Azerbaijan vs India International Friendly: India go down to Azerbaijan 0-3

India 0 - 3 Azerbaijan

Ajerbaijan: Nidirov Vugar(3rd), Mahir Shukurov (P 43rd), Hasiyev Nizami (82nd).

INDIA: Shubashish Roychowdhury; Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Singh (Captain), Raju Gaikwad, Gurjinder Kumar; Reisangmi Vashum (Lalrindika Ralte), Manish Maithani (Jewel Raja), Adil Khan (Lenny Rodrigues), Francis Fernandes (Lester Fernandes); Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches (Manandeep Singh).


The match started with a minutes silence and the Indian players were seen wearing Black armband, as a mark to show respect to legendary footballer Sailen Manna who passed away earlier today.

Another lacklustre performance by the Indian team saw them facing another defeat, this time the margin was three goals as compared to the 5-1 thrashing against Oman. Just like it happened in the last match against Oman, India were down by a goal in the early minute. This time it was Nidirov Vugar who scored from a faulty clearance off Indian custodian Subhashish Roy Chowdhry in the 3rd minute. It was Azerbaijan who were showing more urgency even after getting an early goal. They were enjoying dogs share of possession and Indian midfield was all over the place and so was the defense. With the way Azerbaijan were playing, the second goal seemed coming any moment. And it came on 43rd minute when Raju Gaikwad recklessly tackled from behind to stop Mahir Shukurov and referee pointed straight to the spot which saw India go down 0-2 as Mahir Shukurov  calmly converted from the spot.

Hasiyev Nizami scored Azerbaijan’s third goal in the 82nd minute. India only showed a bit of urgency in the early phases of second half when the midfield was trying to create something unlike the second half, but soon though the Azerbaijan players soaked the little pressure and soon, they were back at the driving seat. Azerbaijan were given the reward as they deservingly got the third goal in the 82nd minute through Hasiyev Nizami.

Savio Medeira, Indian National team coach has loads of work
still left ahead of AFC Challenge Cup 2012

After the two matches Indian Coach Savio Medeira has got a big task to do with the team selection as very few of the players were impressive and the team never really clicked as a unit. With the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 knocking at the door and with no other practice matches to play, it will take a big recovery if India wants a direct birth for the next AFC Asia Cup through the tournament which helped India gain a ticket to the presigious AFC Asia Cup 2011, Qatar.

Azerbaijan vs India: International Friendly Preview

Azerbaijan vs India
International Friendly
27th February, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM IST

After receiving a 5-1 demolition in the hands of Oman, India will be looking to restore some parity when they face Azerbaijan tomorrow as a bid to prepare for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup 2012 which is knocking at the doors.

Azerbaijan are currently placed at 109th in the FIFA World Rankings. Indian National team coach Savio Medeira, who fielded a relatively new side with few of the regular starters missing either due to injuries or were rested. The most disappointing factor for the Indian team in the previous match was their defense. It was all over the place when the Oman front line were going in full throttle.

“This is what football is all about. We need to be patient. The new boys will settle down, but we need to be patient.” Savio said.

Indian starting XI before Oman match, Picture Courtesy: www.the-aiff.com

Savio Medeira has once again stated his desire to field some fresh faces so that he can assess the strength of his players ahead of the crucial AFC Challenge Cup. Savio was quoted saying, "“The intention stays to try as many players as possible”.

India has not yet faced Azerbaijan ever and this will be their first encounter. “They are a strong side and we know they will come hard at us” Savio said regarding his opponent.

Oman 5-1 India: Wake-Up call for Blue tigers before AFC Challenge Cup

Oman 5-1 India
Oman: Mohammed Al-Ghassani (5') Ismail Al Ajmi (7',59'),Hasan Rabie (88'),  Abdullah Thuwaini (90+1')
India: Joaquim Abranches (65')

           


In what was expected to be another upset over a middle east team,Oman national team proved too good for young Indian team who end up losing the preparatory match for afc challenge cup by a scoreline of 1-5.


With pune fc duo Lester and gurjinder given their debut cap for national team and return of joaquim also making his return to team, along with new Indian captain samir naik, it was more or less different squad than which played in the saff final , thus manager showing his intent to try his squad well before important tournament.


