AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India end their campaign with a loss against DPR Korea

India 0-4 DPR Korea
DPR Korea: Jon Kwang Ik(4th), Ri Kwang Hyok(34th), Pak Nam Chol(58th), Ri Chol Myong(70th)

India ended their AFC Challenge Cup campaign without registering any victories to its name after they lost 0-4 in the hands of DPR Korea. In a game which was entirely dominated by the 2010 FIFA World Cup participants, India only had a one good chance which was also wasted by captain Sunil Chhetri. For DPR Korea the scorers were Jon Kwang Ik(4th), Ri Kwang Hyok(34th), Pak Nam Chol(58th) and Ri Chol Myong(70th).

Meanwhile, Phillipines were the second team after DPR Korea to qualify for the semi-finals after they had the better of Tajikistan in another match of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 played today.

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India face DPR Korea in their last match

India vs DPR Korea
AFC Challenge Cup 2012
13th March, 2012
Venue: Dasarath Stadium
Time: 2:45 PM IST

If you feel that Savio Medeira's boys have seen it all after loosing against Tajikistan and Philippines, then you are absolutely wrong. India are yet to face the most fierce opponent, DPR Korea whom they will play tomorrow at the Dasarath Stadium. DPR Korea having already qualified for the semi-finals are undoubtedly the hot-pick for winning the title whereas India are already out of the contention of a semi-final birth. This DPR Korea team boasts of at least 7 players who participated in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. 

Team India practicing before DPR Korea match

Savio and his boys, have thus far been heavily criticized for their poor performance and the shocking results they have managed against relatively weaker sized will be facing the acid test against a far better opponents. The morale of the team is understandably low after the shock exit from the Challenge Cup and thus wasting a golden opportunity to get the ticket to next edition of AFC Asia Cup. The gulf in class is easily reflected in the FIFA rankings with India lying 52 places below DPR Korea. Till now India have never managed to win any of the 13 matches against DPR Korea, having just managed to get 2 draws and suffering 11 losses.

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: Philippines 2-0 India

India 0-2 Philippines

Philippines: Philip Younghusband(26',73')

Philippines defeated India 2-0 at the Dasarath Stadium today in the group stage match of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 with Phillip Younghusband scoring a brace.India are thus almost out of the contention of the semi-final birth of AFC Challenge Cup 2012. India next faces DPR Korea on 13th March.

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India vs Philippines LIve Streaming Links

Live Streaming links of AFC Challenge Cup match: India vs Philippines: Click Here 

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India play Philippines tomorrow in a must win encounter

India vs Philippines
AFC Challenge Cup 2012
Venue: Dasarath Stadium, Katmandu, Nepal
Time: 4:45PM (IST)

Indian team will play Philippines team tomorrow in a must win encounter for both team after both failed to come out with any points in their first match. India lacked application in every field in the match against Tajikistan and now are in a state of getting out of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 which they entered with high hopes.

Indian team practicing a day before the Philippines match

                           
“At times you don’t get the results which you strive for. But that won’t deter us to be committed for our future success. We will keep trying and give our 100 percent to get the result we all are striving for” Savio said.“We had a spirited performance against Tajikistan. But we squandered some good chances to score in the first half. Hope things will improve in our next match,” added the Indian National team coach.

Philippines though are ranked only four places above India in the FIFA World Rankings but they will be another tough opponent as they had a decent outing against the strong DPR Korea Team which they eventually lost 0-2 after conceding goals in the second half. Philippines side boasts of few European born players, one such is Fulham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Captain Sunil Chhetri was quoted saying, “It's going to be another tough match but we are ready and we can pull off a great result on Sunday. We all will stay focused and do whatever is expected of us.”

Few changes in the starting XI which played against Tajikistan is expected from Savio Medeira.

