CAFA Nations Cup squad announcement and group stage preview

AIFF Media 

In an atmosphere charged with anticipation and optimism, the Press Club of Bengaluru played host to the unveiling of Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of India’s senior men’s national football team. The press conference, organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), saw President Shri Kalyan Chaubey, Vice President Shri NA Haris, and Deputy Secretary General Shri M Satyanarayan officially welcome Jamil to the media and the country’s footballing fraternity.

Having spent the past ten days in camp with the squad, Jamil addressed the media with a clear focus - preparation and unity, “Our immediate attention is on the upcoming fixtures,” he stated. “We don’t have the luxury of time, so it’s about maximizing short-term preparation. As we move forward, we’ll set sights on bigger goals.”

When pressed about group rivals, Jamil acknowledged the formidable challenge ahead. “We’ve analyzed Tajikistan, IR Iran, and Afghanistan. They’re strong, well-organized teams. But our priority is sharpening our own game and staying mentally resilient. Team belief and unity will be the difference. Progress is visible, but development takes time. We must nurture young talent alongside the established names to secure our future.”

India, drawn in Group B of the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, faces a tough lineup: opening against hosts Tajikistan on August 29, followed by clashes with IR Iran and Afghanistan. Group winners will advance to the final in Tashkent, while second-placed sides battle for third place.

Jamil also highlighted the professionalism and commitment within the squad. “These players know what’s expected. Once they step on the pitch, focus is total. There are no excuses; everyone is committed. We’ll adapt, give new faces a chance, and work as a unit. That’s the only way forward.”

Following the press briefing, Jamil announced the 23-man squad tasked with representing the Blue Tigers on the continental stage. The team departs for Tajikistan in the early hours of August 26, ramping up preparations in Hisor before the tournament kicks off. 

India Squad for CAFA Nations Cup 2025

• Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Hrithik Tiwari.
• Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Naorem Roshan Singh, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvais.
• Midfielders: Nikhil Prabhu, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Danish Farooq Bhat, Thounaojam Jeakson Singh, Boris Singh Thangjam, Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh Kumam, Naorem Mahesh Singh.
• Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh (jr), Jithin MS, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh.

Coaching Staff

• Head Coach: Khalid Jamil
• Assistant Coach: Mahesh Gawali
• Goalkeeping Coach: Feroz Sherif
• Strength and Conditioning Coach: Manuel D’Souza

Group Stage Overview

• Group A: Uzbekistan (hosts), Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, Oman
• Group B: Tajikistan (hosts), IR Iran, Afghanistan, India

India's Fixtures 

• August 29: Tajikistan vs India, Hisor Central Stadium, 21:00 IST
• September 1: India vs IR Iran, Hisor Central Stadium, 17:30 IST
• September 4: Afghanistan vs India, Hisor Central Stadium, 17:30 IST 

Unbeaten FCBU vie for a hat-trick of titles

FCBU Media 

The stage is set for a thrilling finale as FC Bengaluru United look to secure a remarkable third consecutive BDFA Super Division title in their last match of the campaign this season. The defending champions, who are placed second on the points table, are currently undefeated and carry with them strong momentum as they look set to take on last year’s runners-up, Kickstart FC, on the 10th of December at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

FCBU, who have 45 points from 17 games and the highest goal difference (56) in the league, currently trail Sporting Club De Bengaluru (who have finished their season) by just one point. Kickstart FC, who are currently on 39 points from 17 games have secured third place for themselves. FC Bengaluru United fans will be hopeful that their team can recreate their exploits from last season, where they clinched the title in a 1-0 thriller against Kickstart FC on the final day. A loss for FCBU will ensure Sporting Club De Bengaluru will secure the title in their debut season.

FCBU have been in strong form this season, scoring a whopping 65 goals in 18 games, while only conceding on nine occasions. In front of the goal, new signings Mohamed Kdouh and Irfan Yadwad have been the stars with 12 and 14 goals respectively. Aenam K Jyrwa has also been proficient with seven assists, while Brazilian defender, Jairo Rodrigues has displayed phenomenal defensive acumen along with an attacking flair, scoring six goals as well.

“We are excited and looking forward to rising to the challenge in the final game,” said Gaurav Manchanda, Owner, FC Bengaluru United. “Our boys have displayed stellar form this season and I look forward to them ending the season on a victorious note.”