These changes in starting line up was given a huge hit in shoulder of the manager when Oman team started in highly positive note to hit the back of net twice under 7 minutes.Though the Oman national players were looking for regular attack on goals, there had been some brilliant work by Indian midfield players mainly jewel raja who was excellent throughout the match.


When the second half started Indian fans were expecting a change of fortune ,which was also acknowledged by some brilliant work in front as well.But the Oman players showed our main weakness in lack of speed in defense,which was witnessed with them scoring their 3rd goal of the match.Finally Indian team came with a consolation goal from joaquim abranches who scored from an assist from India's most consistent player in recent matches, nabi. As the end of match was closing in, Oman players hit another two goals to complete the rout on weak Indian defense side.


Indian national team is next in action against Azerbaijan on 27th February at Dubai.

India vs Oman International Friendly Preview

India vs Oman

23rd February International Friendly

Sultan Qaboos Stadium Complex,Muscat

Live on TEN ACTION from 2:55 PM

Indian team will face a strong Oman side when they meet at muscat on wednesday. Indian team will be without the services of star forward Jeje Lalpekhlua and Sunil Chetri as both of them are out with injuries,with sunil likey to return to coming matches . Sushil Kumar Singh ,Manandeep  are likely to replace them in the starting eleven.  Meanwhile, Raju gaikwad have also made a comeback to the national side after returning from injury,with indian new scoring sensation manandeep finding his place in final 30 as well.

National Coach Savio Medeira feels, “The match against Oman forms an integral part of our preparation for the forthcoming AFC Challenge Cup. This apart, we have another International Friendly lined up against Azerbaijan on February 27.”

Medeira sounded pleased when asked about the practice facilities in Dubai. “The team went through rigorous exercises and stay in good shape. They have responded well,” he informed. “We have a tough task ahead. This is a young bunch and many would be playing their first International Match. We need to stay focused.”

The list of probables: 
Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar), Subhasish Roychowdhury (Dempo SC), Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Kingfisher East Bengal).

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), Arnab Mondal (Prayag United), Gurjinder Singh (Pune FC). 

Midfielders: Adil Khan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Anthony Pereira, Clifford Miranda (both Dempo), Reisangmi Vashum (Kingfisher East Bengal), Baldeep Singh, Lester Fernandes (both Pune FC), Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes (both Salgaocar SC), Jewel Raja, Manish Mathani (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), Manandeep Singh (Air India), Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC).

India to Play Oman on 23rd February

India to play Oman on 23rd February

As a part of preparation of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 which is slated to take place from March, Team India will be taking on Oman in Muscat(ranked 90 in the World FIFA Rankings)on 23rd February in a International Friendly fixture.

India vs Bayern Munich - A fitting farewell to Bhaichung Bhutia

        

India 0-4 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich: Mario Gomez(14′), Thomas Müller(29',38'), Bastian Schweinsteiger(43') 

It was football that came out on top in a match that had one name written all over it - "Bhaichung Bhutia". Bayern Munich convincingly defeated the Indian team 4-0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, New Delhi but it hardly had an effect on the 30,000 fans that came down to watch the mouth watering encounter between the country's sporting icons and some of the top players in the world. Its not the score that the football fans will remember but instead its the occasion which will remain in the hearts of every Indian football supporter.

Bhaichung Bhutia being presented with the Bayern Munich No. 15 Jersey by their captain Philip Lahm

Prior to the kick-off the German team showed a great gesture to the Indian fans as they handed over the Jersey No. 15 of Bayern Munich to Bhaichung with his name written on it.

For every touch of the legend, Bhaichung the crowd went berserk. One just could not wish to have a better farewell match than to play against one of the top team in the world - Bayern Munich and that too, a full strength one. Perhaps in some moment the age factor was coming to the scenario, but the commitment that was shown by the Icon of so many national players was to be seen on the cards. At moments, he even pushed himself back to soak the enormous pressure put in by the German giants.

Thomas Muller was the pick of the players

All the goals came in the first half of the match as Thomas Muller(29th and 37th minute), Mario Gomez (14th minute) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (42nd minute) scored the goals.

Sunil Chhetri being facilitated with the AIFF player of the year award

In the break the limelight turned towards the poster boy of Indian football, Sunil Chhetri as he was facilitated with the AIFF Player of the year award along with a cash prize of Rs.2 Lakh. Mr. Praful Patel, the President of All India Football Federation said,"Sunil Chhetri is a deserving recipient of the Award. I hope this will spur him on to bring more laurels for the National Team in the near future. I wish him success in coming years”. Sunil replied,"This is an inspiration to do better. 2011 has been good for me – I had earlier received the Arjuna Award and now the AIFF Player-of-the-Year Award. It feels nice when your achievements are recognised".

