about the various initiatives he undertakes despite being pressed for an answer. In fact, even this donation would have escaped the attention had it not been for a youngster who insisted on a photo being clicked with the former India international.
Former Brazil international Zico has expressed a desire to run for president of FIFA.
Brazilian football legend and FC Goa coach Zico has apologised to football fans of the state for failing to win the Indian Super League title but said that his team gave its all to win the tournament though unsuccessful in the end.
Defending champions Mohun Bagan easily defeated debutants Aizawl FC 3-1 to begin their campaign with a bang in the I-League football tournament opener at Vidyasagar Krirangan, Kolkata, on Saturday.
National football team coach Wim Koevermans has announced his squad of 21 players for India's two international friendlies which are scheduled to be held this month.
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.
A meeting between representatives of I-League Professional Football Clubs Association and IMG-R, the commercial partners of All India Football Federation, did not take place on Wednesday with the company maintaining that it cannot meet an entity not recognised by the AIFF.
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.
The victory celebrations for Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC turned sour as their marquee Brazilian Elano Blummer was arrested by the local police for allegedly assaulting FC Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaoncar.
FC Goa's co-owner Dattaraj says 'Elano's ungentlemanly behaviour forced me to file FIR'
Mohun Bagan, East Bengal blast AIFF after Goan clubs quit I-League
Brazilian legend Zico arrived in Goa on Tuesday and was accorded a warm welcome by the FC Goa officials, laying all speculation to rest that he will not return back for the third edition of the ISL after the tournament's regulatory committee's decision.
Churchill Brothers's Portuguese coach Manuel Gomes has tendered his resignation, after he was hauled by the club boss Churchill Alemao in front of the team for having lost against Mumbai FC.
Defending champions East Bengal kick-off their campaign against a qualifier, while I-League champions Salgaocar take on Mumbai FC on the inaugural day of the 33rd Federation Cup football tournament, on September 17 in Kolkata and Pune respectively.
Hakim won the Santosh Trophy for Services in 1960 and continued to be a part of the squad till 1966. At club level, he played for City College Old Boys (Hyderabad) and Indian Air Force.
The disciplinary committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has imposed a four match ban on Salgaocar Sports Club midfielder Ishfaq Ahmed.
Chennaiyin FC's optimistic coach Marco Materazzi stressed on the need to click as a unit, implying that the departure of the mercurial Stiven Mendoza and Elano Blumer would not affect the defending champions in Indian Super League 3.
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.
East Bengal got the better of Mohammedan Sporting by the odd goal in three at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday evening to move up to seventh in the Airtel I-League table.
Moroccan Karim Bencherifa was named the best coach for the 2010-11 season for helping Salgaocar SC achieve the rare double of winning the I-League as well as the Federation Cup while Ryuji Seoka was declared the player of the season.
AIFF's Club Licensing Committee decided that based on the reports all the fourteen License Applicants failed to clear the Licensing Test.
Subhash Bhowmick, who guided Churchill Brothers to their second I-League title last season as Technical Director, is back in the team fold after Sukhwinder Singh announced his resignation.