India national football team: Difference between revisions
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Name = India | |
Name = India | |
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Badge = India_FA.gif | |
Badge = India_FA.gif | |
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Nickname = |
Nickname = suckerss | |
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Association = [[All India Football Federation]] | |
Association = [[All India Football Federation]] | |
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Coach = [[Bobby Houghton]] | |
Coach = [[Bobby Houghton]] | |
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Revision as of 13:15, 16 October 2006
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Nickname(s) | suckerss | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | All India Football Federation | ||
| Head coach | Bobby Houghton | ||
| Captain | Baichung Bhutia | ||
| Most caps | ? | ||
| Top scorer | ? | ||
| FIFA code | IND | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 136 | ||
| Highest | 94 (February 1996) | ||
| Lowest | 143 (June 2004) | ||
| First international | |||
 France 2 - 1 India  (London, England; July 31, 1948) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
India 7 - 0 Sri Lanka  (Bangalore, India; December 16, 1963) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 USSR 11 - 1 India (Moscow, USSR; September 16, 1955) | |||
| AFC Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1964) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up, 1964 | ||
The India national football team is the national football team of India and is controlled by the All India Football Federation. It is a fledgling team ranked 128th[1] in the FIFA World Rankings as of July 2006. However, qualification for the Asian Cup or the World Cup seems some distance away.
The Indian team has enjoyed some level of success in the past. India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup as a result of the withdrawal of all of their scheduled opponents. However, they did not take up their place in the competition because FIFA demanded all players at the World Cup finals should wear football boots. A number of the Indian players refused to abide by this rule and the team was forced to withdraw; the team has never since come close to qualifying for the World Cup. India also finished 4th in the football tournament at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Neville D'Souza became the only Indian player to score a hat-trick in the Olympics, against Australia, at the tournament. India also took part in the 1948, 1952 and 1960 Olympics. India won the Asian Games Gold medal in the year 1962, in 1966 they finished 4th and in 1970, 3rd. This was known as the golden era of Indian football. India won their first major trophy outside the sub-continent when they clinched the LG Cup in Vietnam in 2002 under English coach Stephen Constantine. For Constantine it was his first tournament, but unfortunately, his last successful one. Poor performances led to his sacking 3 years later. India also managed to finish in the 2nd position at the first ever Afro-Asian Games held in India in the year 2003.
India is a soccer powerhouse in the SAFF region. They have won the South Asian Football Federation Cup 4 times, in 1993, 1997, 1999 and 2005. In 1995 and 2003, they finished second.
Government apathy, the rising popularity of cricket, and poor sponsorship have led to a lack of quality players from India. However, the sport is widely followed in most parts of the country. Most of the teams in the India league come from the football crazy states of Goa, West Bengal and Kerala. Other states where the game is popular are Manipur and Punjab. With television coverage coming in for the national league recently, it seems like things will change for the better. India is also beginning to get some international recognition, as was evident from the 7-year sponsorship deal signed with sports apparel and equipment giant Nike in February 2006.[2]
The current captain is Baichung Bhutia from Sikkim. Bhutia is the only contemporary Indian to have played professional football, for Bury in the English Football League.
The AIFF has recently appointed Bob Houghton as the new manager for the national side. His appointment comes after India's dismal performances in the Asian Cup qualifiers under the coaching of Syed Nayeemuddin. The Englishman is a widely respected coach and has had stints with the national teams of China and Uzbekistan before coming to India. He was chosen from a list of 4 respected coaches, shortlisted by the special panel of AIFF. The list also included former Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr.
- 1930 to 1938 - Did not enter
- 1950 - Qualified by default, but withdrew
- 1954 - Entry not accepted by FIFA
- 1958 to 1970 - Did not enter
- 1974 to 2006- Did not qualify
- 1956 - Did not enter
- 1960 - Did not qualify
- 1964 - Second place
- 1968 - Did not qualify
- 1972 to 1980 - Did not enter
- 1984 - Round 1
- 1988 to 2007 - Did not qualify
- 2006 - Quarter Finals (India entered with an under 20s team, coached by Islam Akhmedov from Uzbekistan)
Current players
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Sangram Mukherjee | June 11, 1981 | Salgaocar FC
| |
| 2 | DF | N. P. Pradeep | SBT
| ||
| 3 | DF | N.S. Manju | Mahindra United
| ||
| 4 | DF | Mehrajuddin Wadoo | February 12, 1984 | Mohan Bagan
| |
| 5 | DF | Sanjive Maria | September 2, 1980 | Mohan Bagan
| |
| 6 | MF | Sampath Kumar Kuttimani | HAL
| ||
| 7 | MF | Mehtab Hussain | October 3, 1982 | Mohan Bagan
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| 8 | MF | Xavier Vijayakumar | HAL
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| 9 | FW | Manjit Singh | January 25, 1986 | Mohan Bagan
| |
| 10 | FW | Syed Rahim Nabi | December 14, 1985 | East Bengal
| |
| 11 | FW | Praveen Kumar | JCT Mills
| ||
| 12 | MF | Dharamjit Singh | February 1, 1981 | Mohan Bagan
| |
| 15 | FW | Baichung Bhutia | December 15, 1976 | East Bangal
| |
| 16 | MF | James Lukram Singh | Mahindra United
| ||
| 17 | DF | Surkumar Singh | Mahindra United
| ||
| 19 | FW | Abdul Hakkim | SBT
| ||
| 20 | GK | Kalyan Chaube | JCT Mills
| ||
| 28 | GK | Israt Kamal | Central Railway
| ||
| 29 | DF | Deepak Kumar Mondal | Mahindra United
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| 30 | MF | Micky Fernandes | Salgaocar FC
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| ? | MF | Shanmugam Venkatesh | Mahindra United
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Notes
- ^ "FIFA World Rankings". FIFA, 19 April, 2006. Retrieved 3 May.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Nike – AIFF sign seven year sponsorship deal". the-aiff.com, 27 February, 2006. Retrieved 3 May.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
- http://www.the-aiff.com - Official Website of the All India Football Federation
- http://www.indianfootball.com - India's Premier Football Site
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International association football | ||
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| World (FIFA) |  | |
| Asia (AFC) | ||
| Africa (CAF) | ||
| North America (CONCACAF) | ||
| South America (CONMEBOL) | ||
| Oceania (OFC) | ||
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