Bengaluru FC sign I-League top-scorer Bidyashagar

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC have bolstered their attacking line up with the signing of Bidyashagar Singh on a three-year contract, the club announced on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Manipuri becomes the eighth signing of the summer, and joins the Blues ahead of the upcoming AFC Cup playoff stage clash against Eagles FC.

Bidyashagar, who came through the Tiddim Road Athletic Union FC youth system, joined East Bengal in 2016. He first came into prominence when he took the Kolkata side’s U18 team to the finals of the 2016-17 U18 I-League, scoring six goals, including in both semifinals and final. He was promoted to the senior team and made his mark in the 2019 Durand Cup, even scoring twice in a 2-1 win over the Blues in the group stage.

“Signing for Bengaluru FC is like a dream come true for me. Now that I am here, I want to achieve more for the club and for myself. I am eager to improve and to contribute to helping this team to continue the winning legacy that it has established. I know that I am surrounded by so many great players like Sunil bhai and Gurpreet bhai, and I want to learn from them and develop further,” said Bidyashagar, after putting pen to paper on his deal. 

After making just 11 appearances in the I-League across two seasons, he returned to TRAU last year and his 12 goals, including two hat-tricks, took his boyhood side’s I-League title challenge to the final match day, with the team eventually finishing third in the standings.

“The opportunity to play for Bengaluru FC has arrived at the right time for me. Being in good form is very important for a striker and I would like to continue my good run here. My aim is to win trophies and to wear this club’s jersey with pride. I also want to do well here so that I can make it into our national team,” added Bidyashagar.

Comfortable playing on either flank, Bidyashagar became only the second Indian to pick up the I-League Golden Boot last season and in doing so, became only the fourth Indian to finish top scorer of a National League after Bhaichung Bhutia, Raman Vijayan and Blues’ skipper Sunil Chhetri. He was also named the ‘Hero of the Season’ and found a place in the I-League ‘Team of the Season.’

“Bidyashagar is a young player with a lot of potential. He is very eager to learn and make the next step and in the short time that he has been with us, he has shown us that he has the ability to score goals. The important thing now is to make sure he can bring his quality into our team and do that in the Indian Super League. He can play as a striker, as a winger and in behind the striker, which gives us a lot of options in attack,” said Blues’ Head Coach Marco Pezzaiuoli.

The Blues take on Club Eagles FC in their AFC Cup playoff clash, on August 15, in Maldives.

Former India international VP Sathiesh Kumar joins FCBU as their goalkeeping coach

FCBU Media  

FC Bengaluru United have appointed former India goalkeeper VP Sathiesh Kumar as goalkeeping coach for the first team, as they look to bolster their defence ahead of the I-League qualifiers in September. Kumar will work closely with the first team goalkeepers to further strengthen their on-field performance as well as mentor and develop future goalkeepers.

Commenting on his appointment, Kumar said, “I am really happy to be part of the FC Bengaluru United family. The club is run very professionally, and they have a clear goal – to be playing in the top tier of Indian football. What really sets the club apart is how they are laying emphasis on youth development. This sort of clear focus is great - not just for the club, but for the state and Indian football as well.”

The thirty-seven-year-old Kumar brings with him the invaluable experience of being part of and contributing to winning teams during his career – both as a player and as a coach. Kumar won multiple National Football League and I-League titles as a player with East Bengal and Dempo SC. He was part of a similar success story when he was a member of the coaching staff at Chennai City FC when they became I-League champions during the 2018-19 season.

“My primary objective as a goalkeeping coach is to clearly define the role and responsibilities of my goalkeepers,” said Kumar. This will help them in their objective: to not concede any goals in any game and keep a clean sheet. They will also have to contribute to the attack and defence strategies of the team as a whole. Clear role definition will help achieve both these goals.”

Head Coach Richard Hood welcomed the appointment of Kumar to his coaching staff as the team prepares to enter a crucial phase before the beginning of the new domestic season.