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: Tajikistan make a mockery of India

India 0-2 Tajikistan

Tajikistan: Khamarokulov Akhtam(60th), Davronov Nuriddin(66th)

The performance that the "Blue Tigers" put today at the Dasarath Stadium against Tajikistan in the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 could be easily adjudged as one of the weakest in quite a few years. India lacked strategy, commitment and most importantly the hunger to win the match. Never it looked as if India were a side who are expected to be serious title contenders. Its not that Tajikistan played a very solid game, but nevertheless, they were far more disciplined in their plans and they executed it in perfection.

Indian Starting XI before the match

Indian team looked completely out of ideas in every department of the field. Whatever coach Savio Medeira wanted to implement with his squad it never came off. The most frustrating part was that the players never wanted to keep the ball on the ground, be it a central back or a attacking midfielder, who ever received the ball lifted the ball forward more in hope than with good intention. The entire game looked quite amateurish with most Indian players loosing the ball within seconds of getting it and that too gifting the possession to the opponents rather than being challenged. None of the players could be given the tagged impressive but Karanjit Singh's performance under the bar was worth applauding.

India and Tajikistan had a fair share of possession in the first half though none of them was able to make it count. The first goal came though some extra-ordinary piece of defending from newly appointed vice captain Syed Rahim Nabi as he went sleeping when the ball fell to him near the Indian goal and it ricocheted off him towards Akhtam Khamrakulov, who made no mistake in slotting it past the helpless Karanjit Singh to make the scoreline 1-0 to Tajikistan's favour. Just after 6 minutes, India were handed a two goal deficit thanks to a goal from Nuriddin Davronov. Savio Medeira made few changes in a bid to make something out of the game but it never really worked out with players throwing away possession cheaply. Even when a player had a ball with acres of space to run into, most of the time went for aerial balls which never worked out against physically well equipped Tajikistan players.

The match thus ended 2-0 in Tajikistan favour and it must be said that it was well deserved. Nothing worked for the Indian team, neither the team selection looked good nor the strategy of using the Bob Houghton's type of aerial football worked for coach Savio Medeira. The two central midfielders Rocus Lamare and Adil Khan were not able to create much or one could say anything, with Rocus being physically out-muscled by his counterparts and Adil Khan was found guilty of gifting the ball to his opponents far too many times especially considering his role of creative midfielder. Anthony Pereira and Samir Naik were unarguably the worst players on the pitch. Syed Rahim Nabi was the criminal of the first goal. All in all a performance to forget.

After this kind of performance, one can only hope that only a miracle will make India go through from this group, specially when a opposition of the stature of DPR Korea is in your group.

India next face Philippines on 11th March at the same venue(Dasarath Stadium).

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India vs Tajikistan Live Streaming Links

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India vs Tajikistan Live Streaming Links: Click Here

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India face Tajikistan Challenge

India vs Tajikistan
AFC Challenge Cup 2008
Dasarath Stadium
9th March, 2012
Live from Dashrath Stadium, Nepal at 4:45 PM IST
Live telecast on Kolkata TV

India will have to face a strong Tajikistan Challenge in their very first match of AFC Challenge Cup 2012. The opponent will be the same which India faced in the finals of AFC Challenge Cup 2008 in which recently appointed captain Sunil Chhetri came up with a blazing performance scoring a hat-trick in the finals.

India(158) is ranked 18 places below Tajikistan(140) in the latest FIFA rankings but the enthusiasm of the young blood is sky high. The team is raring to go out and prove their capabilities against a side which are no pushovers.

Indian team practicing ahead of Tajikistan clash

“The team is raring to go against Tajikistan. All the boys are charged up for the match. I am confident they will come out with their best for the clash and we will be able to secure all the points. We will fight till the last second of the match. We would not give any chance to our rivals.”, Indian Coach Savio Medeira said.

 Indian Captain Sunil Chhetri said “We have come over here with only one objective and that is to win at any cost. We won’t leave any stone unturned to achieve our goal. All the players including me would try to repeat our performance of the SAFF Championship.”

Coach Savio Medeira stated that the starting line up will be a combination of youth and seniors. Except for Lalrindika Ralte who is suffering from slight niggle, rest of the squad is fully fit and raring to go. The most likely starting line-up for tomorrows game looks like this:

Karanjit Singh

Samir Naik   Gourmangi Singh   Raju Gaikwad   Syed Rahim Nabi

Francis Fernandes   Adil Khan   Rocus Lamare   Anthony Pereira 

Sunil Chhetri   Sushil Kumar Singh

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: Can India do it again?

