Bengaluru colts go down to Leicester City in PL Next Gen Cup

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC’s opening encounter of the PL Next Gen Cup saw Naushad Moosa’s side go down 6-3 to Leicester City at the Leicester City Academy Grounds, in Loughborough, on Wednesday. The Foxes, who raced to a 6-0 lead through goals from Kian Pennant (13’, 27’), William Alves (18’) and Chris Popov (21’, 52’, 61), were met by a resolute second half performance from the Blue Colts, which saw Sivasakthi Narayanan (67’, 73’) and Damaitphang Lyngdoh (68’) find their name on the scoresheet. 

Moosa’s boys started bright and came close to scoring inside the first five minutes when Bekey Oram’s shot was saved by Arlo Doherty in the Leicester goal. Only minutes later, the hosts took the lead when Popov drove free down the right to find Pennant, whose initial effort was saved by Sharon Padattil, only for the England international to slot home on the rebound. 

Earlier, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Thoi Singh and Lalremtluanga Fanai were named in midfield by Moosa, with Akashdeep Singh, Thoi Singh and Sivasakthi tasked in the attacking third. At the back, Robin Yadav and Felixson Fernandes marshaled a backline that had Namgyal Bhutia and Clarence Fernandes as fullbacks with Sharon in goal.

Leicester’s second came through Alves, who managed to latch onto a deflected effort to volley goalward and past Sharon. Just past the 20 minute mark, Popov scored his first of the evening, with a heavy deflection off Robin Yadav leaving Sharon rooted as the ball looped over and went in off the upright. Pennant would add another for the Foxes ahead of the break, as the Blue Colts made their way down the tunnel with a 4-0 deficit.

Into the second period, Bengaluru were pegged back again by Popov, who scored his second with a neat finish from the edge of the box. Popov rounded off his hat-trick from the spot after Dipesh Chauhan, on in the second half for Sharon, was adjudged to have fouled the Welshman in the box. 

Despite their 6-0 deficit, the Blue Colts kept pushing and found the net for the first time through Sivasakthi, who slid the ball through Doherty just past the hour mark. Moments later, a set-piece routine saw Leicester clear the ball in a haste, allowing Damaitphang Lyngdoh the opportunity to strike from distance, through a crowd and past Doherty, to make it 6-2. 

Bengaluru refused to relent, and scored again in the 73rd minute when Sivasakthi’s strike from distance evaded Doherty’s dive. Dipesh was called into action once again when Clarence Fernandes, making his competitive debut for the Blue Colts, was adjudged to have brought Pennant down in the box. The winger stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved well by Dipesh, who then proceeded to recover and save the strike on the rebound to keep the score unchanged.

Bengaluru continued to push forward in search of goals, but the referee called time on the proceedings, sending Naushad Moosa’s men towards an encounter for third place, for which the Blue colts will face Nottingham Forest on 30th July, Saturday, at the same venue.

Bengaluru take on FC Goa in Durand Cup semifinal

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC Coach Naushad Moosa said his young side is confident of putting in a good performance when they take on FC Goa in the Durand Cup semifinal, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Wednesday.

“The players do not have any pressure going into this game as they fully understand their roles and responsibilities now. FC Goa came here with a full squad, and it was the same with Kerala Blasters too. We know how good Goa is as a team. It won’t be an easy game, but we’ll step onto the pitch with the objective of making things difficult for them. The boys are really positive, and I just want them to play freely, express themselves and fight till the end,” said Moosa, speaking to the press ahead of the semifinal.

FC Goa come into the game winning all their group stage matches before defeating Delhi FC 5-1 in the quarterfinals. With 14 goals scored and just two conceded, Goa’s attacking and defensive prowess are a force to be reckoned with, and Moosa believes his side will have to be on top of their game if they are to come away with a positive result.

“Our approach to the game will not be very different from the way we have been playing so far. The only thing we have to be very careful about is the way we have been conceding first. While we have shown good character to fight back and win, it will not be easy to do that against Goa if we concede early,” Moosa added.

