India lost to Qatar by 2-1 at the Jassim Bin Hammad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday and their campaign is over. Qatar dominated the game but the Blue Tigers took the early lead following a brilliant goal from Chhangte in the first half. Qatar made a comeback after a controversial goal in the second half. It didn't take them long to find the winner and with this loss, India finished third in the Group A table which means they have failed to make it to the Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. The Blue Tigers also failed to get automatic qualification to the AFC Asian Cup 2027. 

Read Also: All-time Top Goalscorers of UEFA Euros

Qatar vs India: What happened in the game?

Qatar started the game brilliantly. They kept possession and dominated the game but couldn't break the deadlock. In the 12th minute, Qatar got a golden chance. Gouda managed to beat Jay Gupta and make his way inside the box. He spotted Alrawi in the middle and found him with a cutback pass. Alrawi went for a first-time shot but Mehtab Singh put his body on the line and made an excellent goal-saving block. It could have been the opening goal for Qatar. India were unable to create anything until the 37th minute.

Lallianzuala Chhangte scored the opener and gave India the lead out of nowhere. Brandon found Chhangte with what looked like an unintentional pass from the edge of the box. Chhangte kept his calm and slotted the ball inside the net. The Blue Tigers finished the half on a strong note with the help of Chhangte's goal.

Qatar started the second half just like they did in the first half. India decided to sit back and defend, going according to plan until Qatar found its controversial equalizer. The Indian players thought that the ball had gone out of play after Gurpreet had saved a header from Aymen and the ball was out of play. But the referee decided not to blow the whistle. Al Hassan pulled the ball out of play and played it to Aymen, who put it inside the net. 

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 💔

The ball goes out, but Qatar players pull it back and put it in the net. Ref allows the "goal".

What was that? 🤔

📸- FanCode #WorldCupQualifiers #fifaworldcup #qatarvindia #fifa #IndianFootballTeam #IndianFootball #FootballIndia pic.twitter.com/flWR5ArmHz

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) June 11, 2024

The Indian players protested, saying the ball had gone out of play. However, the referee consulted his assistant and the goal stood. Multiple replays showed the ball was clearly out of play. The entire ball was out of play. India became a victim of some terrible refereeing and the score was level. 

Qatar took the lead soon after scoring the equalizer. Alrawi got the ball at the edge of the Indian box, cut in, and went for a curler. It beat Gurpreet and went in. Conversely, Kuwait beat Afghanistan by 1-0 to claim the second spot. India couldn't do anything in the last few minutes and their campaign came to an end. Igor Stimac's men with the loss, also fail to get automatic qualification to the AFC Asian Cup 2027. 

𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐏 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 💔❌🇮🇳

A controversial Qatari equalizer shifted the momentum, leading to a 2-1 defeat for India. #IndianFootball #qatarvindia #indianfootballteam #fifaworldcupqualifiers #QATIND pic.twitter.com/vkRHhxwvTW

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) June 11, 2024

Jamshedpur FC hammered Mumbai City FC with a sensational come-from-behind 3-2 victory at the JRD Tata Sports Complex to secure their maiden win at home in ISL 2024-25. Though the Islanders had the early lead, Jamshedpur players stuck to their game plan to make a comeback to win at their home. With this win, Jamshedpur now have clinched back-to-back wins this season.

A Strong Start by Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC started the game with aggression, dominating possessions and early opportunities. In the fifth minute of the game, Yoell van Nieff intercepted a pass from Javi Hernandez and released a powerful long-range shot that curled just inches wide of the post. It was clear that the visitors were intent on controlling the game from the very beginning.

Within minutes though, Jamshedpur FC responded with their first notable chance. Imran Khan delivered a well-placed corner and Pratik Chaudhari on the far post headed it towards Javier Siverio. Siverio laid it off to Jordan Murray and his shot was cleared off the line for the fourth corner of the game. The play almost went into the lead, but Tiri's clearance deflected off the top of the crossbar and it remained level.