Can India repeat the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 Success?

Can India do it again? Yes, we are talking of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012, the same tournament which made it possible for India to take part in the prestigious AFC Asia Cup in 2011, Qatar after a gap of 26 years. Being grouped with Tajikistan, DPR Korea and Philippins, India face a very tough job of qualifying from the group. Defending champions DPR Korea who played in the FIFA World Cup 2010 will be the favourites to lift the title again. Tajikistan and Phillipines are certainly no pushovers in the group.

Indian team as of now could be termed as a "Young" team, specially considering the new names in the squad with the likes of Adil Khan, Francis Fernandes, Jewel Raja, Raju Gaikwad. The youth blood of Blue-Tigers did not have the best outings in recent times as they faced heavy defeats in the two international friendlies prior to the tournament against Oman and Azerbaizan. Few names still remain in the squad which were a part of the historical triumph of the AFC Challenge Cup back in 2008 when India booked their birth for Asia Cup 2011 after defeating Tajakistan in the finals, and one such name is none other than the poster boy of Indian football - Sunil Chhetri. Being rewarded with the captain's armband, Sunil Chhetri will be looking to repeat such performances again.

The ex-Sporting Kansas forward had a tough time recovering from his injury suffered during India's SAFF Championship glory, which kept him out for quite some time. He will lead the front line along with Joaquim Abhranches. The midfield boasts of fresh faces with Jewel Raja and Adil Khan expected to be the supply line for the forwards, Francis Fernandes will be a player to watch in the left half of the midfield along with Lalrindika Ralte. Syed Rahim Nabi might also be given the role of playing up on the midfield and thus utilize his versatility. The major concern will be the defense line as it looked out of ideas against Oman as well as against Azerbaizan. A lot of burden will be on Gourmangi Singh to keep the opponent forwards in check. It will be interesting to see who will accompany him in the defense. Raju Gaikwad or Anwar Ali might take up that role as Arnab Mondal, who has been very consistent for Prayag United is out due to injury. Anwar Ali's lack of speed was clearly visible in the friendlies that the team played earlier.

"We have been drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ and can’t afford to take any of the teams lightly. Every match is a new match and we need to take one match at a time. We need to play as a cohesive unit against Tajikistan." Indian captain Sunil Chhetri told.

Indian vice captain was quite optimistic regarding his teams chances of winning the title as he was quoted saying, "We have a fairly good chance to win the title." Regarding India's first opponent Tajikistan, Nabi says, "I think we have a psychological advantage against them as we defeated them in final in Delhi. But nothing can be taken for granted. We need to be cautious as we have been drawn in a very tough group."

All in all, it will be one hell of a tough job to clinch the title this time around with most of the nations leapfrogging India in terms of development they have made since the last edition. Nevertheless, with the injection of youth blood India have will have the freshness and a victory early on against Tajikistan will do wonders in terms of confidence.

India'a Fixture for AFC Challenge Cup 2012:

  9th March: India vs Tajikistan    (Dasrath Stadium)
11th March: India vs Philippines   (Dasrath Stadium)
13th March: India vs DPR Korea (Dasrath Stadium) 

Sunil Chhetri to captain Indian Team for the AFC Challenge Cup 2012

Sunil Chhetri named as Indian Captain for
 AFC Challenge Cup 2012

India National Team Head Coach Savio Medeira has named star striker Sunil Chhetri to lead India in the AFC Challenge Cup. While defender Syed Rahim Nabi, has been made his deputy, in the Team Meeting on Monday.

Coach Savio Medeira expressed confidence on the choice and said, “Both Sunil and Nabi are quality players. They have earned the respect of every one, by their team play and leadership quality.”

“Sunil did a good job last December at the SAFF Championship, where he led from the front. Sunil has matured a lot. While Nabi has been one of the consistent performers for India in the recent times and has an experience to Captain at the club level,” he maintained.