FC Bengaluru United are all set to compete in the I-League Qualifiers early next year, and a third consecutive crown will be a welcome morale booster for Khalid Jamil’s men before the competition.

 

BDFA Super Division 2022-23 - Day 1

Bangalore District Football Association's (BDFA) Super Division League, city's flagship league kicked off today at Bangalore Football Stadium. 

The main feature of this edition is that the league is played with 20 teams, something that even I-League and ISL yet to put up. 

The last edition was played between 15 teams with no relegation. While 2 new teams were promoted from previous season, 3 new teams were given direct entry to Super Division. 

1 FC Bengaluru United 2 Kickstart FC 3 Bangalore Eagles FC 4 Bengaluru FC 5 Jawahar Union	6 MEG 7 ASC 8 BUFC    9 Kodagu FC 10 FC Deccan
11 FC Deccan 12 Thanco's Students Union FC 13 Bangalore Dream United 14 Young Challengers - Not relegated  15 ADE - Not relegated	16 Rebels FC - Promoted to Super Division 17 Friends United FC - Promoted to Super Division 18 Roots FC - New affiliation  19 FC Agniputhra - New affiliation 20 Sporting Club Bengaluru - New affiliation

Certainly Kalid Jamil, FCBU's new coach for this season expected a tough opponent in season's first competetitive game. However, their opponent Jawahar Union, turned up late, and struggled to assemble players so that it can constitute an official game. 

While BUFC begin the league with a positive note beating strong Bangalore Eagles, Roots FC sprung a surprise by beating MEG.

Result - Aug 22, 2022

• FC Bengaluru United 17 (Hardy Cliff Nongbrin-8', 37', 77', Aenam Graffenberg Jyrwa-17', 25', 87', Manvir Singh-31', Selwyn Frazer Miranda-33', Sajan Franklin-40', 47', Chesterpoul Lyngdoh-56', 68', 85', 90', Praful Kumar-65', Bedashwor Singh-69', 89') Vs Jawahar Union FC 0 
• BUFC 2 (Patrick Mon Couer Libii-65' Jeevith KN -72') Vs Bangalore Eagles FC 0
• Roots FC 1 (Amogh G-29') Vs MEG 0  

FC Bengaluru United appoints Khalid Ahmed Jamil as Head Coach

FCBU Media 

Khalid Ahmed Jamil has been appointed as FC Bengaluru United Head Coach for the upcoming season. Jamil was previously associated with Indian Super League (ISL) club NorthEast United FC. He holds the distinction of being the first Indian Head Coach of an ISL team and the first Indian coach to qualify for the ISL playoffs. He has also worked with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in a managerial capacity and was instrumental in leading Aizawl FC to their first I-League title in the 2016-17 season.

 

"Khalid has been one of the most sought-after coaches in Indian football," said Gaurav Manchanda, Owner, FC Bengaluru United, welcoming Khalid Jamil to the club. "He brings with him nuanced leadership and technical skills that stem for his decade-long management and coaching experience. FC Bengaluru United is on an upward growth trajectory; we are excited to be working with Khalid and are confident that we will see the club reach even greater heights under him," he added.

 

Speaking on his appointment, Khalid Jamil expressed excitement on his new role, "I am delighted to be joining FC Bengaluru United and am looking forward to helping the club grow stronger and add to their trophy cupboard. The FCBU squad is a blend of youth and experience, and I am eager to work with them and sharing all my learnings. I am confident we can work together and see the club reach its greatest potential – both from an individual player perspective as well as a team.”

 

Jamil, who was born in Kuwait to Indian parents, played as a midfielder for clubs such as Mahindra United, Air India, and Mumbai FC. He has represented the Indian national team in more than 10 games including playing in the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers. He began his coaching career with Mumbai FC in 2009 after which he joined Aizawl FC and led them to the I-League title in the 2016-17 season. 

Bengaluru face Aizawl FC tomorow

Bengaluru FC Media 

Albert Roca believes that a tough fixture away from home against a team in form could be just what Bengaluru FC need to fix a wobble as the Blues take on Aizawl FC at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, in Aizawl, on Wednesday.

A combination of injuries, suspensions and moments of poor luck has stretched the Blues’ winless streak to four games in the League. But the Spanish coach was confident that his side are close to turning a corner if the chances being created in attack are anything to go by. 

