Manchester United defender Eric Bailly joins Marseille on loan
Manchester United central defender Eric Bailly has moved to French Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille on loan for the rest of the season, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Bailly has a contract with United until 2024 but Marseille have the option of making his move permanent at the end of the 2022-23 season.
The Ivorian joined United in 2016 but has had limited playing time in recent seasons, making only three Premier League starts in the last campaign. He has not played a game under new manager Erik ten Hag this season.
Bailly fell down the pecking order following the arrivals of defenders Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
The 28-year-old will now have the opportunity to play Champions League football this season after Marseille finished second in the French league behind Paris St Germain.
Marseille are third in the Ligue 1 standings, two points behind PSG.
ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC share spoils in Durand Cup clash
KOLKATA: Kolkata giants ATK Mohun Bagan's wait for their maiden win in this year's Durand Cup continued as they played out a 1-1 draw against rivals Mumbai City FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Wednesday.
The first 20 minutes of the first half saw a spirited ATKMB trying to take an early lead, bolstered by the home support.
Winger Liston Colaco made a couple of brilliant moves, first in the second minute and the other coming in the 12th minute. However, both the moves did not give the Mariners an early lead.
ATKMB drew the first blood in the 40th minute when a strike by defender Ashish Rai was rebounded off Mumbai goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa, but it was Liston who scored on the rebound.
Mumbai could have equalised four minutes later when Greg Stewart found Bipin Singh clear with a floater, but the Manipuri's header went straight into the hands of ATKMB custodian Vishal Kaith.
Coming into the second half, ATKMB could have doubled their lead as Liston got a similar rebound of Lachenpa once again, but it was eventually cleared by Mumbai's Australian defender Rostyn Griffiths.
Mumbai equalised in the 77th minute, when Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz got an aerial ball by Sanjiv Stalin in the box and headed it into the net.
With the draw, ATKMB have just one point from two matches, while Mumbai have four points from two games it played so far.
ATKMB had lost their first game against Rajasthan United 2-3.
Durand Cup: Army Red Football Team holds Neroca to goalless draw
IMPHAL: Home favourite Neroca FC settled for a goalless draw with the Army Red Football Team (ARFT) in their second Group C game in the Durand Cup at the Khuman Lampak Stadium here on Wednesday.
Neroca came into this game as firm favourites after beating local rivals TRAU FC 3-1. However, good defensive work by the ARFT footballers denied the wasteful Neroca side a chance to register their second consecutive win in the tournament.
Neroca showed more eagerness in the first half but failed to create any meaningful chances, thanks to the Army defenders who defended smartly.
As the first half ended goalless, it was Neroca that started the other half by pressing hard but squandered the chances to open the scoring.
Neroca's Michael Lunminlal Kipgen exhibited some great individual work and created a half-chance of sorts at the hour mark, but was eventually off-target.
Four minutes later, Lunminal was at it again as he delivered a cross with pin-point accuracy to young forward Thomyo Shimray, who attempted a side-volley but missed out on scoring.
The Army side did get one opportunity to break the deadlock with three minutes left on the clock, as substitute Pradeep Kumar, unleashed a left-footer from 20 yards but was denied by Neroca custodian Sonal Porei, who was awarded the Man of the Match.
Durand Cup: PC Lallawmkima's brace guides Army Green to 3-1 win over NorthEast United
GUWAHATI: Skipper PC Lallawmkima scored a brace as Army Green made a winning start to its Durand Cup campaign by inflicting a 3-1 defeat on NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) here on Sunday.
Lallawmkima's twin strikes were accompanied by Somesh Kothari's goal as the Army team dominated NEUFC.
Dipu Mirdha got a consolation for NEUFC in stoppage time.
Both teams began in lively fashion but it was the Army men who were decisive in the middle. They drew first blood in the ninth minute through their captain, whose run was found perfectly by an overhead pass from Sochin Chhetri.
One of the greatest Services footballers of recent times, Lallawmkima, probably in an attempt to reach out and receive, ended up chipping past keeper Nikhil Deka beautifully from a close range.
Army Green stepped up the pressure post the goal with the young NEUFC side finding it difficult to contain the continuous attacks. Chhetri and Roel Lepcha were brilliant in the middle while Gautam Singh was proving to be a menace all across the pitch.