Read Also: 10 Biggest Football Stars Who Have Played in ISL 

Karelis Gomes adds some magic for Mumbai FC

Mumbai did not have much to respond at this point, when in the eighth minute, through a Thaer Krouma header, Nikolaos Karelis delivered a thunderous shot that beat Albino Gomes, Jamshedpur FC's goalkeeper, to find himself at the forefront of the contest. The same player again threatened to double up just moments later, but failure to convert and reduction of the margin limited the damage.

Jordan Murray's equaliser for Jamshedpur FC

As the first half came by, Jamshedpur FC gradually went into a rhythm. It finally clicked in the 36th minute when an equalizer from Jordan Murray came along. A wonderful cross from Imran Khan from the right wing found Murray, who calmly slotted it into the net to restore parity, putting hopes back in the shop of home supporters once again.

Javi Hernandez's Spectacular Free-Kick

At the stroke of halftime, Jamshedpur FC did well to go ahead due to some maverick wizardry by Javi Hernandez. With a magical effort from the right flank, Hernandez's free-kick made it past the Mumbai defense and into the back of the net. It was a lapse in communication between the defenders and goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa that they capitalised on. The goal meant not only that Jamshedpur was leading but the total momentum was now on the side of the latter.

Read Also: Indian Football Team drops to 126th in the latest FIFA Rankings 

Second-Half Supremacy by Jamshedpur FC

The home team continued the attack thrust in the second half. It was not more than four minutes after the resumption when Jamshedpur could have further made it 2-1 in their favour. Jordan Murray was poised to double his score for the night after Javi Hernandez played a sublime pass that sat him up. But an important block by Valpuia stopeed Murray's second goal of the night from occurring.

The pressure finally paid off in the 50th minute when a gem piece of play by Seiminlen Doungel set up Hernandez for his second goal. Doungel stepped past the Mumbai defense, and set up Hernandez for a perfect cross. Hernandez made no mistake with the pinpoint cross that doubled Jamshedpur's advantage over Mumbai City FC. The Spaniard's clinical finish left the Mumbai goalkeeper stretched and helpless, bringing the stadium to its feet.

Read Also: ISL 2024-25 Punjab FC vs Odisha FC: Punjab FC make it 2-in-2; beat Odisha FC by 2-1 

Mumbai City FC Fightback but Jamshedpur Emerge Victorius

Last season's ISL Cup winners, Mumbai City FC did not lose heart despite being two down, and they went all out for a comeback. It came in the 77th with Yoell van Nieff pulling one back as his outside-the-penalty-area curling effort evaded Gomes and thudded the ball to the back of the net, thus reducing the deficit and making the endgame tense.

In the dying embers, Mumbai City FC went all out on the attack but Jamshedpur FC stood rock solid in their defense. Petr Kratky's team left everything on the pitch, but the backline of the hosts and mindful substitution made sure they went away with all three points.

Key Performer of the Match: Javi Hernandez

It is more than obvious that Javi Hernandez was the top performer of the match. The two goals for his team ensured that Jamshedpur FC would not go down in a defeat, but it would also make him the third player ever in ISL history who scored for five different teams. He dominated set pieces and made intelligent runs to create space, thus opening up the route to the victory of his team, and he has played an important role in some defensive and midfield work.

What's Next for the Teams?

Jamshedpur FC will look to carry such momentum into the away game against Odisha FC at Bhubaneswar on September 28. Mumbai City FC have a brief break between this and return to action on 2nd of October with Bengaluru FC visiting them at the Mumbai Football Arena. The two sets of players looking for a win over each other will look to be back and carry on with the remaining part of the season in good form.

Brief Scores:

Jamshedpur FC: 3 (Jordan Murray 36', Javi Hernandez 44', 50')
Mumbai City FC: 2 (Nikolaos Karelis 18', Yoell van Nieff 77')

As per the newly published FIFA World rankings on 19 September 2024, the Indian Men's football team have further slipped to 126th position, a new low for the Blue Tigers.

After Sunil Chhetri's retirement and the contract termination of Igor Stimac, India headed to the 2024 Intercontinental Cup with newly appointed head coach Manolo Marquez in the charge.