“We’ve been playing some good football and it’s only a matter of putting to bed the chances we are creating. Against Minerva, we were plain unlucky. But that’s football. We’ve picked ourselves up and are focused on the challenge that Aizawl will throw at us. They are a team that’s high on confidence and are playing at home which means everything is against us. It’s going to be a test of our character and I’m sure the boys will be up to it.”

Having played a game more than Bengaluru, Khalid Jamil-coached Aizawl are third on the table with 16 points and have turned up with some impressive performances this season. Their biggest win came last weekend when Aizawl clawed back from a goal down to beat Churchill Brothers 3-1 at home.

Bengaluru, meanwhile, come off the back of a frustrating 1-1 stalemate at home against Minerva Punjab FC, where a late own goal canceled skipper Sunil Chhetri’s opener, his fourth goal in as many games. The Blues will be without foreign centre backs John Johnson and Juan Gonzalez, who are still serving suspensions, and the coach expects expects a tough clash on Wednesday.

“Aizawl are doing well and it is important to be cautious in our approach as we know that we cannot afford to slip up again. We cannot take them lightly or be complacent and have to put our chances away if we are to take anything away from this game,” he said.

The game kicks off at 2 pm and will be streamed live on i-league.org.

Bengaluru FC break Mumbai jinx via Daniel Lalhlimpuia goal

AIFF Media
Bengaluru FC Media

Maintaining pressure all through the second half, Bengaluru FC defeated Mumbai FC 1-0 from a Daniel Lalhlimpuia goal at Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Bengaluru have been a bogey team to Mumbai FC. The outcome of the Kolkata derby also worked in favor of Bengaluru, provided an added incentive to outperform Mumbai FC. 

Eugenson made a comeback today after staying out for more than 2 months owing to injury but Captain Sunil Chettri had sit out for his injury. 

Bengaluru pressed and gained corner in the very first minute, followed by a couple in the next 10 minutes. However none gave way to goal.

For Mumbai FC, medio Eric Brown was controlling the middle, something that Bengaluru was missing most of the time in the first half. Few positive attack from Bengaluru centered on Kim Song kept the Mumbai keeper busy. 

In the 30th minute Pawan Kumar, who turned for Bengaluru until few seasons ago came out of the charge chasing the ball, collided with rushing Kim Song, and conceded a free kick from the good position. Eugune’s low trajectory kick was timely rescued by Mumbai defense. 

Vineeth made some valiant runs but lacked the final touch. Half-time ended in a draw. 

Post lemon break, Osano tripped Taisuke Matsugae from behind, which earned a free kick at the top of the box and a caution from the referee. Eric Brown’s kick did not do any good for his team. 

It was all Bengaluru FC after the first few minutes in the second half. 

They lost an opportunity in the 58th minute from a constructive run from Seiminlen that went for Vineeth, the latter’s attempt on the goal was blocked by keeper, Kim on follow up set for Thoi and was blocked again. 

The ah-moment went on for few more minutes originating again from Seiminlen. Another chance went begging for Bengaluru as the combination of Seiminlen and Vineeth could not see the goal from the melee. 

Substitution by gaffer Ashley Westwood in quick succession gave Bengaluru the much-needed goal. An attacking Udanta scooped the ball inside the box for Vineeth, Mumbai FC keeper made the mistake of the match by letting the ball go, Vineeth pulls the ball for Daniel, who neatly places the ball to the back of the net. 

With today's win, Bengaluru FC leapfrogged Kingfisher East Bengal to the second spot in the league table with 25 points. Bengaluru FC have started sensing the title with Mohun Bagan going down to their arch rivals Kingfisher East Bengal in the other match today. Either of the two Kolkata outfits and Bengaluru FC, who are separated by only 2 points among them, can lift the coveted silverware at the end of the Hero I-League season.

Bengaluru seek vengeance over Mumbai FC

AIFF Media
I-League Media 

Keeping the focus to claim the top spot in the Hero I-League, Bengaluru FC meet Mumbai FC tomorrow at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. 

The encounter can be fairly termed as a high-stake match with Mumbai FC turning out Bengaluru’s nemesis, the later never defeated Mumbai in I-League. and the away match earlier this season turned out to be a 0-2 drub. 