The pressure resulted in the second goal. Somesh started the attack from the right and cushioned the ball to an overlapping Chabin Rabha whose shot was saved by the goalkeeper but the rebound fell kindly back to Somesh, who headed it into an empty net.
In the second half, NEUFC created some chances which could not be converted by Mirdha.
The experience and physicality of the Army men was too much to handle for the youngsters from NEUFC as they continued to attack.
Army Green increased their lead in the 55th minute through Lallawmkima, who deservedly bagged the Man of the Match. A link up play from the left by Somesh and Gautam found the skipper unmarked at the far post, who just had to tap in.
Army Green continued with possession dominance and created chances while the Highlanders could not produce any clear-cut openings and all their attempts were straight at the Army keeper Puia, who did not have to work much to keep them away.
A consolation goal did come the Highlanders way in injury time when Mirdha got to the end off a through ball from Alfred. The goal sent the crowd into a frenzy.
AIFF elections returning officer rejects nomination papers of two presidential candidates
NEW DELHI: Amid uncertainty over the AIFF elections scheduled for August 28, the returning officer on Sunday rejected the candidature of Valanka Alemao and Manvendra Singh for the president's post after their respective seconders denied having signed any nomination paper.
The filing of nomination papers for the election of AIFF's executive committee under the aegis of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) completed on Saturday, even though there's cloud of uncertainty over the world governing body FIFA accepting the poll process.
Alemao, daughter of Goa association president Churchill Alemao, and Rajasthan association chief Manvendra were among the seven who had filed nomination papers for the president's post.
The legendary Bhaichung Bhutia, former goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey, Shaji Prabhakaran (Football Delhi president), N A Haris (Karnataka association chief) and Ajit Banerjee (IFA head and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's elder brother) were the others aspiring for the top post.
But a notification by returning officer Umesh Sinha said that Alemao and Menvendra's nomination papers were not legally valid as their respective seconders -- Amit Khemani and Harjinder Singh -- have said that they have not signed any nomination paper for any candidate.
Khemani is the president of Daman and Diu football association while Harjinder is the representative of Chandigarh unit of the AIFF.
"Whereas, Harjinder's name is given as seconder for Manvendra Singh for the post of president and Amit Khemani is the seconder for Valanka Natasha Alemao, a candidate for the post of president, and considering that the aforesaid seconders for the said nominations are not legally valid...
"...the nominations of Manvendra Singh and Valanka Alemao is not acceptable and accordingly (their) nominations for the post of president are rejected," the notification said.
Khemani in an email on Saturday stated that "his name has been used by Valanka Alemao without his knowledge" and he had not signed nomination paper of any candidate.
The matter came to light after a complaint from Goa association member Jonathan de Sousa claimed that Khemani has been out of country since August 16 and he could not have seconded Alemao.
Harjinder, on the other hand, said that he had not proposed or nominated any name for the current elections of the AIFF.
Alemao has also filed nomination papers for the posts of treasurer as well as executive committee member.
The nomination papers of former India midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Deepak Sharma were also rejected along with Mohd Shahid, who had all filed nominations for contesting executive committee members post.
Lyngdoh's seconder Arif Ali also seconded Menla Ethenpa as candidate for executive committee member. Since no person can either propose or second two candidates and Ethenpa's nomination was submitted earlier than that of Lyngdoh, the latter's candidature was rejected.
All the six nomination papers for the lone post of treasurer were found to be in order.
So, there are five candidates for the post of one president, six for one treasurer and 11 for five executive committee members. Candidates can withdraw their names between Monday and Wednesday.
The Supreme Court will take up a crucial hearing on Monday on the request of the sports ministry after world governing FIFA banned the AIFF for "undue influence from third parties".
The government has moved an application to the top court, making a plea to end the "mandate" of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and to start the election process 'de novo' (from the beginning).
On August 3, the Supreme Court had ordered holding of AIFF elections on August 28, giving 36 eminent players voting rights. But the FIFA, which was not in favour of individual members forming the electoral college, suspended the AIFF on August 15.
The SC had appointed the three-member CoA headed by former top court judge AR Dave to run the affairs of the AIFF in a May 18 order while ousting Praful Patel as president of the national federation.