Bhaichung was awarded with the Audi Q5 in the interval. India did not concede any goals in the second half of the game with Subhashish Roy Chowdhry making two world class saves as the tempo decreased. Bhaichung Bhutia was eventually substituted in the 84th minute when C.S.Sabeeth replaced the legend. Everybody paid tribute to the great man as a standing ovation from the 30,000 spectators along with the Bayern Munich as well as the Indian players was a spectacle to watch.

India vs Bayern Munich Exhibition Match - "Bhaichung Bhutia's farewell match"

India vs Bayern Munich, Audi Football Summit,
Tickets still available, picture courtesy: www.bookmyshow.com


India vs Bayern Munich
10th January,2012
Live from Ambedkar Stadium, 6:00 PM IST

A day to remember, a moment to cherish...its time Team India go head to head against one of the most fierce team in the world - Bayern Munich. For all the fans who only dreamt of watching their sporting icons, it will be a treat to watch the likes of Thomas Muller, Frank Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez going head to head against our very own Bhaichung Bhutia, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Syed Rahim Nabi and others. The match might not go down as a mouth watering tie especially considering the gulf in class. But nevertheless, no matter what the outcome is football will be the ultimate winners.

Bhaichung Bhutia farewell match

The match has been organised so as to pay a final tribute to a true legend of Indian football who has made India's name in the footballing regions even more popular, its none other than the Sikkimese Sniper - Bhaichung Bhutia. The man with an eagles eye for goal, who never lacked commitment whenever he came into the pitch donning the Blue shirt. With over 100 caps to his name, Bhaichung has always been a pillar to Indian football and has served the country with utmost pride. He made history when he joined English side Bury F.C. to become the first Indian footballer to sign a professional contract in Europe. The achievements of Bhaichung Bhutia is countless and is undoubtedly miles ahead of most of the others. All the players from both side are already looking forward towards him to give him a fitting farewell and when the other team is of the stature of Bayern Munich, then one can't simply wish for more.

The Indian team which has made some changes to the squad which they fielded in the SAFF Championship 2011. There were reports that coach Savio Medeira might make quite a lot of changes considering his visits to various i-League matches where he assessed some key players who were in the reckoning for a place in the national team. But, Savio hardly made any significant changes to the team with an exception of few.

Team India:



Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Felix D'Souza


Defenders: Jaspal Singh, Sameer Naik, Gouramangi Moirangthem, Govin Singh, Nirmal Chhetri , Syed Rahim Nabi, Adil Khan, Gurjinder Singh


Midfielders: Reisangmi Vashum, Jewel Raja Shaikh, Climax Lawrence, Rakesh Masih, Baldeep Singh, Clifford Miranda, Lalrindika Ralte, Rocus Lamare


Forwards: Jeje Lalpeklua, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sushil Singh, CS Sabeeth   




The German giants having just landed today are all set to rock the Indian supporters after their week long camp in Qatar where they won all of their practice games. The german side has opted to field a full strength side and are eager to show the quality football which the world knows about them.


Bayern Munich Squad:



Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Jörg Butt, Rouven Sattelmaier


Defenders: Holger Badstuber, Jérôme Boateng, Breno Borges, Diego Contento, Philipp Lahm, Daniel Van Buyten, Márcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza (Rafinha)


Midfielders: Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Takashi Usami, Danijel Pranjic, Luiz Gustavo, David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Emre Can


Forwards: Mario Gomez, Thomas Müller, Nils Petersen, Ivica Olic


Match tickets are still available at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.



The Audi Football Summit-India vs Bayern Munich will kick off at 6 PM at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium while the India finals of the FC Bayern Youth Cup will take place from 4:30 PM.

AIFF name squad for Bayern Munich Friendly

The All India Football Federation announced the name of 23 players who were shortlisted for the exhibition match against Bayern Munich which is slated to take place on 10th January at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.

THE SQUAD
==========


GOALKEEPERS: Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar SC), Subhasish Roychowdhury (Dempo SC), Felix (Churchill Brothers).


