Football: Indian National Team news ...

[SaniaFan]

This is sure becoming old age club house

[arjun2761]

Wow! Did not realize that India has a poor track record qualifying for Asian cup! We have actually qualified 3 times in past 4 attempts compared to just two time in the previous 50 years!

Of course, year 2000 and prior, the tournament only had 12 teams or fewer qualify. This cycle the number of qualifiers is 24 and the immediate prior 4 times the number of qualifiers was 16. A little more surprising is that India has never hosted the tournament.

[jayakris]

A little more surprising is that India has never hosted the tournament.

With China having given up hosting it next year, I thought we might get a chance to host it. But our federation is in FIFA's doghouse and we are barely avoiding a country ban for AIFF's no-election record and the Supreme court case and all that. I guess we won't host it any time soon.

[Omkara]

We should have scored more goals against HK and Afg. While we are slowly doing better, it was a surprise for my wife ( and probably many who don't follow football), that we don't naturally qualify for the Asia Cup.

Anyway, we have done better. Now we should start winning/drawing against the Asian best.

This is sure becoming old age club house

We have golden oldies forums since eternity. We were always old age club house or oldies with young heart or youngsters who have aged early.

Had we been a younger group, we certainly would have more smilies or emoticons by now.

[suresh]

AIFF hired astrologer for Rs 16 lakh to ‘motivate’ the national team: Team insider

[Omkara]

Looks like no one is following U2x SAFF football. India lost to Bangladesh but best sl 4-0, Nepal 8-0.

[jayakris]

U20 SAFF cup -- India beat Maldives 1-0 on an 89th minute goal and is in the final against Bangladesh on Aug 5th. Yikes. Such struggles, that too at home in Bhabaneswar...

[Omkara]

We need score like those against Nepal an SL against everyone in SAFF. But it remains elusive.

[prasen9]

AIFF hired astrologer for Rs 16 lakh to ‘motivate’ the national team: Team insider

This is a reflection of society. Or cronyism.

[jayakris]

We won the U20 SAFF Cup beating Bangladesh 5-2 in the final in style, with Gurkirat Singh scoring 4 goals!!

Actually it was a close match. India went ahead on a penalty kick in the first minute... Bangldesh equalied just before the half and went ahead 2-1 in the second half too, before Gurkirat equalized in the 60th minute. After 2-2 in regulation, Himanshu Jangra scored to make it 3-2 in the extra 30 min and Gurkirat went berserk with 2 more to make it 5-2

Gurkirat Singh was the top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals. He turned 19 last month. Was with AIFF's developmental squad Indian Arrows in the I-League for a couple of years and then with Mumbai city of ISL since last September. The funny thing is that he is listed as a left back defender and left-winger, and not a forward. Has not scored goals in I-league or ISL (but his minutes might have been limited). But he was the joint top-scorer in the u18 SAF cup in 2019 also. Anybody know more about him? Have we unearthed a goal scorer?

Here is an article on Gurkirat. He is from Chandigarh. Mumbai City sign Gurkirat Singh (Times of India)

[Atithee]

FIFA suspends India's national soccer federation
Mon, August 15, 2022, 4:23 PM

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fifa-suspend ... 12428.html

[jayakris]

I guess Praful Patel got his wish!

[suresh]

Terrible!

[Atithee]

I guess Praful Patel got his wish!

Here are the sordid details:
https://www.republicworld.com/india-new ... eshow.html

[jayakris]

Well I knew, without any of the detail in the article, that it had to be somebody working behind the scenes to get India banned. There was no doubt, because without somebody like Praful Patel telling the FIFA guys (who probably have no clear clue on what is going on), they would not take a step like this. They had to have been misled. Because there is really nothing terrible going on, and we were on a path to only have things cleaned up. nothing for FIFA to be concerned about. It is simply the Supreme Court trying to correct a problem. Yes, they did it in a bit of a screwy way and the group of three they appointed was not great, but things were generally going right. No reason for FIFA to suddenly get upset. At this time, when we are so close to getting a new AIFF constitution and president put in place, it certainly required some really dirty work behind the scene by a politician. I can't say that it was surely Praful Patel who did this, but I don't see who else would, either.

If he did not wish this to happen, and didn't make it happen, let him write to FIFA and ask them to reconsider the decision - in his capacity as the immediate past president of AIFF which hasn't got a new president yet. If not, we will have to consider him as the one who wanted this. Again, what a worm.