“Sathiesh is a fantastic addition to the coaching staff in terms of being a contributor to the kind of football that we want to play here,” said Hood. “He understands our objectives and the process that we aim to follow to achieve them. His involvement will not only help our goalkeepers improve, but his winning mentality and championship experience will help the rest of the team as well.”

Thanco's KSFA-BDFA C Division Knockout Football Tournament - Schedule & Fixtures

Final 

• Sunday, Aug 15, 2021: Bangalore Panthers FC Vs Ronaldo FC 

Semi Final 

• Friday, Aug 13, 2021, 1 pm: Bangalore Panthers FC 3 (Praveen-7'[OG], Rajan Narayan-18', Tejas-46') Vs Mahesh Raj United FC 2 (Gagan Markam-2', Tejas-30' [OG]) 
• Friday, Aug 13, 2021, 2:30 pm: Ronaldo FC 2 (Sanju Kumar-1', Immanuel Derrick-58') Vs Bangalore City FC 0  

Quarter Final 

• Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021, 1 pm: Mahesh Raj United FC 0(3) (Tie breaker: Rajois Sindan Tamang, Rohit Kumar, Praveen Prajapati) Vs Bangalore Strikers FC 0(2) (Tie breaker: Dharma M, Dinesh Kumar M)
• Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021, 2:30 pm: Bangalore Panthers FC 1 (Rajan Narayan-54') Vs Roots Football School 0 
• Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021, 1 pm: Bangalore City FC 2 (Jonathan Piers-11', Parag Rawal-43') Vs Hawks United FC 0 
• Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021, 1 pm: Ronaldo FC 0(6) (Tie breaker: Kevin Perkk, Ibrahim, Ajsal, Vishal, Vimaljaith, Sharath) Vs Agniputra FC 0(5) (Tie breaker: Manimaram, Saran, Prem, Vijay, Rajan)

Pre-quarter Final 

• Saturday, Aug 7, 2021, 12:30 pm: Mahesh Raj United FC 0 (8) (Tie-breaker: Rejoins Tamang, Rohit Kumar, Praveen Prajapat, Aman Chandra, .Daniel Gangete Sudden death: Harmanpreet, Sudipta Paul, Gagan Markam) Vs Black Panthers FC 0 (7) (Tie-breaker: Abiral Sharma, James Darjee, Lumin Romario, Deepak Bista, Platan Sudden death: Karma Gurung, Dhanan Cheriyan)  
• Saturday, Aug 7, 2021, 2:30 pm: Bangalore Super Strikers 1 (3) (Yeswanth Tie-breaker: Deepak, Parthiban, Dharma) Vs Raman Sports Academy 1 (2) (Vishnu Vardhan Tie-breaker: Niketan, Vishnu Vardhan)  
• Saturday, Aug 7, 2021, 4 pm: Roots Football School 1 (3) (Agasthya Chand Thakur-54' Tie-breaker: Sashwat K Rajkumar, Vishal R, Vikram P) Vs Freedom FC 1 (0) (Mohammed Anas-14')  
• Sunday, Aug 8, 2021, 12:30 pm: Bangalore Panthers FC 1 (Punith-28') Vs Bangalore Arrows FC 0 
• Sunday, Aug 8, 2021, 2:30 pm: Bangalore City FC 1 (Allen Jhonty Ekka-22') Vs Bangalore Athlethic FC 0 
• Sunday, Aug 8, 2021, 4 pm: Hawk's United FC 2 (7) (Prathap-3r', Udhay Kumar-50' Tie-breaker: Praveen B, Rakesh R, Ramesh M, Prathap M, Yeswanth G, Sathya Raj, Zabiulla) Vs Yelahanka Camp Boys  2 (6) (Raywanth Koushik-43', Rudresh Khandelwal-49' Tie-breaker: Akhil Dev, Rudresh Khandelwal, Pradeep P, Sriram R, Ashish R, Hemanth BC) 
• Monday, Aug 9, 2021, 12:30 pm: Agniputra FC 4 (Prem-7', Harish Kumar-4', 42', Pramod Kumar-16') Vs Legends De Sporting 2 (Dinakaran-43', Nirmalkmar-52'[P]) 
• Monday, Aug 9, 2021, 2:30 pm: Ronaldo FC 1 (Ajzal V-42') Vs Al-Fateh FC 0  