The Blue Tigers failed to score a single goal in the whole tournament. Indian team ended their first match against Mauritius in a 0-0 draw and lost their second match to Syria by 0-3. This poor performance has led the Indian team to drop again in the FIFA Rankings. They have dropped their rankings five times in a row this year!

India slips to 126th in latest FIFA rankings.#IndianFootball #FIFA pic.twitter.com/mx5FqjaBYN

— IFTWC - Indian Football (@IFTWC) September 19, 2024

Previous Rankings

As per the rankings on 18th July 2024, India were at 124th position, following their draw against Kuwait and a defeat against Qatar in the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Though India had reached a high of 99 in 2023, they fnished the year at 102 position and kept on slipping as we headed into the new year.

What's next?

Indian Super League was considered to be a significant indicator of the overall progress of Indian football. Paving the way with 10 years of the ISL's existence, we have hardly seen Indian Football achieving anything remarkable in the premise of World Football.

Read Also | 10 Biggest Football Stars Who Have Played in ISL 

ISL gave many young Indian talents to showcase their capability and gave them opportunities to represent The Blue Tigers but as a team, India has consistently failed to perform on big stages. Thus it leaves a question of what will come next for Indian Football. 

As of now, Manolo Marquez has a huge job to do to come back stronger after his poor start as the coach of the Indian team. Indian Football Team will eye on their upcoming friendlies against Vietnam and Lebanon respectively on the 9th and 12th of October, 2024. 

Hello and welcome to another LIVE coverage of Indian Super League tournament . Tonight, we will have the 2024-25 season opener between last season's shield champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant and last season's cup winners Mumbai City FC.

In the past Mohun Bagan found it difficult to get past the Islanders. However, after their victory in the final league match of last season, they will be confident to beat the visitors at home tonight in Kolkata. Meantime, Mumbai City FC have always enjoyed their matchup against the Kolkata Giants. 

Read Also | ISL 2024-25 Mohun Bagan SG vs Mumbai City FC Match Preview, Head-to-head stats, Previous records and Fantasy team prediction

On Bagan will be under their new coach Jose Molina whereas Petr Kratky will have the Islanders for a full season for the first time. With two of the most successful clubs in Indian Super League history going against each other, we have a cracking game ahead of us to follow.

This is Koushik Biswas who will bring you all the LIVE updates, news, scores and everything of the Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.

After a goalless draw against a much lower-ranked side in Mauritius, Indian Men's football team will look to break the deadlock against a much stronger side Syria in their second match in Intercontinental Cup 2024 in Hyderabad on Monday. Here is everything you need to know about the India vs Syria match.

Match Details

Match: India vs Syria
Tournament: Intercontinental Cup, 2024
Date: 9 September 2024
Time: 7.30 pm IST
Venue: GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad.

Where and how to watch the India vs Syria match?

Indian football fans can watch the India vs Syria match on the Sports 18 3 TV Channel. Meantime, they can also stream the match live on Jio Cinema App and Website.

What happend in the tournament so far?

In the first match of the Tri-nation tournament, India and Mauritius played a goalless draw to dissapoint a few thousands presenst at the venue. Though, India had their chance against 179-ranked visitors, they could not break the deadlock. 

On the other hand, Syria defeated Mauritius by 2-0 in the second match of the tournament. Mustafa Abdullatif and Mahmoud Al-Mawas scored the goals for the West Asia team. 

Read Also | "I have lived a dream:" Sunil Chhetri on his 19-year long illustrious career (sportzpoint.com)

What is at stake this India vs Syria match hold in the tournament?

Since after a draw and a defeat Mauritius are already out of the tournament, the winner of the Syria vs India will go on to win the Intercontinental Cup. India, who are looking for a second consecutive Intercontinental Cup, must beat Syria to ensure their triumph. Meantime, a draw for Syria would be good enough for them to taste their first-ever glory on Indian soil.

Read Also | Players with the most appearances for India in International Football 

India vs Syria Head-to-head stats and history

India and Syria have a good rivalry in football dating back to Nehru Cup in 2007. Syria lost back-to-back finals in the Nehru Cup against India in 2007 and 2009. However, there is a difference between that side and the current side. Syria defeated India by 1-0 in the AFC Asian Cup in January this year to deny India's progress to third-round.