While the game is set for an evening kickoff, making it easier for the teams to play, Moosa believes that it serves as an even advantage. “In terms of humidity and heat, the 6 pm kickoff will really help the players. We played our games at 3 pm and then 2 pm so far, and it was difficult for the boys to adapt. You can see how the evening game allowed Mohammedan SC and FC Bengaluru United to play more freely in the other semifinal. While it will help us, I am sure it’s the same for Goa. The conditions are favourable for both teams to play with a good tempo, and it should be a good match,” said Moosa.

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and FC Goa is at 6 pm on Wednesday, September 29th, and will be live on Ten Sports, and the AddaTimes website and app. The winner in this encounter will face Mohammedan in the final.

 

Bengaluru, Army Green clash in Durand Cup quarterfinal

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC Coach Naushad Moosa said that his side were focused on tackling each game at a time, ahead of their quarterfinal clash against Army Green, set to take place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Saturday. The Blues, who booked their spot in the knockouts by virtue of topping Group C, face Army Green, who finished second in Group B.

“The final group game against the Indian Navy was a good learning experience for the boys. We allowed the opposition to bring the game to us in the first half, and that gave them a two-goal lead and I told my team during the break that they had to pull together as a unit and work hard. They responded well to turn things around in the second period,” said Moosa, speaking to the press ahead of the fixture.

Bengaluru began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters, which was followed by a 2-2 draw against Delhi FC. The win over Indian Navy on Tuesday allowed Moosa’s side to finish the Group unbeaten, with seven points from three games. Army Green, meanwhile, lost 2-0 to FC Goa in their opener, before wins over Jamshedpur FC (3-1) and Sudeva Delhi FC (1-0).

Bengaluru have goalscorers across the pitch, with seven players within Moosa’s squad finding the net in the group stages, scoring nine goals among them. “It’s good that we have had several players finding the back of the net. It makes selecting the team difficult, and that’s always a good thing for a coach. The boys are hungry to do well and to go as far as possible in this competition. But that doesn’t change the fact that it will be tough for us, so we will have to be at our best,” Moosa added.

Army Green meanwhile, have scored four goals in the tournament, of which striker Deepak Singh scored three. “We’re expecting another physical game on Saturday, and since kick off is at 2 pm, the conditions are going to be even more challenging. The boys need to make sure they begin well and hold strong. We’re not thinking about the semifinal or the final just yet. The most important game for us is the next one, and that’s the quarterfinal against Army Green,” said Moosa.

Kick-off in the clash between Bengaluru FC and Army Green is at 2 pm on Saturday, September 25th, and will be streamed live on the AddaTimes website and app. The winner of this encounter will face FC Goa in the semifinal.

 

Bengaluru FC beat Indian Navy to make Durand Cup knockouts

Bengaluru FC Media

Naushad Moosa’s Bengaluru FC side scripted a remarkable second-half comeback to make the knockout rounds of the 2021 Durand Cup, with a 5-3 win over Indian Navy at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Tuesday. Goals from Jijo (18’), Sreyas (29’) gave the Services side a two-goal lead heading into the break before the Blues came out all guns blazing in the second period, with strikes from Leon Augustine (52’), Harmanpreet Singh (60’, 80’), Ajay Chhetri (73’) and Thoi Singh (90’ + 1’) sealing the points. Vijay (90’ + 3’) added a consolation goal for the away side in extra time.

Naushad Moosa made one change to the team that drew 2-2 with Delhi FC, with Bidyashagar Singh replacing Leon Augustine.

Blues’ goalkeeper Lara Sharma had to be alert to deny Indian Navy in the opening minutes, doing well to push a corner onto the post and out of play. At the other end, on the five-minute mark, Sivasakthi Narayanan broke free but the Indian Navy defence did well to cut out his pass into the box.

