SAFF Thread

Discussion in 'Asian Football Confederation' started by druryfire, Jul 10, 2009.

  1. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Please post any news / views on nations in the South Asian Football Federation

    Members

    India - I. League
    Pakistan - Pakistan Premier League
    Bangladesh - B. League
    Maldives - Dhivehi League
    Nepal - Martyr's Memorial A-Division
    Sri Lanka - Kit Premier League
    Afghanistan - Kabul Premier League
    Bhutan - A-Division
     
  2. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Bangladesh B. League

    The 3rd B.League will be start from mid-November with more number of teams participating in the country's lone professional football competition.

    Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) general secretary informed that they will take the final decision on the additional team on Saturday.

    The league committee is looking forward to increasing the number of the participating teams to 12 and they preliminary selected fours teams--Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool, Shuktara Club of Narayanganj, Feni Soccer Club and Sylhet's Bianibazar FC in Thursday's meeting.

    Like the previous season a club will be able to register five foreign players but only three can play at a time.

    The football season however will kick off with the Federation Cup Tournament from the second week of September.

    http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=96222
     
  3. PinoyMarauder

    PinoyMarauder Member

    Apr 10, 2008
    Philippines/Canada
    Drury, when are you going to admit that you work for the AFC? Anyways, Is footballt the most famous sport in SAFF?
     
  4. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    I really do wish i work for the AFC, i would then also get paid for doing what i like doing - but the case still stands that i don't. Hey i don't even live in Asia.

    Cricket of course is the most famous sport going, but football is on the way up.
     
  5. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    AIFF name Nehru Cup sides - Indian National Team Cup Competition

    The AIFF today announced the names of the six participating national teams in this years "ONGC" Nehru Cup.


    The participating sides will be all Asian - Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka and besides hosts India.

    The 14th edition of the "ONGC" Nehru Cup will be played from August 18 to 30 at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi.

    The six teams will be divided in two groups of three teams each. The winners and runners-up from each group will qualify for the semifinals.

    India are the defending champions having defeated Syria 1-0 in the finals on August 29, 2007 in Delhi. But this years tournament will be tougher for the hosts and a good test for Bob Houghton to judge the progress of his team.

    http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/1204
     
  6. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Manilal Fernando – Man on a mission

    Keen to help South Asia shed its unflattering tag as the continent’s footballing backwaters, football administrators are making concerted efforts to develop the beautiful game in the region.

    And leading this transformation from the front is Sri Lankan Manilal Fernando, AFC Vice-President and FIFA Development Officer for South and Central Asia.

    Fernando (pictured) took time out from his busy schedule during the AFC Committee meetings to speak to www.the-afc.com, laying bare FIFA and AFC’s plans for furthering football in the most populous continent in the world, besides stressing that a massive injection of increased funds coupled with determined efforts from all the stakeholders would bring results.

    The veteran administrator, known for calling a spade a spade, did not mince words, calling for South Asian countries to seriously address their ills if they are to entertain thoughts of international success.

    “Lack of professionalism in South Asia’s national football associations and their rigid attitude are the biggest hurdles in development of the game in the region,” he said.

    The 59-year-old said though South Asian countries were currently struggling in the current economic climate they could take cues from giants like India in terms of sustainable football development.

    “We have approved six cities - Kolkata, Goa, Manipur, Mumbai, Bangalore and Meghalaya – to build artificial turfs under FIFA’s ‘Win in India, With India’ programme while Delhi and Tamil Nadu are in the pipeline, pending certain approvals.

    “We are aiming to start work on these six cities this year and complete the five-month project by next year so that the Indian League clubs can avail these facilities.”

    “We are also planning to give artificial turfs to Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries which will help their players train properly.”

    Praising AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam, Fernando said due to the Qatari’s efforts AFC had increased its annual grant to South Asian countries to US$120,000.

    “India has now been included in AFC AID-27 programme and will get the grant from this year onwards,” he revealed.

    The wily administrator also had a word of advice for the powers-that-be in Indian football saying any change in the administration at this crucial juncture could prove to be “suicidal”.

    “I have seen the advertisement for the post of All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary but this is not the right time to make any changes in the set-up.

    “AIFF should get new and professional people to strengthen the hands of present General Secretary Alberto Colaco.”

    He was, however, happy at the progress made by the South Asian teams but cautioned them of the tough road ahead.

    “The South Asian teams have done reasonably well in international competitions. India won the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 to qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar while Sri Lanka have also made it to the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup,” he said referring to the teams’ rising graph.

