⚽️ HT Kick Off: It could start to hurt nowLack of domestic action might affect India’s clubs and the men’s national team, writes Dhiman in this issue
So far, India have coped admirably with the season being stalled for no fault of the players, All India Football Federation (AIFF) or its commercial partners. Four matches in 11 days in the CAFA Nations Cup saw Khalid Jamil’s team carve out two wins against higher-ranked opponents and finish third. It would have been good at any time but many players having no scope for pre-season training made it nothing short of incredible. Jamil has begun preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore but the familiar club-country tug-of-war has meant the new India head coach is training with only 18 players. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has joined but none of the Bengaluru FC outfield players have. Ditto the trio from East Bengal and four from Punjab FC. Club v country, againThis was hours after AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey had called “all stakeholders to support and cooperate” in conducting long preparatory camps for national teams. With the federation announcing the Super Cup dates, you cannot blame clubs for not releasing players outside the international window. In the absence of a calendar which AIFF can stick to, and one which accommodates longer camps, this is a problem without a solution. As the first step, Chaubey has promised a conversation “where all stakeholders will be taken into confidence.”
In the short run, none of this helps Jamil. What could make it more difficult is that when India play on October 9, the Singapore Premier League will have been 11 matches old (games pause after October 2 for the match against India). The season in Singapore began on August 23. Contrast that with most of India’s national team players having taken part in zero competitive matches between September 8 and October 9. Asked specifically about this at a press conference in Bengaluru last Friday, Jamil did not give a clear answer. “It will be a difficult game because it is away. You have to be prepared,” he said. No substitute for matchesBefore India take on Singapore, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and FC Goa are scheduled to go on away trips in Asian Champions League 2. They could also face the problem of a lack of domestic action. Like last year, Mohun Bagan’s trip to Iran has become uncertain and a developing story. That no amount of training – Mohun Bagan had six weeks to prepare for this – can substitute matches was evident in the 0-1 defeat at home to Ahal FK. There were many reasons for the loss but one certainly was Mohun Bagan’s opponents looking sharper, a consequence of competitive football for six months in the Yokary Liga before coming to Kolkata. “No chance to play matches didn’t help us,” Jose Molina had said before the match. It was the only point in the preparation the Mohun Bagan head coach said he would have changed if he could. In the month between the Durand Cup quarter-final defeat to East Bengal on August 17 and the ACL2 opener, Mohun Bagan could play only one friendly – against FC Goa. Tough friendlies against Iraq, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan helped India perform creditably in the Asian U23 qualifiers, head Naushad Moosa has said. What Moosa got and Molina didn’t was reflected in the performance of their teams. Sepahan have starting problems of their own but they would have played five rounds in the Persian Gulf Pro League should Mohun Bagan visit them on September 30. One day later, Istiklol will host FC Goa. The Tajikistan heavyweights will have played 17 matches in the league, two in the cup and one in ACL2 by then. For FC Goa, it will be their third official match in 48 days. It was different against Al-Zawraa because like FC Goa, the team from Iraq were starting the season with the ACL2 tie between them on September 17. Late goals sucker-punched FC Goa and next week will tell us how well they have recovered. Football always gives you hope, teams always believe in miracles. “We want to be in the final. That’s the kind of mentality I want to have,” Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had told me in an interview before the CAFA Nations Cup. And yet the question that needs to be asked is: did India give their clubs and the national team the chance to be the best version of themselves in Asia? Play of the week
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In other newsArgentina-Australia in Kochi? Argentina are likely to play Australia in Kochi in November, officials in the state sports department have said, reports PTI. The match will be held between November 12 and 18 when the Argentina team, with Lionel Messi, are scheduled to be in Kerala, the sources said. Ekitike sorry: Hugo Ekitike has apologised to Liverpool fans for being sent off after celebrating his game-winning goal against Southampton in the English League Cup, reports AP. “The emotion got the better of me tonight. My apologies to all the Red family,” the 23-year-old forward has posted on Instagram. Liverpool coach Arne Slot described the France striker’s actions as “needless” and “stupid.” Ekitike will miss the Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Saturday as a result of being shown red for removing his shirt while celebrating the 85th-minute goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory.