Indian Navy took the lead in the 18th minute when Jijo latched onto Lara’s clearance from a corner and volleyed home from the edge of the box. Sivasakthi had a chance to put the Blues back on level terms, but skied his effort after Harmanpreet Singh found him free in the box. Instead, Indian Navy doubled their lead ten minutes later through Sreyas VG, who ran free down the middle and placed his finish into the far corner.

The Blues almost pulled one back just past the half hour mark, when Ajith Kumar did well to bring down a long pass but couldn’t find Harmanpreet at the far post.

Leon, replacing Bidyashagar at the start of the second half, put his name on the scoreboard with a well-taken finish, after Sivasakthi’s flick sent him one on one with the ’keeper Bhaskar Roy. The scorer then turned provider, when he found Harmanpreet with an inch-perfect pass, and the forward made no mistake in finding the back of the net to make it 2-2.

With momentum on their side, the Blues pressed forward and won a penalty, after Biswa Darjee was brought down in the box. Ajay Chhetri made no mistake from the spot, finding the bottom corner to complete the turnaround and put the Blues 3-2 up. Harmanpreet added another goal to his name, chipping the ball over the onrushing ’keeper and finishing into an empty net.

The Blues added another goal in stoppage time, when Sivasakthi broke free down the right-wing and found Bekey Oram, who toyed with the Indian Navy defence before finding Thoi Singh, who placed his finish between two defenders and the ’keeper to put the Blues 5-2 up. Vijay then reduced the deficit for Indian Navy in the final minutes of added time, making it 5-3. 

The win sees Bengaluru progress to the quarterfinals, where they take on Army Green, who finished second, with six points, in Group B.

 

Bengaluru FC take on Indian Navy in Durand Cup with an eye on quarterfinal spot

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC Coach Naushad Moosa dismissed claims that his side would play defensive football, despite needing just a point to reach the quarterfinals of the 130th Durand Cup, as they take on Indian Navy Football Team in their final group stage clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, on Tuesday. With four points from two games, Bengaluru sit atop Group C, followed by Kerala Blasters and Indian Navy, who have three points apiece.

 

“We are going into this game looking for the win. At Bengaluru FC, we always want to play good football and win games. We don’t believe in playing for a draw. I am very happy with the way this team has performed so far, and we’ll continue to give our best when we step onto the pitch on Tuesday,” said Moosa, speaking at the pre-match Press Conference.

 

Indian Navy, who come into the game with three points in the bag, beat Delhi FC 2-1 in their opener, before going down 1-0 to Kerala Blasters. With every team in the group standing a mathematical chance to make it through, Moosa said he expects a tough encounter against the Armed Forces side, who need a win to progress to the next stage.

 

“Indian Navy are a strong unit, both tactically and physically. Our boys have been performing well considering the pitch conditions and the fact that other teams have fielded foreigners. We just need to be pressing more as a team, and I have seen improvement in that aspect. Players like Damaitphang [Lyngdoh], Sivasakthi [Narayanan] and others have shown that size doesn’t matter and that they can do well when they are on the pitch,” said Moosa.

 

Despite fielding a very young side in the tournament, the Blues remain the only unbeaten team in Group C, following their 2-0 opening day win against Kerala and a 2-2 draw against Delhi FC on Saturday.

 

“At this club, our philosophy is to have youngsters come in from the academy setup and we believe in grooming players, right from the youth teams to the reserve team. The management, the coaches, and even the fans, believe in this philosophy. Head Coach Marco (Pezzaiuoli) is also very happy with the way the boys have been performing in Kolkata, and we are constantly reviewing their performances,” Moosa added.

 

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and the Indian Navy Football Team is scheduled for 3 PM on Tuesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.

 

Bengaluru, Delhi play out entertaining 2-2 draw

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC and Delhi FC played out a hard-fought 2-2 draw in their Durand Cup Group C clash, at the Mohun Bagan Ground, in Kolkata, on Saturday. Sivasakthi Narayanan (27’) put the Blues ahead before Willis Plaza (57’, 61’) turned it around for Delhi in the second half. Substitute Bidyashagar Singh (75’) brought Bengaluru back on level terms, helping Naushad Moosa's side take a point from the encounter.

