The Indian football team's 13-match unbeaten run ended as it lost 1-2 to an attacking Kyrgyzstan
The 51-year-old was a member of the Croatian team that finished third in the 1998 World Cup.
India overcame stubborn resistance to beat a spirited Maldives 3-2 and enter the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships for a record 10th time after the in-form Jeje Lalpekhlua struck twice in a thrilling semi-final, in Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday.
India began the year on 97 in FIFA rankings, but after two wins, four draws and seven losses, the country ended 2019 at 108
India stun Argentina in U-20 COTIF Cup football tourney
This is the third time the country has qualified for the continental showpiece.
Argentine legend Diego Maradona will kick off a football conclave on October 3 in the presence of a galaxy of current and former Indian stars like Bhaichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri and I M Vijayan.
Chhetri scored his 62nd international goal to equal Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo's goal tally
Indian football was a picture of good health with a 10-man under-20 outfit's triumph over Argentina
After Central defender Harpreet Singh headed the first one in the 37th minute, two goals in two minutes immediately after resumption took the issue beyond Yemen's reach.
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.
India captain Sunil Chhetri has urged fans to be patient with the team and coach Stephen Constantine after the national team's yet another shambolic qualification campaign for the 2018 soccer World Cup.
India warmed up nicely for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier match against Kyrgyzstan as they outclassed lower-ranked Nepal 2-0 in an international football friendly in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Four days after creating a flutter with a stunning 4-1 drubbing of Thailand, India are now looking an upbeat lot in the continental showpiece.
Striker Jeje Lalpekhlua scored the winner as India beat Laos by a solitary goal in a play-off match to put themselves in a strong position of qualifying for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday.
To say Sunil Chhetri and Lionel Messi in the same breath is more than a little odd, is what the talismanic Indian striker himself felt once or twice.
The country of 1.3 billion is finally waking up to the most popular sport on the planet. Kushal Das, secretary general of the All India Football Federation, has said the country is aiming to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel said India must ensure that 'right steps' are taken as it targets qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
New Zealand football coach Fritz Schmid, on Tuesday, dubbed India lying somewhere between 'a sleeping giant and a rising competitor'.
A draw against Bahrain in their final group league match will be enough for India to qualify for the round of 16 for the first time in the continent's showpiece event after failed attempts in 1984 and 2011.
Indian U-17 team's performance was more of hype than actual achievement on the field.
Masterminded superbly by ace striker Sunil Chhetri, a dominant India scripted a sensational 4-1 win over higher-ranked Puerto Rico in an international football friendly at the Andheri Sports Complex stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
In a first of sorts for Indian football, the national team implemented the 'Player Tracking System' at its ongoing preparatory camp at the DSK Dream City, the home of DSK Shivajians Football Club, in Pune.
Playing in Norway for top division club Stabaek has helped him grow as a footballer, feels goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh, who wants more of his countrymen to follow in his footsteps to help India rise as a power in the sport. "My aim was to play in Norway, break into the first team and play in the first team. I have grown as a player in all aspects of the game. I will try to keep getting better. Playing in Europe is better for me," said the 24-year-old goalkeeper who has been called up for the international friendly against Puerto Rico at the Andheri Sports Complex stadium in Mumbai on September 3.
The Indian football team has re-entered the top-100 of the FIFA world rankings and is now placed at 99th at the latest chart released on Thursday.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Jeje Lalpekhlua (72nd minute) and Sunil Chhettri (101th) scored for India after Zubayr Amiri had given Afghanistan the lead in the 69th minute at the Greenfield Stadium.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The 'sleeping giant' woke up to a new dawn with the Indian Super League putting Indian football on the global map, but the national team continued to paint a grim picture, plummeting to its worst-ever rankings in an eventful year for the sport.
Away from the cricket field, it was a year in which Sania Mirza was unarguably the biggest success story with her staggering 10 titles on the Tour -- two of them Grand Slams.