Bengaluru FC preparation for tomorrow’s match is just like any other game, feels Gaffer Ashley Westwood. On the injury front, Eugeneson Lyngdoh is back to full fitness, both physically and mentally, and he is in contention for starting eleven. 

“We need to see where Eugene stands for the game. Sunil Chhetri had an injury before he went for the National Camp, that’s the reason he did not feature in the match against Turkmenistan. We’re assessing him on a day-to-day basis, it is not a long term injury, we’ll see how it is, if he stay enough focused, then he’ll play, if not, he won’t.” added Ashley. 

Mumbai FC, represented by Manager and Assistant Coach, Henry Picardo in the pre-match press conference stressed the importance of tomorrows match. Mumbai had a decent break, which helped in players’ recovery. 

Mumbai FC started their Hero I-League on a fantastic note but failed to carry on the momentum. 

“We got a very good team on paper, unfortunately we had a lot player injuries, which is quite obvious in a league. That was a major setback for us. But for tomorrow we have a full strength squad” mentioned Henry. Their key players Taisuke Matsugae, Min-chol Son, and Ijumi Arata suffered injuries. 

Gaffer termed the loss against Mumbai FC as freak, “Bengaluru played for the first time at Cooperage ground. Though we had the majority possession, we conceded to early goals, which made us difficult to come back to the game.” 

He looked content with the progress of the Hero I-League, “Several teams are coming up now and there will be lot of twists and turns. What we can do best is to win our next game.” Ashley sums up, “As long as we keep the season alive, I’ll be happy!”

Mumbai FC Manager is not ready to bask on the fantastic record his team enjoys against the Steelmen. He further added, “We barely keep statistics in our mind while playing a match. Whatever happened earlier is now behind us. We only focus on our next game, and the one that is important for us is the game against Bengaluru tomorrow. 

Talking about the new-found rivalry between Bengaluru and Mumbai, Henry sounded enthusiastic, “There has to be rivals - rivalry between clubs and their fans. This is needed to prosper football in our country. Since last year this has been a key point. We have come here, there will be loud Bengaluru fans, when we played at home, there were Mumbai FC fans.  

Mumbai FC hands first defeat to Bengaluru

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC crashed to their first defeat of the season after a pair of goals from Arata Izumi (5) and Minchol Son (11) gave Mumbai FC a 2-0 win at the Cooperage.

Bengaluru got off to the worst possible start when a stroke of luck saw Arata hand the hosts a lead in the 5th minute. A scramble in the box that the Bengaluru defence failed to get rid of allowed the ball to fall to Arata. The midfielder’s shot took a big deflection and rolled past a wrong-footed Lalthuammawia Ralte to make it 1-0.

It took only seven more minutes before the Blues conceded another freak goal, this time the ball catching defender Son’s outstretched leg and looping over Ralte, who was off his line, from 35 yards out.

Looking to wipe out the deficit, Bengaluru began stitching moves in the final third only to carelessly give away possession. Curtis Osano had a brilliant moment in the 17th minute when he set off on a run through the middle that saw the defender beat as many as four Mumbai players only to see his strong shot on target being saved by a diving Pawan Kumar.

Westwood, in a bid to swing things around, started the second half with two changes – Udanta Singh and Thoi Singh for Sunil Chhetri and Alwyn George. And both the substitutes had the best chances of the second half only to inexplicably fire wide from close after working themselves into good positions.

Bengaluru were forced into a change after Eugeneson Lyngdoh limped off following a rash tackle from Mumbai defender Shrikant Ramu. With 18-year-old Malsawmzuala partnering Shankar Sampingiraj, Bengaluru switched flanks to deliver some good crosses into the area but were unable to apply the finishing touch as Mumbai held on for a win.

The defeat does not change the way the table looks with Bengaluru still leading with 9 points from 4 games but Westwood’s boys would do well to shrug off the setback as they travel to Kolkata where they play East Bengal on Saturday.

Confident Bengaluru FC take on Mumbai

Bengaluru FC Media   

Bengaluru FC will look to build on a perfect start to the season and break a trend when they take on Mumbai FC at the Cooperage, in Mumbai, on Wednesday. The two teams have met four times in the League and have always ended up sharing the spoils – a habit the Blues will be keen to change.

Westwood couldn’t have asked for a better start to the new season as his boys made it three wins in as many games after beating Shillong Lajong 3-0 at the Kanteerava on Sunday, to go top of the table. While the defence was impregnable, Westwood’s strike combination of CK Vineeth and Kim Sing Yong justified the gaffer’s pairing of them, grabbing the goals against the team from the hills.