Moosa made three changes to the team that defeated Kerala Blasters in the opening game, with Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Leon Augustine and Harmanpreet Singh replacing Akashdeep Singh, Namgyal Bhutia and Bidyashagar.

Ajith Kumar, who captained the side yet again, had to be alert in the fifth minute to intercept Plaza’s cross to Himanshu Jangra in the box. The Blues’ first chance of the game came when Sivasakthi was released down the right wing, and the striker’s cutback found Ajay Chhetri, whose shot was blocked by a sliding Suraj. At the other end, Lara Sharma had to be alert to deny Rinreithan Shaiza.

The Blues broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Ajay's freekick bounced off the wall and Delhi goalkeeper Lovepreet Singh failed to collect. Sivasakthi, alert enough to poke home from close range, put BFC ahead.

The final effort of the half fell Delhi’s way when Shaiza got free down the left flank, but saw his shot well blocked at the near post by Lara.

Looking to get back into the game, Delhi brought on Victor Philip in place of Nikhil Mali as a halftime substitute. The Nigerian made an instant impact when his cross into the box was headed home by Plaza, past Lara. Minutes later, the Trinidad And Tobago striker got a second when his shot from a tight angle crept past Lara at the near post to put the Blues 2-1 down.

At the other end, substitute Bidyashagar, replacing Leon, also made an instant impact when he got to Harmanpreet’s cross and found the back of the net from an almost impossible angle, to bring Bengaluru back on level terms.

The Blues kept knocking at Delhi’s door in search of the winner, and had a few good chances to retake the lead. First, Bidyashagar saw his effort parried by Lovepreet and Harmanpreet was unable to get to the rebound. Later, Harmanpreet skipped free down the right and found Sivasakthi with a cross, but a combination of Loverpreet's hands and a defender's goal-line clearance denied the striker his second of the game. The final chance saw Akashdeep sent free down the middle by Sivasakthi, but the youngster’s shot sailed inches wide of the post, and the Blues had to settle for a draw.

BFC are back in action on Tuesday, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, when they take on Indian Navy. 

 

Bengaluru FC to begin Durand Cup campaign against Kerala Blasters

Bengaluru FC Media 

Blues coach Naushad Moosa maintained that his young side will be out to impress when they take on Kerala Blasters FC in their opening fixture of the Durand Cup, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Wednesday. Bengaluru, grouped alongside Kerala, Delhi FC and Indian Navy in Group C, will look to start strong, with the top two teams from each group set to qualify for the quarterfinals.

“We had a long pre-season for the AFC Cup, and our squad for this tournament has many youngsters who haven’t played too many competitive games over the last few months. We have a mixture of U18 graduates and reserve team players who Marco (Pezzaiuoli) believes have good potential. The Durand Cup is a prestigious tournament, and we’ll look at how these players can perform under pressure against big teams,” Moosa said, speaking at the pre-match press conference.

The Blues’ first opponents Kerala have already opened their account in Kolkata, beating Indian Navy 1-0 courtesy Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna’s penalty on September 11.

“Kerala have come here with a full strength squad, and have won their first game too. That said, it is important for any team playing in the competition to give their best, and that holds true for us as well. We are very serious about this tournament, and the players also know how important this is for them. They are raring to get onto the pitch and show everyone what they are capable of,” Moosa added.

While Kerala make their debut in the competition this year, the Blues have two previous appearances, having made it to the semifinals once, losing out to Salgaocar on penalties in their debut campaign in 2014. Moosa’s young side finished second in their group, in their most recent tournament appearance in 2019.

“As a coach, it isn’t easy for Marco to give chances to everyone, even though he wants to. That’s why we have brought a young team here, and everyone will get the chance to prove themselves. As a club, we are very invested in our youth development program and we want to reach a point where we have a senior squad that has a balance of experienced players and youngsters. It will take time, but we are on the right path. We have had encouraging signs over the last few years, in Suresh (Wangjam), Leon (Augustine) and Parag (Shrivas) to name a few. This year, Damaitphang (Lyngdoh) and Sivasakthi (Narayanan) made their first team debuts,” said Moosa, who lifted the Durand Cup as a player with Mahindra & Mahindra in 2002.