Round 2 

• Sunday, Aug 1, 2021, 12:30 pm: Black Panthers FC 4 (Pawan-2'[OG], Pravesh-10', Lumin Romario-31', K Wang-41' Vs Shantinagar FC 1 (Ajay-50'))  
• Sunday, Aug 1, 2021, 2:30 pm: Mahesh Raj United FC 2 (Daniel Gangte-1', 30'[P]) Vs Sporthood 1 (Vipin Vinod-60'+1')
• Sunday, Aug 1, 2021, 2:30 pm: Bangalore Super Strikers 4 (Dinesh-12', 53', Parthiban-28'[P], Yeshwant-50') Vs Murphy Town FC 1 (Sikandar-48')
• Monday, Aug 2, 2021, 12:30 pm: Raman Sports Academy 1 (Harshit -5') Vs Stride FC 0   
• Monday, Aug 2, 2021, 2:30 pm: Freedom FC 1 (3) (Mohammed Anas-50' Tie breaker-Bharat, Santhosh, Mohammed Anas) Vs BOSCH FC 1 (2) (Arun Kumar-46' Tie breaker-Arun Kumar, Vishal)    
• Monday, Aug 2, 2021, 4 pm: Roots Football School 5 (Sashwat-15', 16', Yohan-31', Johan-46', Vishal-60') Vs Ezen FC 1 (Praveen-17') 
• Tuesday, Aug 3, 2021, 12:30 pm: Bangalore Arrows FC 3 (Abindan-21', Alex-26'[OG', Salim-45') Vs FCA 1 (Arul Mani-20') 
• Tuesday, Aug 3, 2021, 2:30 pm: Bangalore Panthers FC 2 (Nicholas Vishal Arnold-24', Karan M Kumar-35') Vs  Whitefield United FC 0 
• Tuesday, Aug 3, 2021, 4 pm: Bangalore Athletic FC 3 (Anirudh Nambiar-16', 46', Vedant Sudarshan-52') Vs Global FC 2 (Hari Lakshman-29', Prince-45')     
• Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021, 12:30 pm: Bangalore City FC 3 (Fazill Hassan Ahamed-4'[P], Tushar Patill-25', Allen Johanty Ekka-56') Vs FC Hydra 2 (Nikhil Ayappa-2', Revninto Roy-27'[P])
• Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021, 2:30 pm: Yelahanka Camp FC 2 (Raghunath-2', 34' Vs Sai Sports Academy 1 (Tobias Justin-12') Vs )
• Wednesday, Aug 4, 2021, 4 pm: Hawks United FC 2 (5) (Prathap-28', Ugendran-31' Tie-breaker Praveen R, Rakesh, Ramesh, Prathap, Yeshwanth) Vs Kamannahalli FC 2 (4) (Santhosh-10', Richard A-14' Tie-breaker Naveen Kumar, Valerian Joel, Abhishek D, Dinesh Kumar) 
• Thursday, Aug 5, 2021, 12:30 pm: Legends De Sporting 1 (J Dinakaran-38') Vs Balaharka FC 0 
• Thursday, Aug 5, 2021, 2:30 pm: Agniputra FC 3 (Saran-4', Harishkumar-11', Prem- 60'+2') Vs Vijayanagara United FC 0  
• Friday, Aug 6, 2021, 12:30 pm: Ronaldo FC 2 (Sanjeev Kumar-18', Ajzal V-33') Vs Olympian Raman FC 1 (Johnson-31')
• Friday, Aug 6, 2021, 2:30 pm: Al Fateh FC 2 (Zaib Sherief-2', Prajesh Sundar-30') Vs Richmond Panthers FC 1 (Naman Somani-42')  