    “India should now concentrate on preparations to fight against the top Asian teams in two years. If they lose badly in the AFC Asian Cup, it will give a bad image to India and push South Asia again into the wilderness.

    “And to avoid this, they should stick to the present administration set-up and play international matches regularly outside the country.”

    Regarding other countries, he said Pakistan and Bangladesh had shown a lot of promise of late and he was confident that grassroots development and regular international exposure would propel them into the ranks of the Asian elite soon.

    http://www.the-afc.com/en/features/24795--manilal-fernando-man-on-a-mission
     
  7. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
  8. Nepal Footy

    Nepal Footy New Member

    Feb 8, 1999
    Nepal
    In Nepal and Maldives football is the most popular sport. It was true for Bangladesh too, before their cricket team got better. In pockets of India like the North East and Goa (possibly Kolkata and Kerala too) football is top dog. In Bhutan, I believe Archery is their favorite sport.
     
  9. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    I've being reading up that Bangladesh were banned by FIFA in 2001 which in turn caused the cancellation of the 2001 SAFF Cup, can anyone tell me why they were banned?
     
  10. Nepal Footy

    Nepal Footy New Member

    Feb 8, 1999
    Nepal
    Government interference in the BFF I believe.
     
  11. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Nehru Cup 2007 at a glance - Part 1/4

    Saturday, 15. August 2009 - Sanjay Kumar - indianfootball.com

    The year 2007 may be considered as the redemption of Indian football and a major achievement that fell into the Indian team kitty was their maiden Nehru Cup title under able stewardship of coach Robert Douglas 'Bob' Houghton.


    The Dr. Ambedkar Stadium witnessed the history in making and so did thousands of fans who came in huge numbers to support 'The Bhangra Boys'. The Venue never saw such an outing when India defeated Syria by a solitary goal in the final to lift the Nehru Cup trophy.

    We would like to take you back to the year 2007, while presenting you all the details, facts and figures related to the Nehru Cup 2007...


    PART 1 of 4


    Date
    The tournament started on August 17, 2007 while the final was played on August 29, 2007.

    Teams
    India, Syria, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan.

    Format
    The tournament was based on a round-robin format with each team playing four games. The two teams topping the round-robin league faced each other in the final.


    Round-robin league stage
    Before the start of the tournament it was believed that India will have a tough time against teams like Syria and Kyrgyzstan due to their FIFA rankings. Syria was the team tipped as the virtual champion, while keeping in mind their FIFA Ranking which was 112th followed by India (151), Kyrgyzstan (153), Cambodia (173) and Bangladesh (176).

    India started their Nehru Cup campaign on a thumping note when they trounced Cambodia 6-0 in the opener. It really set the tone for Bob Houghton's boys and it helped them to believe in their abilities and to win. Sunil Chetri and Steven Benedic Dias netted two goals for India while Naduparambil Pappachen Pradeep scored the first goal of the tournament with skipper Baichung Bhutia also adding one goal to his name through a spot kick.

    On the other side Syria also kicked off their campaign on a winning note, while getting past Bangladesh with a comfortable 2-0 win. Zyad Chabo, who later became the highest scorer of the tournament with five goals, scored one while captain Maher Al Sayed also opened his account. The Syrian captain played an impressive tournament, when he led his team with outstanding performances and also scoring four goals.
     
  12. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    PART 2 of 4


    Round-robin league stage [continued]
    After being thrashed by India in their very first match Cambodia went on to give a good fight to Kyrgyzstan. Despite the good performance the Cambodians went down 3-4. It was really an exciting encounter as Kyrgyzstan hardly had any idea to dominate the match and was punished for their complacency thrice.

    After trashing Cambodia, hosts India took on Bangladesh in their second match, but they had a tough time against the neighbours. India won the match by a solitary goal scored by captain Baichung Bhutia to collect three maximum points.

    The mighty Syrians were not far behind with their own performances and continued their quest for glory with a 4-1 thrashing of Kyrgyzstan. Zyad Chabbo and Maher Al Sayed were on the score sheet on that day.

    After losing both their matches, Bangladesh and Cambodia faced each other and split the points in a 1-1 draw.