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters is scheduled for 3 PM on Wednesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.

Bengaluru kick off Durand Cup campaign against Army Red

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC will kick-off their campaign in the 129th edition of the prestigious Durand Cup against Army Red at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata today. The oldest football competition in Asia will be played in the City of Joy for the first time ever and the Blues make their second appearance in the competition after making the semifinals back in 2014.

While the Durand Cup will kick off a tough season for the new-look Colts side under Naushad Moosa, the tournament will also provide a learning experience to the young members in the squad. “We are playing in a prestigious tournament. The boys are aware of the opportunity they have got to perform at this level, and with a team like East Bengal in our group they will be tested thoroughly. It’s great to have this competition at the beginning of the season where I can test my team’s strength,” said Moosa on the eve of the clash. 

The Blue Colts regrouped in the third week of July and have been training in Bengaluru for a few weeks now. Talking about the preparations, Moosa added, “We played two friendly games against Army Green and South United and I must say that the boys have adapted quite well and have been playing to our plan. This year, we have a very young squad which is technically very good. With the addition of a few first team players we get some experience in the squad as well as the youngsters get that extra motivation.” 

Army Red suffered a 2-0 loss to East Bengal in the opener and while this is a must-win game for the servicemen, it will be crucial for the Blues as well who need to get a result considering that only one team makes it out of the group. “We have an eight-day gap after our first game against Army Red. So, it’s important to get a positive result in the opener. Army Red suffered a tough loss against East Bengal so they will be looking to bounce back. We need to be alert in this game and make sure to give our best.” 

On the team news front, Army Red will be missing services of goalkeeper M. Shanoos who was sent off in the Group-A opener against East Bengal. Meanwhile, the Blues have named seven first team players in the squad including Aditya Patra, Parag Shrivas, Gursimrat Singh Gill, Sairuat Kima, Ajay Chhetri, Suresh Wangjam and Edmund Lalrindika. 

The game kicks off at 3.00 pm on Monday and will be streamed live on AddaTimes. 

Group A fixtures

• Aug 5: vs Army Red - 3.00 PM - Salt Lake Stadium
• Aug 14: vs Bengaluru FC - 6.00 PM - Salt Lake Stadium
• Aug 17: vs Jamshedpur FC - 3.00 PM - Salt Lake Stadium

Team

Goalkeepers: Aditya Patra, Dipesh Chauhan
Defenders: Likmabam Rakesh, FC Lalhmunmawia, Laishain Johnson Singh, Namgyal Bhutia, Rakesh Oram, Parag Shrivas, Gursimrat Singh Gill, Sairuat Kima
Midfielders: Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Fredy Chawngthansanga, Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha, Naorem Roshan Singh, Biswa Darjee, Advait Shinde, Bekey Oram, Ajay Chhetri, Suresh Wangjam
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Akashdeep Singh, Leon Augustine

Sachin Badhade joins as Bengaluru FC U15 coach from Minerva

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC have confirmed the addition of I-League winning coach Sachin Badadhe to the Academy staff, the club announced on Tuesday. The 39-year-old AFC ‘A’ License holder joins the Blues’ residential set up in Bellary after guiding I-League side Minerva Punjab to a third-place finish in Group E of the AFC Cup.

Badhade, who completed his AFC ‘A’ License in 2019, brings in valuable experience to the BFC Academy where he will take charge of the U15 squad. Welcoming him to the Bengaluru-fold, Head of Youth Development, Naushad Moosa said, “It’s great to have Sachin as the Head Coach of our U15 side. He is someone who has experience at both the youth and senior level, and it will help him deal with all the youngsters in the right way. We’ve had a lengthy discussion about the club’s philosophy and what is expected from him. He sounded comfortable and understands his role. Given that the U15 level is an important phase for the players, he will play a crucial role in getting the boys up to speed with the tactical aspects of the game.”