Read Also | Manolo Marquez ahead of India vs Mauritius: "The main thing is to prepare for Asian Cup qualifiers"

Till now, India vs Syria have faced eachother 7 times. India won thrice while Syria also won the same number of games. They have drawn once. 

India vs Syria past matches

India vs Syria: Recent form

India have been winless in their last five international games. Meantime, Syria have won twice, lost twice and drawn once in their last five matches.

India's last five matches:

• 0-0 vs Mauritius (D)
• 1-2 vs Qatar (L)
• 0-0 vs Kuwait (D)
• 1-2 vs Afghanistan (L)
• 0-0 vs Afghanistan (D)

Syria's last five matches:

• 2-0 vs Mauritius (W)
• 0-5 vs Japan (L)
• 0-1 vs North Korea (L)
• 7-0 vs Mayanmar (W)
• 1-1 vs Mayanmar (D)

Read Also | Igor Stimac's stats as Indian National Football Team Head Coach 

What the coaches said before the match?

"If you ask me, I prefer to play a good game than to win the tournament. I don't want to win it 1-0, scoring with the hand. I want that, in this moment, the team understands our ideas and we play better because finally, it's not about winning or losing. You need to arrive at a style of play and that's what we are focusing on. Obviously when you win, the confidence grows and then it's easier. But finally now it's about that we believe that we can compete against all the teams. When you have time to work, the possibilities for success are more," India's newly appointed head coach Manolo Marquez said in the press-conferecne yesterday.

"I think India are a great team. I like the way they play with this coach. They try to move the ball fast. I think it will be a difficult match for us. And our only objective for tomorrow is to be better than our previous match," Syria head coach José Lana told the media yesterday.

India vs Syria: Fantasy Football team prediction

Madania (Gk), Bheke, Al-Ajjan, Chinglensana, Al-Midani, Al Mawas, Thapa, Al Marmour, Jeakson, Chhangte, Al Dali.

The AIFF Awards are the annual Indian football awards presented to the best footballers in India by the All India Football Federation. Lallianzuala Chhangte and Indumathi Kathiresan were named the AIFF Best Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year 2023-24 at the AIFF Awards 2023-24 in New Delhi. Khalid Jamil won the Best Men’s Coach Award while Sukla Dutta was named the Best Women’s Coach Award. David Lalhlansanga and Neha claimed the best Promising Men’s and Women's Player of the Year award.

Read Also: Indian football transfer news: East Bengal sign Jeakson Singh; Mohun Bagan rope in Greg Stewart

Lallianzuala Chhangte was awarded the Men’s Player of the Year for the second time in a row, becoming only the fifth player to win the award multiple times. He netted 11 goals and provided 7 assists in all competitions for his club Mumbai City FC. He was the highest-scoring Indian player in the ISL. Chhangte scored against Qatar for the nation in Doha in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June 2024.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 🌟

Lallianzuala Chhangte once again won the AIFF Men's Player of the year for 2023/24 season#IndianFootball⚽ #AIFFAwards pic.twitter.com/qEsDxXWPNR

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 19, 2024

Chhangte said, “I am so honored to receive this award. Although I can’t be there, I’m sending a huge thank you to our Hon’ble Sports Minister Sir. Thank you so much for this prestigious award, which I feel undeserving. And tonight, I thank God, my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ for His guidance, protection, and blessings. He’s the only reason why I am here. Next, my family who have been my biggest supporters since day one. My friends and family from Mumbai City FC and my brothers in the national team. This is not possible for me without you guys backing me up.”

Indumathi Kathiresan won the AIFF Women’s Player of the Year. She became the first player from Tamil Nadu to win the award. The midfielder won the 2023-24 Indian Women’s League title with Odisha FC, scoring five goals. Indumathi won the Best Midfielder award in the IWL. For the Indian national team, she scored against Estonia in the Turkish Women’s Cup in February 2024.