    The next match of the tournament between India and Syria was certainly the one to decide the first finalist. India suffered the only defeat of the tournament against the Syrians, when they went down 2-3 at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium. Though India took the lead through Sunil Chetri in the 13th minute, but failed to maintain it and conceded the equalizer in the 23rd minute when Al Baba scored for the Syria. After the equalizer the Syrians increased the pace and went ahead to take the match away from the Indian team. Zyed Chabbo gave a serious blow to the hosts, when he scored the second goal for his side just before the lemon break. The Indian defenders were put on a test and had a tough time against the sharp and skilful Syrian midfielders. Chabbo went on to score the third goal of the match in the 65th minute. Krishnan Nair Ajayan reduced the margin, while firing a long-ranger into the Syrian goal - one of the best goals of the tournament.

    Kyrgyzstan had a brilliant chance to put them face to face with India on the race to the final. The Kyrgyzstan team went past Bangladesh with a convincing 3-0 victory and kept alive their hopes.

    Syria escalated their marvellous outing in the league stage and trounced Cambodia 5-1 to lead the table with 12 points. Maher Al Sayed scored a brace while Zyad Chabbo, Al Zeno and Jenyat scored one goal each.

    Everyone expected a cracker of a game when India took on Kyrgyzstan in the last match of the league stage. Both teams could have qualified for the final, but the match proved to be a one-sided affair with India wining the match comfortably 3-0. Baichung Bhutia started the proceedings in the 39th minute, just to see Sunil Chetri adding another one in the 60th minute. Abhishek Yadav had the honour to net the last goal of the match and to set-up a final against Syria.
     
  13. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    PART 3 of 4

    The Grand Finale

    India certainly played as a unit in the Nehru Cup 2007 and each game reflected the team spirit and the will to win the title. On the other hand Syria were the favourites to win the Nehru Cup and they were the best team in the tournament. But on the given day they failed to prove their capability and registered their first defeat of the campaign.

    The Indian team was already aware of the dangerous Syrian team especially their two in-form players Maher Al Sayed and Zyad Chabbo. India started the game on a conscious note and the defence looked much better in comparison to their last encounter in the league stage. Mahesh Gawli took charge of the defence and led his teammates to a scrappy performance. Gawli was later adjudged the 'Man of the Match' award for his solid performance at the back.

    Naduparambil Pappachen Pradeep, who scored the first goal of the tournament, went ahead to score the all important decisive goal in the 43rd minute to put India onto the drive. Chetri headed back to Baichung who tapped back to Pradeep. The Keralite's powerful left footer found the back of the net leaving the Syrian goalkeeper stranded.

    There was lots of drama involved towards the second half, when Syrian midfielder Wael Ayan was given the marching order by the referee for recklessly hitting Irungbam Surkumar Singh on the groin and leaving Syria down to ten men. The visitors didn't throw in the towel and fired all their gases in search of the equalizer but failed to get past Indian custodian Subrata Pal. Subrata had a brilliant day and he was agile, while showing several superb reflexes to save the day for India.

    It was really one of the most memorable days for all the people who witnessed India making history and picking up their maiden Nehru Cup title. It was a job well done by Bob Houghton's boys and certainly it was the result of the 'believe and win policy' that the new Indian team had incorporated. It's the result of the vision by one man - Robert Douglas 'Bob' Houghton.

    The Nehru Cup performance paved the way to new highs for the Indian team and only one year later they won the AFC Challenge Cup to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 after a gap of 24 years.

    India also gained six places in the FIFA World Ranking and was ranked 145 after defeating Syria in the final
     
  14. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Build Up To The Nehru Cup

    TEAM NEWS

    Kyrgyzstan
    • Kyrgyzstan arrived last night in the capital and had their first training session at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon.
    • The team had a 90-minute training in the afternoon.
    • The teams look young and full of spirit.
    • Concentration was more on team building and set pieces.


    Lebanon
    • Lebanon had an hour’s training at the Janki Devi Memorial College.
    • The team focused more on team building and combination.
    • Training started with a running session for 10 minutes followed by another 15 minutes warm up with the ball.
    • Later they concentrated on short passing and shooting.


    Sri Lanka
    • The Sri Lankan team had their first training at DPS RK Puram since their arrival in the capital.
    • The team had an hour’s session in the afternoon.
    • The concentration was more on the tactical drills, while training kicked off with general warm up and ball possession.
    • The SLFF has turned down a request from the team management for star striker Kasun Jayasuriya, who is suffering from a knee injury.


    Syria
    • The Syrian team had their second training session at the Janki Devi Memorial College.
    • The Fajer Ibrahim coached side kicked off training with a general warm up for 30 minutes.
    • The team emphasized more on set pieces and shooting.
     