“It’s a matter of pride and great responsibility to lead the country in such an important tournament. I feel privileged for such an honour. I would try my best to win the title and qualify for the Asian Cup,” quipped Sunil.

India play their first match against Tajikistan on March 9th, 2012.

The team is as follow:

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roychowdhury, Arindam Bhattacharya.
Defenders: Nirmal Chhetri, Raju Gaikwad, Sameer Naik, Gourmangi Singh, Anwar Ali, Kinsukh Debnath, Syed Rahim Nabi (Vice Capt.), Gurjinder Singh.
Midfielders: Adil Khan, Anthony Pereira, Reisangmi Vashum, Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes, Jewel Raja, Lenny Rodrigues, Lalrindika Ralte.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri (Capt.), Sushil Singh, CS Sabeeth, Joaquim Abranches.

Indian team departs for AFC Challenge Cup

The 23 member India National Football Team left for Kathmandu to participate in the AFC Challenge Cup which kicks-off on March 8.

India have been clubbed with DPR Korea, Philippines and Tajikistan in Group B, while Group A consists of hosts Nepal, Maldives, Palestine and Turkmenistan. The winner of the tournament will earn a ticket to the AFC Asian Cup.

India play their first match against Tajikistan on March 9.

Despite being drawn in the Group of Death, National Coach Savio Medeira sounded optimistic. “We are in a tough group for sure but are confident of defending the title. The team is the right blend of youth and experienced players.”

AIFF Player-of-the-Year, Sunil Chhetri who had scored a hat-trick against Tajikistan to guide India to the 2011 Asian Cup added: “We are a capable side with a lot of potential. We will go all out to attain our goal for our fans.”

The list stays as follows:

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roychowdhury, Arindam Bhattacharya.
Defenders: Nirmal Chhetri, Raju Gaikwad, Sameer Naik, Gourmangi Singh, Anwar Ali, Kinsukh Debnath, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gurjinder 
Singh.
Midfielders: Adil Khan, Anthony Pereira, Reisangmi Vashum, Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes, Jewel Raja, Lenny Rodrigues, Lalrindika Ralte.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Sushil Singh, CS Sabeeth, Joaquim Abranches.

Savio Medeira names 23 member list for AFC Challenge Cup

The 23 players named by National Coach Savio Medeira for the AFC Challenge Cup which kicks-off in Kathmandu on March 8, 2012 is listed below. India will play their first match against Tajikistan on March 9th.

The Indian Team will leave for Kathmandu on Sunday (March 4) afternoon.

HERE IS THE SQUAD:


Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar), Subhasish Roychowdhury (Dempo SC), Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers).


Defenders: Nirmal Chhetri, Raju Gaikwad (both Kingfisher East Bengal), Sameer Naik (Dempo SC), Gourmangi Singh (Churchill Brothers), Anwar Ali, Kinsukh Debnath, Syed Rahim Nabi (all McDowell Mohun Bagan), Gurjinder Singh (Pune FC).


Midfielders: Adil Khan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Anthony Pereira (Dempo SC), Reisangmi Vashum (Kingfisher East Bengal), Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes (both Salgaocar SC), Jewel Raja (McDowell Mohun Bagan), Lenny Rodrigues, Lalrindika Ralte (both Churchill Brothers).


Forwards: Sunil Chhetri (McDowell Mohun Bagan), Sushil Singh (Shillong Lajong FC – on loan), CS Sabeeth (Pailan Arrows), Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC).

AFC Challenge Cup 2012: India grouped alongside DPR Korea

India handed a tough group

                                                     
India has been grouped with DPR Korea, Tajikistan and Philippines for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup 2012 while tournament hosts Nepal have Maldives, Turkmenistan and Palestine in their group. The tournament kicks off on 8th March, 2012.

India's fixtures:

India vs Tajikistan : 9th March
India vs Philippines : 11th March
India vs DPR Korea : 13th March

Both semi finals will be held on 16th March and the finals will take place on 19th March.