The Supreme Superstar 😎

Indumathi Kathiresan emerges as the winner of AIFF Women's Player of the year 2023/24 season#IndianFootball⚽ #AIFFAwards pic.twitter.com/FfOhcaOKew

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 19, 2024

Indumathi said, “I’m delighted to be here tonight and receive this award. I didn’t expect to win it. I’m so happy and I would like to thank my coach and my teammates for helping me win this award.”

Striker David Lalhlansanga was awarded the AIFF Promising Men’s Player of the Year for his consistent goalscoring form. The 22-year-old scored 34 goals for Mohammedan Sporting in last season’s I-League, Calcutta Football League, and the Durand Cup, helping his side win two titles. He was the top scorer in the CFL and the Durand Cup which helped him earn his first national team call-up in May 2024 for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

The Emerging Talent 🪄

David Lalhlansanga is crowned with the AIFF Men's Promising Player award of the year for season 2023/24#IndianFootball⚽ #AIFFAwards pic.twitter.com/hAiuQaRd21

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 19, 2024

Eighteen-year-old winger Neha won the AIFF Promising Women’s Player of the Year for her sensational and inspiring performances. She scored two goals in India’s SAFF U19 Women’s Championship triumph in Bangladesh. She played a huge role in Haryana’s fairy tale run to the final of the Senior Women’s National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, scoring three goals for her state. She was part of the senior India squad for the friendlies against Uzbekistan and Myanmar; a young promising talent with a deserved award.

Neha said, “I feel happy winning the award. It’s a great honour to receive the award in front of my coach and a senior player like Indu Didi who I admire. I hope I can make my country and parents proud, and I wish to keep performing well.”

Promising Star 🌟

Neha emerges as the winner of AIFF Women's Promising Talent of the year for 2023/24 season#IndianFootball⚽ #AIFFAwards pic.twitter.com/qiE12Ha12a

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 19, 2024

Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil won the AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year. He took charge of the Red Miners midseason and helped them reach the semi-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup, their best-ever finish in that tournament.

Sukla Dutta was named the AIFF Women’s Coach of the Year. She coached and helped India to the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship title in Bangladesh. She also won the inaugural edition of the IWL 2 as the head coach of Sreebhumi FC, earning promotion to next season’s IWL.

Celebrating Khalid Jamil’s and Sukla Dutta's excellence in coaching! #IndianFootball⚽️ #AIFFAwards pic.twitter.com/DCYxpQwHfJ

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 20, 2024

Read Also: "I used to like Didika Ralte," Lallianzuala Chhangte revealed his idol during a media interaction before the Kuwait game

List of all AIFF Award winners for 2023-24:

• Men’s Player of the Year: Lallianzuala Chhangte
• Women’s Player of the Year: Indumathi Kathiresan
• Promising Men’s Player of the Year: David Lalhlansanga
• Promising Women’s Player of the Year: Neha
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Khalid Jamil
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Sukla Dutta
• Referee of the Year: Ramachandran Venkatesh
• Assistant Referee of the Year: Ujjal Halder
• Most Successful MA (Club Competitions): Indian Football Association (West Bengal)
• Most Successful MA (NFC Competitions): All Manipur Football Association
• Best MA (Member Association) - Supporting Women’s Football: Punjab Football Association
• Best MA for hosting most AIFF competitions: Football Association of Odisha and Goa Football Association
• MA with most player registrations (men’s): Kerala Football Association
• MA with most player registrations (women’s): Western India Football Association (Maharashtra)
• Special Award for MA launching new projects: Gujarat State Football Association
• MA with most Grassroots activities: Gujarat State Football Association
• MA with most Youth tournaments conducted: Karnataka State Football Association
• MA with most Coaching courses: Punjab Football Association
• MA with most Refereeing courses: Gujarat State Football Association

Special awards for supporting various AIFF events:

• Government of Odisha and Football Association of Odisha: For hosting FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Intercontinental Cup, Kalinga Super Cup, Senior Women’s NFC Group Stage, Junior Boys’ and Girls’ NFC Tier 1 and Sub-Junior Youth League
• Government of Arunachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh Football Association: For hosting the Santosh Trophy Final Round
• Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council: For twice hosting the India U17 men’s national team camp and upgrading the infrastructure of the TRC Ground