Round 1 

• Wed, July 21, 2021, 1 PM: Shanthinagar FC 3 (Deepak-26', Ajay-48', 58') Vs Jeevan Blues 0
• Wed, July 21, 2021, 2:30 PM: Black Panthers FC 5 (Karma Wangchuk Gurung-4', 23', 35', Lumin Romario-8', 12') Vs Bangalore Super Sports Academy 0 
• Wed, July 21, 2021, 4 PM: Mahesh Raj United FC 7 (Daniel Gangte-13', 45', 51', Rojois Sindan-26', Rohith Kumar-40', Tamjanthui Kamei-59', Praveen Prajapati-60'+2') Vs Pass FC 1 (Tarun-45') 
• Thu, July 22, 2021, 1 PM: Sporthood 4 (Ashok Singh Waikhom-4', Suresh PJ-42', 51', Allen Manuel-47') Vs Sara FC 0 
• Thu, July 22, 2021, 2:30 PM: Murphy Town FC 1 (Nitish Kumar-51') Vs Gopalan FC 0 
• Thu, July 22, 2021, 4 PM: Bangalore Super Strikers 8 (Yaswanth Sukumar-9', 22', 26', 28', 29', 30', Rithick-31', K Manoj Kumar-57') Vs Young Blues 0
• Fri, July 23, 2021, 1 pm: Stride FC 9 (Akshay Menon-8',  Sushobhan Jena-13', 21', Joel Varghese-18', 24', 36', Gautam Misra-27', Md. Khaleel-45', Aditya-52') Vs Football School of Karnataka 1 (Nutan-29')  
• Fri, July 23, 2021, 2:30 pm: Raman Sports Academy 3 (Niketh-21', Ranjith-42', Vishnu-56') Vs Majaz FC 0 
• Fri, July 23, 2021, 4 pm: BOSCH 3 (Puna -26'[OG], Arun Raj-33', Shadab-60'+2') Vs VAS FC 2 (Darshan-16', RC Prakash-44')
• Sat, July 24, 2021, 1 pm: Freedom FC 3 (Raju -35', Mohammed Anas-4', .55') Vs GRK Football Youth Club 0 
• Sat, July 24, 2021, 2:30 pm: Ezen FC 1 (Pranav-12') Vs Victoria FC 0    
• Sun, July 25, 2021, 1 pm: Bangalore Arrows 3 (Priyanshu Singh-18', Salim-49', Shiva-60'+1') Vs Jayanagara FC 1 (Mohan-32')  
• Sun, July 25, 2021, 2:30 pm: FCA 2 (Mallesh-2', Rajendran-67') TB 4-Bima, Bharath P, Immanuel, Arul Mani Vs Legendary FC 2 (Abinasha-30'+2', 38') TB 2-Aahil, Actuat  
• Sun, July 25, 2021, 4 pm: Whitefield United FC 1 (Jojo Jose-32) Vs Binny FC 0
• Mon July 26, 2021, 12:30 pm: Bangalore Panthers 4 (Rajendran Narayan-2 [P], 39', Adils-18', Suhas-46'[P]) Vs Bangalore Footies 1 (Parmesh-29')
• Mon July 26, 2021, 2 pm: Global FC 7 (Laksmana-4', 27', 60'+1', .Jonathan-26', 30', 41', .53') Vs ITI Colony 2 (Lakshmana-9', 18'-OG) 
• Mon July 26, 2021, 4 pm: Bangalore Athlethic FC 5 (Varun-6', Anirudh-9', 34', Jona-43', Amaan-59') Vs C2 FC 1 (Saif-35')   