Meanwhile, Badadhe who signed a two-year deal with the Indian Super League champions, was excited at the prospect of working at the extensive set-up at Bellary, “I would like to thank the club management for giving me this opportunity. I am excited and all geared up to work with the most professional club in the country. It won’t be an easy job, but I aim to always give my best.”

“I believe a lot in discipline, and that’s one of the key aspects I’ll look to imbibe on the youngsters. Discipline is important both on and off the field, and once we achieve a good level, all things will work for us from there on. That’s what I’ve learnt coaching at the top level and that’s the aim as we want to get as many players to the top level as possible,” added Badadhe, who is hoping to bring in his continental experience handy in helping the youngsters move up in Bengaluru’s player pathway.  

Having played football locally in Pune and Mumbai, Badadhe turned to coaching in 2014 with the Maharashtra State Police, before joining Bharat FC (2015-16) as a Youth Coach. The Pune-native went on to train Maharashtra’s U17 (2016) and U18 (2017) teams apart from working with Madhya Pradesh’s Pride Sports FC (2016-17).

His big break came in 2017-18 at Minerva Punjab where he won the I-League title as an Assistant Coach before taking over as the Head Coach in 2019 leading them into the AFC Champions League qualifier and the AFC Cup Group Stage apart from the latter half of the I-League.

While Badadhe takes over as the U15 Coach, Ajay Chorge who guided the team to the Junior League finals last season will take over as the coach of the U13 team which will be fully residential in Bellary starting this season. As part of the youth restructuring, the U18 side will now be based in Bengaluru and will train under Naushad Moosa and Sandesh Bhoite forming a major part of BFC B with a view of getting more competitive action at a higher level. 

Bengaluru Reserves put eight past Hindustan

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC Reserves extended their winning run to three games, hammering Delhi-based Hindustan FC 8-0 in a completely one-sided affair at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Friday. The win took Bengaluru’s tally to 9 points as they cemented their position at the top of Group-A standings in the Hero 2nd Division League after they sealed their biggest ever win in the competition.

While Naushad Moosa’s boys controlled the entire game, it was a brace each from Parag Shrivas (16’, 43’) and Leon Augustine (51’, 57’) along with goals from Advait Shinde (11’), Myron Mendes (20’), Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha (60’) and Altamash Sayed (61’) that gave Bengaluru a well-deserved win.

Dominating proceedings from the word go, BFC broke the deadlock in the 11th minute through a set piece. Altamash found Myron on the right, whose low cross into the box was finished off by Advait on the second attempt after his first was blocked by the ’keeper. Five minutes later, Myron with a long ball found Parag free on the left who ran past his marker before finishing off at the far post with a low finish.

Myron had a penalty kick saved by custodian Varun Bisht in the 19th minute before making amends a minute later with a close-range finish at the far post on Parag’s cross from the left.

The Blue Colts missed another penalty at the half hour mark when Altamash hit his effort from the spot wide, before Hindustan FC missed the third penalty of the afternoon when Jaskaran Singh too fired off target after Aditya Patra had brought Franko Paul down.

The hosts finally made it 4-0 minutes from the breather when Parag completed his brace heading home Altamash’s corner kick in from the left.

Bengaluru struck four in quick succession in the opening quarter of the second half. First it was Leon who poked home from close on Advait's pass after Myron's effort from outside the box came off the crossbar in the 51st minute. Six minutes later, he completed his brace tapping home Parag’s low ball in from the left.

Emanuel and Altamash scored two in as many minutes from outside the box around the hour mark to make it 8-0 for the Blue Colts. The home side had quite a few chances in the remainder of the second half, but some poor finishing and last-ditch defending from the visitors meant the score remained unchanged.

The league now breaks for three weeks with Bengaluru Reserves resuming their campaign with an away game against Hindustan FC in Delhi on February 25.