Government proposes to end CoA mandate in SC application, accepts all FIFA demands
NEW DELHI: In a desperate move to get the FIFA ban on AIFF revoked, the central government on Sunday moved an application in the Supreme Court, seeking an end to the "mandate" of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), as demanded by the world governing body.
The sports ministry's move, a day before a crucial hearing of the top court, can be seen as an attempt to salvage the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup, scheduled to be held in October.
The world body had on August 15 imposed a ban on All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to "third party interference" and said that the women's age-group showpiece "cannot currently be held in India as planned".
The government in its application has virtually accepted all the demands made by the FIFA, including ending the tenure of the SC-appointed CoA as well as not allowing individual members in the electoral college.
It, however, said that the ousted Praful Patel-led dispensation should be excluded from the AIFF.
"...this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to ... direct that day-to-day management of AIFF shall be looked after by the AIFF administration led by the acting Secretary General to the exclusion of the earlier elected body and the CoA will have no role in the administration of AIFF from 22.08.2022," the application read.
"... to require the CoA to submit the final draft constitution to this Hon'ble Court by the end of 23.08.2022, and that the mandate of the COA be declared to be over in full from 23.08.2022."
In its statement while suspending AIFF, the FIFA had said the lifting of the suspension on AIFF will be subject to repealing of CoA's mandate in full. FIFA also said that it wants the AIFF administration to "be fully in charge of the AIFF's daily affairs".
The world body had said that it wants an "independent electoral committee to be elected by the AIFF general assembly to run the elections of a new executive committee".
It had also said that the AIFF must hold its elections based on the pre-existing membership of the AIFF" (i.e state associations only without individual members).
After the SC approved the holding of AIFF elections on August 28, the process of filing nomination papers was completed on Saturday.
Seven candidates, including the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia, have filed nomination papers for the president's post, though the returning officer on Sunday rejected two of them after the proposer and seconder said they have not signed any nomination paper of any candidate.
One of the government plea, that of not allowing eminent players as individual members in the electoral college, if accepted by the SC may put Bhutia's candidature under a cloud as he has been proposed and seconded by an eminent player each.
"Because of the suggested changes in the electoral college, the process of election may be required to be started 'de novo' since the change in the voters list may affect the validity of some of the nomination forms which may have been proposed/seconded by the player members who are now prayed for being excluded from the voters' list," the government plea read.
The government also made a plea to modify the election programme approved by the top court in its August 3 order but said that the returning officer and his assistant, who were appointed by the CoA to conduct AIFF polls on August 28, be allowed to continue.
"... direct for election from the stage stipulated on 13.08.2022 (date of election notification) based upon the voters list containing representatives of member associations only which already published excluding the 36 players.
"and be pleased to direct the Returning Officers to complete all stages of election up to the counting of votes and declaration of results with such changed dates as this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to specify."
The government also proposed that the Executive Committee of the AIFF may consist of 23 members, including six eminent players.
"The 17 members (inclusive of the president, a treasurer, and one vice president) will be elected by the above electoral college.
"Out of the six eminent payers, four will be men and two will be women. The eminent players may be nominated (co-opted) in the EC and shall have the voting rights in Executive Committee, thus making their representation to be around 25 percent of the EC."
The government said the "problem facing the country is acute and it is of utmost importance that India does not lose its right to host the prestigious FIFA Under-17 Women World Cup, 2022 nor the brilliant football players of the country (irrespective of the age group) are deprived of participating in international competitions.
"An indulgence by this Hon'ble Court is the only way forward and will serve a larger interest of the nation.
"This Honble Court has the power to do complete justice and this would be one of those rarest of rare case where this Hon'ble Court may, if required, bend any procedural rules to do complete justice."
AFC raises doubts over ATKMB tie
PANAJI: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has told ATK Mohun Bagan that the Kolkata club is “currently unable to fulfil its obligations in respect of the AFC Cup 2022 inter-zone semi-finals”, scheduled for September 7 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
FIFA’s suspension of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday means no Indian team can take part in international competitions. Gokulam Kerala FC have already been left out of next week’s AFC Women’s Club Championship in Uzbekistan and now ATK Mohun Bagan could suffer the same fate, if the suspension is not lifted at the earliest.