• Tue, July 27, 2021, 12:30 pm: Bangalore City FC 4 (Prakash-1'[OG], Nirvair-9', 20', Jonathan Piers-39'[P]) Vs Play 365 FC 0
• Tue, July 27, 2021, 2 pm: FC Hydra 3 (Revinto Roy-19', Ayyappa-24', 59') Vs Sathya FC 0 
• Tue, July 27, 2021, 4 pm: Sai Sports Academy 2 (Yesu Appu-11', 34') Vs United RR Nagar 1 (Aryan-60'+4')
• Wed, July 28, 2021, 12:30 pm: Yelhanka Camp FC 0 - 4 (Tie Breaker - Akhil Dev. Rudresh Khandelwal. Pradeep. Sriram.) Vs DB United FC  0 - 3 (Tie Breaker - Vignesh. R Jayasuriya. Omprakash)  
• Wed, July 28, 2021, 2:30 pm: Hawks United FC 3 - 3 (Udhay-11', Zarivlla-21', Ramesh-49' Tie Breaker-Pratap, Ramesh, Udhay) Vs Indiranagar FC 3 -2 (Muzammil-4', Anas-28', Imtiyaz-39' Tie Breaker-Muzammil, Murugesh) 
• Wed, July 28, 2021, 4 pm: Kamannahalli FC 5 (Santhosh-14', 30', Valerin-49', Abhi-50', Stephen-50+1') Vs Freelancers FC 0 
• Thursday, July 29, 2021, 12:30 pm: Balaharka FC 3 (Virauth Reddy-4', 36', Suhas M-53') Vs Francis Xavier FC 0 
• Thursday, July 29, 2021, 2:30 pm: Legends De Sporting FC 1 (Nirmal Kumar-23') Vs Garden City FC 0
• Thursday, July 29, 2021, 4 pm: Agniputra FC 4 (Ramesh Kumar-26', Prem-33', 49', 54') Vs Subhodaya FC 0 
• Friday, July 30, 2021, 12:30 pm: Vijayanagara United FC 5 (Sushruta Vandana Gopal-2', 63' Shivu Shankara-47'[P], Hemanth-48', Nehal-54') Vs Chatrapati Shivaji FC 3 (Shiva-6', Ajith-35', 51'[P])
• Friday, July 30, 2021, 2:30 pm: Olympian Raman FC 2 (4) (Pavithran-23', Nitesh-54' Tie Breaker-Pavithran, Jayashankar, Vinay, Karthick) Vs Chinnappa Garden FC 2 (2) (Narayan- 37', Leon-51' Tie Breaker-Narayan, Bhat) 
• Friday, July 30, 2021, 4 pm: Ronaldo FC 2 (3) (Ibrahim-48', Immanuel Derick-5'  Tie Breaker-Immanuel Derick Tilak Vishal) Vs Kickstart Academy  2 (1) (Sakir-30', Naveen-55'  Tie Breaker-Peter) 
• Saturday, July 31, 2021, 12:30 pm: Richmond Panthers FC 2 (Siddarth Bhargava-17', Rohan Jacob-26') Vs ThamaraiKannan FC 1 (Srihari-45')
• Saturday, July 31, 2021, 2:30 pm: Al  Fateh FC 1 (Shariq-10') Vs Samanth FC 0 
• Saturday, July 31, 2021, 4 pm: Roots Football School  4 (Sashwat Rajkumar-23', 29', 48', Irvin Nilus Cardoza-40') Vs Willam FC 0 