Bengaluru FC down Ozone 2-1 in a thriller

Bengaluru FC Media 

Naushad Moosa’s young Bengaluru FC side came from a goal down to defeat Ozone FC 2-1 in a thrilling BDFA Super Division League encounter at the Bangalore Football Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday. Edmund Lalrindika’s 32nd minute equaliser cancelled out MS Jithin’s (2’) early opener for Ozone FC, before an own goal from defender Mark Anthony (76’) handed the Blue Colts all three points.

Going into this crucial game, Moosa opted to field an unchanged eleven from the win over Kickstart FC. However, the young Blues had a start to forget as they conceded inside the first two minutes.

Having lost the ball in the rival half, Bengaluru were hit hard by a quickfire counter attack by the rivals. Ozone attacker Jithin kept his composure to run solo and avoid Asheer Akthar’s tackle before beating Aditya Patra in the BFC goal with a left-footed finish from inside the box.

Having conceded just their second goal of the campaign, Bengaluru didn’t drop their heads and slowly found their groove. Their persistence finally paid dividends when striker Lalrindika pulled them level in the 32nd minute. The striker latched on to a lob from midfielder Biswa Darjee and fired home a half volley from the edge of the box to make it 1-1.

Winger Leon Augustine then looked to have beaten the offside trap and scored the goal that would’ve shot his side into the lead, only for a dubious decision from the linesman on the far side to rule his strike out for offside.

Bengaluru had back-to-back chances of their own inside two minutes of the second half as Leon Augustine, who combined well with substitute Lalnuntluanga, managed to beat his marker but his shot from close range was saved by the rival custodian. The resultant corner had skipper Myron Mendes’ header come off the crossbar after he met Altamash Sayed’s set-piece perfectly.

Bengaluru continued to push ahead and dominate the game which had turned physical and despite Ozone defending deep in their own half, the Blue Colts managed to break their defense down in the 76th minute, when left-back Parag dribbled his way through the Ozone backline with his resultant cut back turned into his own net by defender Mark Anthony.

With Ozone throwing bodies up front in the final quarter, Moosa’s boys managed hold on to their slender advantage to seal a fourth win in five games. The Blue Colts will now take on South United FC on Sunday, December 2.

Bengaluru colts school Students Union in 9-0 thrashing

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC bounced back to winning ways in the BDFA Super Division League with a 9-0 thrashing of Students Union in a Round-3 encounter at the Bangalore Football Stadium, on Friday. Leon Augustine’s hat-trick (18’, 46’, 87’) and Naorem Roshan Singh’s brace (10’, 20’) powered the big win as Asheer Akhtar (22’), Calvin Baretto (71’), Myron Mendes (72’) and Edmund Lalrindika (80’) too got on to the scoresheet.

Going into the game, Coach Naushad Moosa made three changes to the line-up, handing starts to defender Biswa Darjee, midfielder Ajay Chhetri and BFC U15s 'keeper Herojit Singh who made his debut.

After some early chances which were thwarted by Students Union goalkeeper Calvin Abhishek, the Blue Colts broke the deadlock in the 10th minute after attacker Roshan Singh controlled and smashed home Biswa Darjee's outside-of-the-boot cross in from the left.

Moosa's boys kept the tempo high and netted three more times in a span of five minutes. Leon doubled the lead when he headed in Ajay Chhetri's deft chip in from the left in the 18th minute before Roshan completed his brace two minutes later. SUFC failed to clear Ajay's cross in from the left and Roshan reacted quickest to finish to make it 3-0.

The score was 4-0 just two minutes later when defender Asheer Akhtar fired home a low drive from the edge of the box on the right as the Blue Colts ran riot.

The second half began explosively as Bengaluru struck inside 30 seconds. Striker Parag Shrivas capitalised on a weak back pass to gain possession and slid it across the goal from the right to find Leon at the far post for his second of the game.

The Blue Colts continued to push ahead then struck twice in two minutes. Substitute Calvin Baretto scored the sixth of the game, tapping home Biswa’s pass from the right after Altamash did well to find the wing-back clear in the box. A minute later, Edmund Lalrindika, on for Ajay Chhetri, set up Myron Mendes with his first pass of the game, as the skipper slid it past Abhishek to make it 7-0.