DEFENDERS: Jaspal Singh (Salgaocar), Sameer Naik (Dempo SC), Gouramangi Singh (Churchill Brothers), Govin Singh (United Sikkim Football Club), Nirmal Chhetri (Kingfisher East Bengal), Syed Rahim Nabi (McDowell Mohun Bagan), Adil Khan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Gurjinder Singh (Pune FC).


MIDFIELDERS: Reisangmi Vashum (Kingfisher East Bengal), Jewel Raja Shaikh (McDowell Mohun Bagan), Climax Lawrence (Dempo SC), Rakesh Masih (McDowell Mohun Bagan), Baldeep Singh (Pune FC), Clifford Miranda (Dempo SC), Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers), Rocus Lamare (Salgaocar).


FORWARDS: Jeje Lalpeklua (Pune FC), Bhaichung Bhutia, Sushil Singh (United Sikkim Football Club), CS Sabeeth (Pailan Arrows).

Match tickets for India vs Bayern Munich match available now

India vs Bayern Munich, Audi Football Summit,
Tickets available now, picture courtesy: www.bookmyshow.com

The match tickets for the International Exhibition match between India and Bayern Munich(Audi football summit) which is slated to take place on 10th January, 2012 at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, New Delhi is now available online. The tickets price range from Rs.100 to Rs.3000. The match will feature top class players of Bayern Munich face to face against Indian national players. The match tickets are available at: http://in.bookmyshow.com/sport/audi-football-summit-2012/

South Africa vs India International Friendly postponed

South Africa Friendly Postponed

Indian National teams friendly with South African team which was scheduled to take place on 7th January has been postponed. The South African Football Association(SAFA) has told to the All India Football Federation(AIFF) that their team won't be available for the International friendly match.

India thrashed by Zambia in Goa

                                

India 0-5 Zambia (Full Time)

Zambia: Mulilo Jimmy Chisenga(15',55'), Musakanya Bruce Bwalya(69',73',90')

More to follow.....

India vs Zambia International Friendly Preview

India vs Zambia
29th NovemberInternational Friendly
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa
Live on DD Sports from 3:45 PM

Indian team will face a strong Zambian side when they meet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa on Tuesday. The 79th ranked Zambian side has already made their presence felt as they defeated Goa XI 4-1 earlier on 26th November. Indian team will be without the services of star forwards Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua as both of them are on week long trials with Scottish side Rangers FC. Sushil Kumar Singh and Baljit Singh Sahini are likely to replace them in the starting eleven.  Meanwhile, Govin Singh and Nirmal Chhetri have also made a comeback to the national side.

Indian team training for the Zambia game, Courtesy: www.the-aiff.com

Coach Savio Medeira sounded enthusiastic but cautious at the same time as he said,"The match is very important for us. This is a great opportunity to gauge where we stand. The Zambian team are ranked higher than us and are an athletic side. It will be a learning experience for the boys ahead of the SAFF Championship.”

The moral of the players are on a high after the win against Malaysia in Kolkata.“If we play as a unit – the manner we played against Malaysia, we should pose a challenge for Zambia. We hope to bank on the crowd support. We will give our 100 percent,” said Baljit Sahini.



SQUAD:
=======


Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury.


Defenders: Jaspal Singh, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Debabrata Roy, Nirmal Chhetri, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Singh, Govin Singh.


Midfeilders:  Baldeep Singh, Rocus Lamare, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Climax Lawrence, Anthony Periera, Clifford Miranda, Jewel Raja, Steven Dias, Lalrindika Ralte.


Forwards: Baljit Sahni, Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches.



OFFICIALS:


Head Coach: Savio Medeira
Assistant Coach: Mariano Dias 
Doctor: Sandeep Kumar
Physical Trainer: Pradip Datta
Massuer: Liaqat Ali
Physio: Vishnu Nair
Manager: Mandar Tamhane


The match will be telecasted live on DD Sports from 3:45 PM Onwards.