   

I-League’s latest entrants Sreenidi Deccan FC launched in Visakhapatnam

AIFF Media 

Sreenidi Deccan Football Club (FC), the latest entrants into the Hero I-League this season, was launched on Wednesday (July 7, 2021), in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister Shri Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao was the chief guest at the launch of the Visakhapatnam-based football club. Also present at the occasion were Meka Venkata Pratap Appa Rao, MLA, Nuzvid, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das, AIFF Leagues CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar, and IAS Mr. Rama Mohan Rao.

Speaking at the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister Shri M Srinivasa Rao remarked, “Mental and physical fitness is coming to Visakhapatnam in such a big way,” while also congratulating Sreenidi Deccan FC on the launch.

AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das stated, “We welcome Sreenidi Deccan FC to the Hero I-League, and it’s great to see a team from Vizag in the elite group, which would be having the best facilities.”

Sreenidhi will have their first experience of playing in the Hero I-League 2021-22 later this season. The 2021-22 edition of the Hero I-League is set to kick-off in December in Kolkata, the pandemic situation permitting.

 

Bengaluru sign Brazilian defender Alan Costa on loan from Avaí FC

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC, on Tuesday, announced that Brazilian defender Alan Henrique Costa had signed on a two-year loan deal from Campeonato Brasileiro Série B side, Avaí Futebol Clube. Thirty-year-old Costa, who stands at 6’4”, is the Blues’ second foreign acquisition under Marco Pezzaiuoli after Gabonese defender Yrondu Musavu-King signed a new two-year deal on Saturday.

Having begun his career in the youth ranks of Ferroviária in Brasil, Costa had stints at Palmeiras, Internacional and Coritiba, and loan spells at Sao Bento and Vitoria, before joining Avaí in 2020.

Costa, a native of Araraquara, has spent the entirety of his professional career thus far in Brazil, and expressed excitement at his move to Bengaluru. “I’m really happy to have signed for Bengaluru FC and I have good expectations about Indian football. I didn’t know too much about the Indian Super League, but I have friends who have played here, who have only great things to say,” said Costa, after completing the formalities on his loan deal.

Costa, who lifted the Campeonato Catarinense State Championship with Avaí in May, winning 3-2 against defending champions Chapecoense over a two-legged final, said he was looking forward to the move, and to do well for the Blues. 

“The new project at BFC is one that excites me, and I am eager to repay the trust of those who showed the faith to bring me here. I am aware that the club hasn’t had a great run of late, but I want to show my experience and make sure that this season is different,” Costa added.

Bengaluru ran out 5-0 winners over Tribhuvan Army FC in a Preliminary Stage Two clash of the AFC Cup in April, in what was Marco Pezzaiuoli’s first game in charge. The Italian said that Costa’s presence and leadership could prove vital to his squad.

“I’m happy to welcome Alan to Bengaluru FC. I think he is a very important player on the pitch and has a commanding personality off it. He is a natural leader and has captained teams that he has been part of in the past,” said Pezzaiuoli.

Incidentally, Costa scored his first goal of the Brasileiro Série B season in a 3-1 win against Londrina Esporte Clube, on Thursday. “Alan’s quality with the ball is very impressive and he has been scoring goals over the last few seasons which makes him a very interesting player to have. His presence will definitely improve the overall quality of the team and I wish him success on his new journey with us,” added Pezzaiuoli.

Yrondu Musavu-King pens two-year deal with Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC, on Saturday, announced that defender Yrondu Musavu-King had signed a two-year extension, adding to his earlier short term contract with the club. The 29-year-old, who made his debut in a 5-0 win over Tribhuvan Army FC in the AFC Cup Preliminary Stage Two clash, is Blues’ Head Coach Marco Pezzaiuoli’s first foreign acquisition ahead of the new season.

“First of all, I would like to thank the club CEO, the coach, all the staff and my teammates who welcomed me so well when I first came to India. I had good feelings about this club right from the start, and that is one of the reasons why I have decided to extend my adventure here,” said Musavu-King, following the completion of formalities on his new deal.

Musavu-King has featured at the international level with Gabon, making his debut in a 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Congo, and has turned out clubs in Europe’s top divisions like Granada, Udinese, Lorient and Toulouse, among others. The Libreville-born centre-back said he was excited and looking forward to the new season.

“This group has good quality and the coach convinced me about the project he is building at a club that has been so successful. This fresh two-year deal is a new chapter in my professional life and it is one that I will be approaching with everything I can give. My goal is to win as many games as possible. I have seen the mentality and quality this team possesses and I am confident that together we are going to achieve many beautiful things,” King added.

The defender’s extension follows the arrival of young Indian midfielder Rohit Kumar, and Marco Pezzaiuoli said he was happy to see the club keep hold of Musavu-King, who is a product of the Caen Academy in France.

“I am pleased that we have managed to secure the signature of Musavu-King.  He is a fantastic professional with a wealth of experience as he has shown during his stay at Bengaluru FC so far. Football aside, he is also a warm personality in the dressing room and we look forward to having him in a Bengaluru shirt for two more seasons,” said Pezzaiuoli.

The Blues are back in action next month, when they take on Eagles FC in a 2021 AFC Cup Playoff clash.