Bengaluru then struck twice more in the final ten minutes. Edmund controlled Biswa's cross in from the right and scored on his second attempt after the first one was blocked, and then claimed his second assist when he set up Leon to complete the latter’s hat-trick with three minutes left to play.

The Blue Colts next take on Kickstart FC on 24th November.

Bengaluru FC ‘B’ ready for inaugural season

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC announced a 28-member squad which will be part of the club’s first ever reserve side, known as Bengaluru FC ‘B’, for the 2017-18 season.

The squad, led by AFC Pro-License holder Naushad Moosa, is formed with a view of bridging the gap between the BFC Academy and the first team. Keeping the player pathway as the focal point of the Blues’ newest project, the management is committed on providing the best facilities at a professional level for up and coming Indian talent and has signed several young players for the season.

While two graduates, Leon Augustine and Prashanth Kalinga, from the inaugural batch of BFC’s Residential Academy in Bellary have been drafted into the squad, seven exciting players from the India U-19 set-up have also been signed. These youngsters, along with six other BFC Academy players who are part of BFC ‘B’, are eligible to represent the Blues in the U18 I-League.

Meanwhile, five players from the squad - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Robinson Khumukcham, Prashanth Kalinga and Leon Augustine - are part of the Blues squad for the ongoing AFC Cup 2017.

Club CTO Mandar Tamhane said, “When we started the BFC Residential academy, we also had plans for BFC ‘B’. With competitive action at the national stage only available till the Under-18 level, it’s very crucial for youngsters graduating out of the academy to get competitive action. At 18, not all players are ready for the intense demands of the first team, and so with the ‘B’ side we are trying to bridge that gap. It’s no different than our first team, and along with a few graduates from our academy, we have scouted for some talented young players from all over the country who do have the potential to progress through to our first team.”

Head Coach Naushad Moosa said, “It is very important to have a reserve side in a club. With Bengaluru FC ‘B’, there’s a platform for youngsters to improve their game while rubbing shoulders with the established stars and getting a ton of competitive action at the same time. We know this season is going to be a challenge for us, but the management has provided with a great structure.”

The squad, formed predominantly with Under-23 players, has been training over the last few weeks at the Bangalore Football Stadium, and will be playing in the 2nd Division League, conducted by the All India Football Federation, apart from the upcoming BDFA Bengaluru Super Division, and other all-India level tournaments.

Naushad Moosa joins Bengaluru FC as 'Indian' Assistant Coach

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC on Thursday, announced the appointment of AFC Pro-Licensed Coach Naushad Moosa as Indian Assistant Coach for the first team. Also, he will be the Head Coach of the newly formed BFC reserve side.

Moosa has formerly served as Head of Youth Development and Head Coach of the U19 side at Pune FC and was head coach of Air India Limited in 2012. A former youth Coach at Mumbai FC, his most recent appointment was as U14s coach at Reliance Foundation Young Champs.

“As a coach, it is a privilege to join a club that has a winning mentality. Bengaluru FC has won a trophy in each of its four seasons and the professionalism of this team is second to none. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the setup here,” said Moosa following his appointment.

A former footballer himself, Moosa has turned out for Air India, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal FC, Mahindra United and Mohammedan Sporting in a career that spanned over 12 years. As coach of the Pune FC U19s, Moosa claimed the U18 I-League twice in three years and won the Pune League in 2016.

“We are very happy to add Naushad to our backroom staff. His experience as a player and coach will add a lot of value to our team and the added responsibility of managing the reserve squad will see him nurture the future stars at BFC,” said club COO Mustafa Ghouse.

While joining Albert Roca and Carles Cuadrat as  the Blues’ first team coaches, 46-year-old Moosa will also be at the helm of things for the newly formed BFC reserve side, which looks to bridge the gap between the clubs Residential Youth Academy in Bellary and the first team.