  15. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    Nehru Cup 2009

    Live scores India-Lebanon HT 0-1
    4' Ali al-Saadi
     
  16. jonny63

    jonny63 Member+

    Feb 17, 2005
    Norway
    Male’, MALDIVES – The next edition of regional football competition, SAFF championship, is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh next December. Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Ali Azim confirmed that they haven’t received the confirmation from SAFF but said it is agreed to host the event in Bangladesh this time.

    “We haven’t got the official confirmation, but the event will be hosted by Bangladesh this time” Azim said today.

    It was India, who was agreed to host the event first but they had some security conflicts with neighboring Pakistan and after series of meetings by SAFF officials they decided to move the event to Bangladesh.

    http://maldivesoccer.net/v4/?page=story&id=2736
     
  17. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    India-Lebanon 0-1 FT
    Very poor result by home boys against a very poor team.
     
  18. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    India vastly need to improve on this result. Being at home against a nation such as Lebanon, whom always seem to be in some sort of crisis, really should produce the win.

    Tomorrow's matchup between Syria and Kyrgyzstan should be interesting.

    Kyrgyzstan are using a youngish team, i'm not to sure about Syria.

    I hope Kyrgyzstan test them and show us what Central Asia has to offer.
     
  19. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    Nehru Cup 2009

    Syria - Kyrgyzstan 2-0 FT
    9' Mohamed al-Zeno, who also scored against Kyrgyz back in 2007.
    72' Abdul Fattah Alaga
     
  20. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    114th IFA Shield

    The draw of the prestigious 114th edition of the IFA Shield was held today at the IFA Office in Calcutta.


    As per the revised schedule, the tournament will be held from August 30 to September 12 across Calcutta. The detailed list of fixtures has not been released yet due to problems with the availability of venues for the tournament.

    The final will be played on September 12 and will be shown in addition to the semifinals live on ESPN. The matches will kick-off in the afternoon to avoid problems with the availability of floodlights at various venues.


    The Groups:
    Group A: East Bengal, Chirag United, Winner of the Pradyut Dutta Memorial Trophy

    Group B: Mohammedan Sporting Club, Churchill Brothers, Shillong Lajong FC

    Group C: Mohun Bagan, Mahindra United, George Telegraph

    Group D: Douane FC (Senegal), Air India, Pune FC

    http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/1511
     
  21. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    Nehru Cup 2009

    Sri Lanka - Lebanon 4-3 FT

    6', 80', 88' Mohamed Naufar Mohamed Issadeen
    83' Chathura Weerasinghe

    9' Akram Moghrabi
    45' + 1' Ali al-Saadi
    90' + 7' Mohamad Korhani
     
  22. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    Nehru Cup 2009

    India - Kyrgyzstan 2-1 FT

    43' Baichung Bhutia
    58' Sunil Chhetri
    90' Mirlan Murzaev
     
  23. trekky76

    trekky76 Member

    May 31, 2008
    Stockholm
    Nehru Cup 2009

    India - Sri Lanka 3-1 FT

    25' Baichung Bhutia
    69' Gouramangi Singh
    85' Steven Dias

    62' Rohana Ruwan Dinesh
     
  24. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Re: Nehru Cup 2009

    Churchill Brothers won the IFA Shield, defeating Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the final
     
  25. druryfire

    druryfire Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    England
    Re: Nehru Cup 2009

    MALE: VB Sports Club have claimed their maiden Maldives League crown with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over former champions Victory in the final game.

    VB, who won the Maldives Cup last year, won 13, drew four and lost only one match to earn 43 points, seven more than Victory in the seven-team standings.

    Abu Manasaray opened the scoring for the winners in the fifth minute and doubled the advantage 14 minutes later. Ahmed Niyaz added their third six minutes before the half hour mark.

    Ismail Easa pulled one back for Victory two minutes into the restart but Ali Umar sealed the win six minutes after the hour mark.

    The Fair Play Team of the League was awarded to New Radiant sports club. The Fair Play Player was Ahmed Nazmeen of Maziya while Best Goalkeeper title went to Ahmed Athif of Maziya.

    VB will meet Club Valencia in the Maldives Cup semi-final on September 19 while Victory will face New Radiant in the other semi-final the next day.

    http://www.the-afc.com/en/member-as...s/25282-vb-sports-club-are-maldives-champions
     

Share This Page