India vs Malaysia International Friendly at Kolkata - All Goals Video

India's First Goal - Sunil Chhetri(38') India 1-0 Malaysia



Malaysia's First Goal: Safee Ali(42') India 1-1 Malaysia



India's Second Goal - Jeje Lalpekhlua(46') India 2-1 Malaysia



India's Third Goal - Sunil Chhetri(52') India 3-1 Malaysia



Malaysia's Second Goal: Safee Ali(58') India 3-2 Malaysia

India steal a five goal thriller against Malaysia at YBK

India 3-2 Malaysia

India: Sunil Chhetri(38', 52'), Jeje(46')

Malaysia: Safee Sali(42', 58')

India came out with all guns blazing with a stellar show witness by few hardcore Indian fans including me. Right from the word go, the lowly crowd tried their best to motivate the Indian Team and it finally paid off in the 38th minute when India grabbed the lead through star forward Sunil Chhetri when he trapped the ball expertly from a superb lofted pass from Syed Rahim Nabi and netted a clean finish to make the scoreline 1-0 in India's favor. The match saw few fantastic end to end stuff with both teams focusing on ground passes more than long balls. 6 minutes after that incident, it was Malaysia;'s turn to pay back with a solid left footed effort from Safee Sali finding the back of the net after his initial shot was deflected by Anwar Ali.

Sunil Chhetri showed his class bagging two goals

In the second half, India started aggressively. Only after a minute, India managed to regain the lead through Jeje. A very fluid passing move saw Baldeep precisely sending a cracking through ball in the six yard box and Francis Fernandez squared it to Jeje who was free with an open net at his bay, made the scoreline 2-1 to the Indian team. Few minutes later, Jeje spilled a great opportunity as he failed to convert from a one on one position, managing to earn India only a corner. There was no respite for the ASEAN Champions, one minute later Sunil Chhetri grabbed his brace when a low cross from Francis Fernandes was deflected in Sunil Chhetri's path and he made no mistake, coolly slotting it between two malaysian defenders, making the scoreline a resounding 3-1 to the hosts. Perhaps, overconfidence crept in as Indian defence was found asleep, a through pass from the midfield saw Safee Sali free past the two centre backs thanks to the space provided by them, and the talismanic forward ended with a calm finish past helpless Subhasish Roy Chowdhry. As the game progressed further, Malaysian team tried desperately to get an equalizer and several panicky moments came by and went. Baldeep Singh was playing an anchor role in the midfield along with Rocus Lamare, which kept the Malaysian midfield at bay at times. Lalrindika Ralte was at his toes too and so was the captain Syed Rahim Nabi which led India to a thrilling victory against the Malayan Tigers.

The good solid performance by the Blue Tigers spearheaded by Sunil Chhetri, earns the first under coach Savio Medeira, and will boost the moral of the team a great deal ahead of the upcoming SAFF Cup. 

India vs Malaysia International Friendly at Kolkata - Preview

India Vs Malaysia
International Friendly
Yuva Bharati Kriangan, Kolkata
16th November, 2011
Live from 6:30 PM IST

                                    

India will look back to bounce back after a late goal by the versatile Rahim Nabi saved the day for the 'Blue Tigers' and for the coach, Savio Medeira. It will be a more familiar territory for the Men in Blue at the artificial turf at the Salt Lake Stadium. On the other hand, Malaysia will find it hard to play in the artificial turf as, for most of the players it will their first time experience in playing in the synthetic turf. 

The first match against Guwahati was a glimpse of what the Malaysians can do. India had to dig deep in the match to secure a draw. Some missed chances and some sloppy defending were the order of the day. India mainly fainted out in the midfield where Climax Lawrence and Jewel Raja failed to control the midfield. Unlike last game Malaysia might get the service of star forward Safiq Rahim from the start. India will be banking on Sunil Chhetri and Jeje again to deliver the goods in the front while Karanjit Singh will have to make sure that India don't concede against Malaysia.

Again, it will be a good opportunity for both the teams to climb up some places in the FIFA World Raking Ladder.

THE SQUAD:

India

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury

Defenders: Jaspal Parmar, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Debabrata Roy, Anwar Ali, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Moirangthem

Midfielders: Baldeep Singh, Rocus Lamare, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Climax Lawrence, Anthony Periera, Clifford Reyes Miranda, Jewel Shaik Raja, Steven Benedict Dias, Lalrindika Ralte

Forwards: Baljit Singh Sahni, Jeje Lalpeklua, Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches, Sunil Chhetri

Malaysia

Goalkeepers: G.Jeevanathan, Mohd Sharbinee Allawee, Mohd Farizal Marlias

Defenders: Mohd Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Mohd Nasriq Baharom, Mohd Faizal Muhammad, Mazlizam Mohamad, Muhammad Abdul Aziz Ismail, Mohd Azmi Muslim, Mohd Rizal Fahmi Abdul Rosid

Midfielders: Mohd Safiq Rahim, Amar Rohidan, S Chanthuru, Samsudin S Kunanlan, Mohd Bunyamin Umar, Joseph Kalang Tie, Shahurain Abu Samah, Mohd Ashari Samsudin, Mohd Faizal Abu Bakar

Forwards: Shahrizal Mohd Saad, Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Abdul Hadi Yahaya, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen

The match will be telecasted live in DD Sports(as per information). The match will kick off at 6:30 PM IST live from Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata.