“As stated in the FIFA circular and in accordance with Article 13 of the FIFA statutes, with effect from August 14, 2022, the AIFF has lost all of its membership rights. The AIFF representative and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to participate in international competitions until the suspension is lifted
“Accordingly, in view of the aforementioned decision, we note that ATK Mohun Bagan is currently unable to fulfil its obligations in respect of the AFC Cup 2022 (InterZone semifinals),” AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John wrote in an email to AIFF acting general secretary Sunando Dhar on Friday.
Crucially, AFC has not yet cancelled the match but instead said it “will continue to monitor this situation closely.” A copy of the email has been sent to the club.
ATK Mohun Bagan will take on the winners of Kuala Lumpur City FC and Indonesia’s PSM Makassar next month. Last year, the Kolkata giants suffered a humiliating 0-6 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf at the same stage of the AFC Cup, Asian football’s second-tier club competition after the AFC Champions League.
Playing at home, and in front of fans this time around, Juan Ferrando’s team is expected to make a big impression and go beyond the zonal semi-finals.
ATK Mohun Bagan have also invested heavily with the AFC Cup in mind.The club’s best hope is an early resolution to the crisis.
AIFF ban: Sports Ministry requests FIFA, AFC to allow Indian clubs play AFC tournaments
NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry has requested the world football governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to allow Indian clubs -- Sree Gokulam Kerala FC and ATK Mohun Bagan -- compete in the tournaments as scheduled despite the ban on AIFF.
With FIFA suspending the All India Football Federation (AIFF) late on Monday, there was chaos as Gokulam Kerala women's team had already reached Uzbekistan to participate in their second AFC Women's Club Championship.The women's team is scheduled to compete against a team from Iran on August 23 and one from the host nation on August 26 in Qarshi, while ATK Mohun Bagan is slated to play the AFC Cup 2022 (Inter-Zone semifinals) on September 7 in Bahrain.
The ministry wrote an email to FIFA and AFC, apprising them of the fact that Gokulam Kerala was already in Uzbekistan when FIFA's suspension of AIFF was announced.
"It has requested FIFA and AFC to therefore consider allowing the team to play in the AFC Women's Club Championship (West region) in the interest of the young players," the Ministry said in a release.
The ministry said that it has also "reached out to the Indian embassy in Uzbekistan to extend assistance to the team in all possible ways. The ministry is also in constant touch with the Gokulam team's management."
Following the news of the ban, Gokulam Kerala women's team president VC Praveen had called up the sports ministry with the players standing by his side.
The ministry had then promptly taken up the matter with the AFC, which offered the team an extension of 48 hours in Tashkent.
On Monday, FIFA had suspended India for "undue influence from third parties" and said the U-17 Women's World Cup "cannot currently be held in India as planned".
This is the first time AIFF has been banned by FIFA in its 85-year history, with the apex body saying there have been "flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes".
Bhaichung Bhutia leads field for AIFF president's post
PANAJI: Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia was backed by a male and female ‘eminent’ player for the All India Football Federation’s president post, but other footballers have distanced themselves from an administrative role.
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), now running AIFF, had come up with a draft constitution that reserved five spots for former players in the AIFF executive committee. Thirty-six players were also added to the electoral college for the first time, inviting objections, and later a ban, from FIFA, the governing body for world football.
On the final day of nominations, Bhutia – India’s second most capped footballer after Sunil Chhetri — threw his hat in the ring for the president’s post. For the five eminent players spots, Madhu Kumari (Bihar) was the lone contestant. Four other spots in the executive committee reserved for eminent players will now go unfilled.
“The problem is that there is lot of confusion,” Bhutia told TOI on Friday. “A lot of players are not aware that they can (still) vote and contest, or that the players themselves can propose and nominate, without backing from state associations. I was also in two minds and got clarity only much later.”
Bhutia will be challenged by former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey, whose nomination was proposed by Gujarat and seconded by Arunachal Pradesh. The importance of the backing from politically-significant states for Chaubey, now a BJP leader who contested assembly elections in West Bengal, wasn’t lost on anyone.