“Kim being physical and Vineeth being in good form and using his pace to link together is a good partnership. Udanta and Sunil can also play in those positions. At the minute, Vineeth and Kim are doing well but we definitely have more options in that respect,” said Westwood following his side’s victory.

Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Josimar da Silva were on target in a 1-1 draw between the two sides at the Cooperage Stadium last season and a good result on Wednesday will be the perfect injection for BFC who travel straight to Kolkata where they play East Bengal on Saturday. The gaffer maintained that the Blues will look to take on the hectic schedule with positivity.

“It’s important to win every game. We have a tough schedule ahead of us as we play six games in the next twenty days which is unheard of. We have four away fixtures in our first five games as well but we’re looking to stay positive and get good results,” said Westwood ahead of the game.

Mumbai, on the other hand, are coming off a win themselves, having downed Salgaocar 2-1 at home earlier on Sunday and with five points from three games, are yet to taste defeat this season.

The game kicks-off at 7 pm and will be telecast live on Ten Action. 

Bengaluru FC, Ashley fined, Khalid Jamil and Pradhyum handed a four-match ban

The Disciplinary committee of AIFF, under the chairmanship of Mr. N.A. Khan, met at All India Football House today to consider the following agenda:

• Misconduct by Mr. Pradhyum Reddy – Asst. Coach of Bengaluru FC
• Misconduct by Mr. Ashley Westwood – Head Coach of Bengaluru FC
• Misconduct by Mr. Khalid Jamil – Head Coach Mumbai FC
• Misconduct by Mr. Amoes Do – Player of Mumbai FC

Bengaluru FC - fined Rs. 2 lac and they have been warned to improve the organizational facilities.

Pradhyum Reddy - charged under Section 58 of AIFF Disciplinary code of using abusive language and hereby suspended for four matches.

Ashley Westwood - charged with two separate charges. He was reported to enter into the playing pitch to protest the decision of the referee as well as misconduct in the field. Henceforth he was fined Rs. 2 lac as per Section 12 of I-League regulations.

Khalid Jamil - tendered unconditional apology and undertook to behave decently in future as per the AIFF rules and regulations. He is suspended for four matches for using offensive behaviour during the match as per the Article 58 of the AIFF disciplinary code.

Mr. Amoes Do, the player of Mumbai FC, is guilty of breach of I-League Regulations under Section 12 as the player has indulged in offensive behaviour after the match. Amoes is fined Rs. 50,000/- and also warned to abide by the AIFF rules and regulations. 

Bengaluru yet again fail to check Mumbai FC

Bengaluru FC failed to capitalize their domination against Mumbai FC, conceded a second half goal, finally salvaged their pride by Robin Singh's late equalizer goal, and the match ended in 1-1 draw.

Bengaluru gaffer Ashley Westwood deployed rotation today, which was understandable as his team was playing third game in the spate of eight days. He pitched Shankar in the starting eleven, also replaced a couple of players from the last match - Robin Singh and Lalchhuannmawia for Udanta Singh and Keegan Perreira respectively. 

BFC dominated the proceedings all through the first half. Mumbai FC without midfielder Taisuke Matsuage lacked creativity in the midfield; lone striker Joshimar Da Silva rarely poised any threat in Bengaluru defense. 

Bengaluru forced few set-pieces in quick succession, but couldn't make anything out of it.40’ almost scored from a goalmouth melee, Mumbai’s packed defense cleared the ball to the corner. One more in the 45th minute from a Eugenson looping freekick  

Second half started in a similar fashion, forced a couple of corners in the first minute but with goal scoring no luck. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, Mumbai FC took the lead in 69th minute via central defender Rahul Beke’s header from a corner. 

Minutes later, it was the same Beke in action when he handled the ball just outside the outside the box, however, Bengaluru failed to score again. 

Equalizer came from Robin Singh in the 88th minute, replacing Sunil Chhetri, he was at the right spot receiving Joshua Walker’s corner kick, which came to his way from John Johnson’s header. 

Few minutes and hero Robin got eliminated from the game by receiving marching order from referee Ranjit Bakshi. The tall striker fouled Mumbai FC defender Chika Wali in their box.