East Asian Football Championship (2009-2010)

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 27 (IANS) The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions Committee has confirmed Vietnam as the neutral venue for the playoff round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games, which is scheduled to be played from March 25 to 31. Malaysia had originally been chosen but renovations to the proposed [...]

Shillong, Jan 5 (IANS) Meghalaya has sent a proposal to the union government for laying a synthetic athletics track at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex here at a cost of Rs.7 crore, Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong said Thursday. “We hope to get the sanction as early as possible,” Lanong, who is also [...]

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Afghan football coach Mohammad Yusuf Kargar Sunday accused Singapore referee Sukhbir Singh of being biased towards India, who won 4-0 in the SAFF Cup football final here Sunday. “In the first half, we played very well. In the second half, the referee gave a wrong penalty which affected the [...]

Kuala lumpur, Nov 23 (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said he has made his apologies for his comments on racism, insisting “zero tolerance” to racism and considers the matter to be over. Blatter, who is attending the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) annual awards ceremony here Wednesday, was asked about his recent remarks on [...]

Roseau (Dominica), Nov 21 (IANS/CMC) Former president of the Dominica Football Association (DFA), Patrick John, has indicated that he is in the process of appealing against the FIFA decision to ban him for a period of two years from all football- related activities at national, regional and international level. John, also a former Dominica Prime [...]

Srinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) The presence of star Kashmiri footballer Ishfaq Ahmed in the Salgaocar football club will see the valley rooting for the Goan giants, which will be looking to defend its I-league title this season. But he rues the fact that the state lacks sporting infrastructure, other than for polo [...]

Tashkent, Oct 7 (IANS) Indian boys trounced Tajikistan 4-1 in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 football qualifiers to make the final phase of the competition. With the win, India booked their place in the main tournament for the second time in four years. The emphatic victory tasted sweeter to the boys after they were [...]

New York, Oct 7 (IANS/CMC) Chuck Blazer is resigning as secretary general of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), just four months after blowing the whistle on alleged corruption in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The 66-year-old American plans to quit his post Dec 31 to pursue other career opportunities [...]

Tashkent, Oct 5 (IANS) Indian boys got a 0-9 hammering by hosts Uzbekistan in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 qualifiers here Wednesday. A spell of five minutes midway in the first half when Indian boys, very much against the run of play, conceded three goals. And they were never allowed to come back in [...]

Kolkata, Sep 15 (IANS) The coaches of city based I-League teams Thursday criticised the newly laid artificial grass at the Salt Lake Stadium and regretted that lack of football infrastructure in the country was retarding the growth of the game. “I am really surprised. How can anyone lay such grass at an important stadium [...]

Kolkata, Aug 26 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is dreaming big on the Argentina-Venezuela match featuring superstars like Lionel Messi here September 2 hoping it would help raise the profile of the game and expand its reach in the country, besides drawing more corporate funds in future. Two top FIFA officials will [...]

Kolkata, Aug 24 (IANS) From the sleepy Tinkitam village in mountainous Sikkim to playing professional football in England, striking genius Bhaichung Bhutia has traversed many unchartered territories in Indian soccer to emerge as a rare non-cricketing sports icon pampered alike by the masses and the corporates. As the 34-year-old forward, hailed “God’s gift to [...]

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) Mohun Bagan’s new soccer chief coach Steve Darby, who is set to take over reins of the club from July 27, Monday compared the soccer craze in the metropolis to that back home during the English Premier League. “It is just like the EPL,” the 56 year old coach said [...]

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) India coach Armando Colaco said Monday that his boys would go all out against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Thursday’s return leg of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. India lost the first-leg 0-3 after they were reduced to nine men within 23 minutes. Goalkeeper [...]

Abu Dhabi, July 25 (IANS) India’s football coach Armando Colaco blamed poor refereeing for his team’s 0-3 loss to United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Saturday’s first-leg of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Colaco accused Qatari referee Mohammed Al Dosari for killing the match in the first 23 minutes of the [...]