Chaubey, though, is not part of the electoral college and cannot vote for himself. The two former India players are joined by several state association representatives. According to sources, Shaji Prabhakaran (Delhi), NA Haris (Karnataka), Ajit Banerjee (West Bengal) and Manavendra Singh (Rajasthan) all filed their nominations for the president’s post on deadline day.
For the first time in the federation’s 85-year history, the president’s post will see a woman candidate in the fray after Valanka Alemao, CEO of Churchill Brothers FC, was nominated by Sikkim FA and seconded by Daman & Diu. Valanka, daughter of Goa Football Association (GFA) president and former chief minister Churchill Alemao, has also filed nominations for the posts of treasurer and executive committee member.
“The love that the states have for Churchill Bros is crazy,” said Valanka. “I am overwhelmed by their support. All of them have admired that I am the only woman in football administration. They have all pledged their support.”
Former India midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh, now an active politician, is among the candidates for an executive committee member.
He was handpicked as the Meghalaya FA representative after Larsing Sawyan was “deemed disqualified as per provisions of the draft Constitution,” for being part of the AIFF executive committee for three terms, the last two as vice-president.
“I think it’s important for former players to get themselves involved in state associations and help the game. They can make a difference,” said Lyngdoh. If needed, elections will be held for president, one treasurer, five members from representatives of member associations and five eminent players.
Haryana’s Manisha Kalyan becomes first Indian to play in UEFA Women's Champions League
Even as the Fifa ban dominated most Indian minds and timelines on Thursday, a new chapter was added to the history of Indian football at Engomi, near Cyprus’s capital of Nicosia. At the stroke of the 60th minute in the match between Apollon Ladies FC and SFK Riga, Manisha Kalyan came in as a substitute for the former at Makareio stadium and became the first Indian footballer — among both men and women — to play in the topmost European club competition, the Uefa Champions League.
For Haryana girl Manisha, it was not the impending history for the nation but the personal milestone and earnestness to stay focused that topped the mind ahead of her debut.“Coach (Laurent Fassotte) had told me before the match to be prepared and that I would get some time in the match, even if it was for 10-15 minutes. So I had begun preparing myself,” Manisha told TOI on Friday. “I was telling myself that I needed to be ready, to give my very best. The entire time, the focus was on giving my best for the club.”
In fact, I had played some matches for the national team that had more intensity than yesterday’s (Thursday) game and I believed I was ready for it,” Manisha added.
The closest that Indian football had come to such a feat was when Gurpreet Singh Sandhu represented Norwegian club Stabaek in the Europa League qualifying in 2016. The first round Women’s Champions League qualifying tie was also Manisha’s competitive debut for Apollon Ladies, having already scored for the Cypriot women’s champions in a pre-season friendly.
It was also a winning Champions League debut for the 20-year-old as they beat the Latvian topflight club 3-0 in their European opener this season.
“I was a bit concerned that it was my first match for the club and I had got about one and a half months of training with them. Communication was also a bit of a worry ahead of the match. But once I was in, my teammates were supportive and also appreciated my game,” she said of her match experience where she played in her favourite position — the left wing — and also created a couple of chances for Apollon.
Manisha donned the No. 12 jersey on Thursday, the same number that graced her jersey at Gokulam Kerala. Having come into limelight with her strike against Brazil — in the South American’s home — during a four-nation friendly tournament last year, it was her superlative show for Gokulam in the last edition of the India Women’s League that got her the contract in the Mediterranean country.
Crowned AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2021-22, Manisha is the second Indian woman footballer to join an overseas club this year, the other being Dangmei Grace, who signed for Uzbek club PFC Sevinch Karshi.
They joined a group of elite footballers after Aditi Chauhan and Bala Devi to have plied their trade abroad. But the young winger, who has been praised by India head coach Thomas Dennerby for her “excellent speed and dribbling” and been termed “our best player” by the Swede, has age on her side to reach her full potential and fly higher in career.In fact, I had played some matches for the national team that had more intensity than yesterday’s (Thursday) game and I believed I was ready for it,” Manisha added.
The closest that Indian football had come to such a feat was when Gurpreet Singh Sandhu represented Norwegian club Stabaek in the Europa League qualifying in 2016. The first round Women’s Champions League qualifying tie was also Manisha’s competitive debut for Apollon Ladies, having already scored for the Cypriot women’s champions in a pre-season friendly.