Matches for Afghanistan women refugees team: The Afghanistan national women’s team of refugee players will have their first official games next month at a four-team tournament in Dubai, FIFA has said, reports AP. The FIFA-supported team — which cannot yet officially represent Afghanistan in World Cup qualifying — will face the hosts United Arab Emirates, Chad and Libya in the October 23-29 event. Afghanistan have not played an official women’s competitive game since 2018, and the return to power of the Taliban regime in 2021 shut down women’s sport. The Afghan soccer federation has obligations under FIFA statutes to avoid discrimination though it has not been suspended. Gavi’s message: Barcelona playmaker Gavi has posted an upbeat message to fans from his hospital bed, surrounded by teammates, after surgery to treat a meniscus injury in his right knee, reports AP. Gavi posted a photo on Instagram of himself giving a thumbs up with teammates Lamine Yamal, Ronald Araujo and Pedri standing by his hospital bed. “Those of you who know me know that I’ll come back as many times as necessary to defend Barça and my teammates until the end,” the post said. Barcelona have said his recovery time will be four to five months. Bid for 2026 broadcasting rights: Shrachi Sports Entertainment Network (SSEN), a dedicated sports OTT platform, has bid for the broadcasting rights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2030. The bid is valued at approximately $2 million. If awarded, SSEN intends to stream the tournaments on a free-to-view basis. This pioneering model would ensure that millions of fans across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives can watch the world’s greatest sporting event without subscription fees or barriers to entry, according to a media release from SSEN.
East Bengal champions: Hours after they were awarded the 2024 edition, East Bengal defeated United SC 2-1 to retain the crown and make it a record-extending 41Calcutta Football League titles. David Lalhlansanga scored for East Bengal in the 37th minute and Shyamal Besra got the winning goal in the 88th seconds after Amit Basak had made it 1-1. Mourinho back: José Mourinho will coach in Portugal again two decades later, promising a more mature and less egocentric version of himself, says AP. Benfica reached a deal with Mourinho on Thursday, sealing his return to the country 21 years after he led rival Porto to the Champions League title in 2004. “Today I think a lot more about the others. I’m last in line. I’m here to serve,” he said. The 62-year-old Mourinho said the only thing that hasn’t changed was his “desire to always win the next match.” FIFA to punish SA: South Africa will face disciplinary proceedings for fielding a suspended player in a World Cup qualifier in March, which will likely see them docked points and put their hopes of advancing to next year’s finals in jeopardy, reports Reuters. FIFA has informed the South African Football Association that it was opening proceedings due to the fielding of midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 win over Lesotho, officials have confirmed. Mokoena had already collected two cautions and had to sit out with an automatic one-match suspension. South Africa admitted they had made an error, but FIFA’s delay in opening disciplinary proceedings led to months of speculation in the country that they had got away with it. Bolt in Bengaluru: Usain Bolt is set to visit India for a unique exhibition match in Bengaluru here on October 1, reports PTI. Bolt, who has eight Olympic gold medals, will light up the pitch in an exclusive football showcase alongside footballers, Bollywood personalities and other prominent figures. Bolt will represent both Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC, playing one half each bringing fans from both camps together in PUMA’s two-day celebration, starting September 30. This exhibition match will be a ticketed event. Jerome Boateng retires: Former Germany defender Jerome Boateng, who won the World Cup in 2014, has announced his retirement, reports AFP. “I played for a long time, for big clubs, for my country. I learned, won, lost, and grew through it all,” Boateng, 37, said in a clip uploaded to Instagram which included highlights from his career. The defender played 76 times for Germany, scoring once. Luca Zidane for Algeria: Luca Zidane, the 27-year-old goalkeeper and son of French football great Zinedine Zidane, has switched his sporting nationality from France to Algeria, the Algerian football federation FAF has said, reports AFP. Luca Zidane represented France at youth levels and plays for Granada in Spain’s second division. Since he never made the step up to the French national team, he remained eligible to play for Algeria, the country of his paternal grandparents. The North Africans have qualified for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, set to begin on December 21 in Morocco. You may also be interested in:
Iconic momentDembélé, Bonmati best
Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or for leading Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title and Aitana Bonmatí received the women’s award for a third successive year, reports AP. Dembélé succeeded Manchester City midfielder Rodri to become the sixth Frenchman to win it after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema. Bonmatí won ahead of her Spain teammate Mariona Caldentey. She’s only the third player in the award’s history to win three in a row after Platini (1983–85) and Lionel Messi (2009-12). Full list of winners here. Also readExplained: The chaos in Camp Nou There’s more to Pep than possession Why Bhutia thinks you can expect the unexpected with Jamil They said it
That’s all for this week. As always, I look forward to your feedback. You can either write to me at dhiman@htlive.com, or reply to this mail.
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