India vs Malaysia International Friendly ends in a draw at Guwahati

India 1-1 Malaysia

India: Syed Rahim Nabi(85')

Malaysia: Rahim Safiq(42')

                
                                                                       More to follow......

India vs Malaysia International Friendly at Guwahati - Live Streaming

Match has ended.

Sorry for those who were unable to watch any stream in the second half because the news channel might have  had some technical difficulties.

Thanks for coming. 

India vs Malaysia International Friendly at Guwahati - Preview

India Vs Malaysia
International Friendly
Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
13th November, 2011
Live from 5:45 PM IST

Its been a while now since India took part in World Cup Qualifiers against UAE back in July..India will take on Malaysia in the first of the two International friendly at Guwahati tomorrow, 13th November 2011 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. It will be the first match for Savio Medeira taking charge of the Indian team. He has worked as an assistant coach under Bob Houghton and Armando Colaco.

Savio Medeira, Coach, Indian National Team

Savio Medeira has chosen an experienced side for the twin friendlies keeping in mind the lack of time they got. The team did not have much time to prepare for the friendlies. Savio has taken in most of the players that were a part of the squad which participated in the AFC Asia Cup 2011, Qatar.

Malaysia, nine places higher in the FIFA World Raking ladder, on the other hand had a preparatory camp for the friendlies against India and are well prepared for the challenge. It will definitely not be an easy task for Krishnasamy Rajagobal's boys playing away from home against a side that looks better on paper but they are eager to get a good result.


THE SQUADS:

INDIA:


Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury


Defenders: Jaspal Singh, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Debabrata Roy, Anwar Ali, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Moirangthem


Midfielders: Baldeep Singh, Rocus Lamare, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Climax Lawrence, Anthony Periera, Clifford Reyes Miranda, Jewel Shaik Raja, Steven Benedict Dias, Lalrindika Ralte.


Forwards: Baljit Singh Sahni, Jeje Lalpeklua, Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches, Sunil Chhetri


MALAYSIA:


Goalkeepers: G.Jeevanathan, Mohd Sharbinee Allawee, Mohd Farizal Marlias


Defenders: Mohd Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Mohd Nasriq Baharom, Mohd Faizal Muhammad, Mazlizam Mohamad, Muhammad Abdul Aziz Ismail, Mohd Azmi Muslim, Mohd Rizal Fahmi Abdul Rosid


Midfielders: Mohd Safiq Rahim, Amar Rohidan, S Chanthuru, Samsudin S Kunanlan, Mohd Bunyamin Umar, Joseph Kalang Tie, Shahurain Abu Samah, Mohd Ashari Samsudin, Mohd Faizal Abu Bakar


Forwards: Shahrizal Mohd Saad, Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Abdul Hadi Yahaya, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen

Savio Medeira Appointed as the Head Coach of Indian National Team

Savio Medeira, Head Coach, India

Savio Medeira, who has been an assistant coach of the Indian National Football team for quite a some time, has been given the opportunity to coach the Indian team. He has been officially appointed as the Head Coach for Indian National Team till May 2012.

India will play under him in the two Friendlies against Malaysia which will take place on 13th(Guwahati) and 16th November(Kolkata).

India's squad for the double headed friendlies is:


Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury.

Defenders: Raju Eknath Gaikwad, Jaspal, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Debabrata Roy, Anwar Ali, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Singh.

Midfeilders:  Mehtab Hossain, Baldeep Singh, Rocus Lamare, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Climax Lawrence, Anthony Periera, Clifford Miranda, Jewel Raja, Steven Dias, Lalrindika Ralte.

Forwards: Baljit Singh Sahni, Jeje Lalpeklua, Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches, Sunil Chhetri.