East Bengal steamrollers debutant South United
Defender Lalchungnunga opened the scoring early in the first half before Saul Crespo netted a penalty to make it 2-0.
Bipin Singh made a fine debut for East Bengal as he found the net within minutes after his introduction late in the second half. Dimitrios Diamantakos, also coming in as a substitute, scored from a free-kick to enhance East Bengal's tally before Naorem Mahesh Singh provided the finishing touch with a nice long-ranger in the penultimate minute of the match.
Outplayed
It was a harrowing debut for South United as the Bengaluru-based team was unable to find its footing against the might of the ISL side East Bengal, which dominated the action with over 70% ball possession.
South United, whose best show so far has been playing in the I-League 2, had to rely on its local league recruits against a much-higher budget opponent which also fielded three foreigners.
The result: Group-A: Emami East Bengal 5 (Lalchungnunga 12, Crespo 37-pen, Bipin Singh 79, Diamantakos 86, Mahesh Singh 89) bt South United FC 0.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Boston Celtics' $6.1 Billion Sale Nears Completion; Two-Week Timeline Set: Report
Last Updated: The Celtics are being sold for $6.1 billion to William Chisholm's group, pending NBA approval. This is the second-largest NBA franchise sale after the Lakers' $10 billion deal. The Boston Celtics are on the brink of a historic ownership change, with a $6.1 billion sale to private equity executive William Chisholm and his investment group expected to close within the next two weeks. According to a report by Sportico on Thursday, the transaction is still subject to approval from the NBA's Board of Governors, comprised of the league's 30 team owners. The vote can be conducted remotely and is typically a formality in such high-profile franchise sales. The Celtics announced in March that the Chisholm-led group would be acquiring the franchise from the Grousbeck family and Boston Basketball Partners LLC. At $6.1 billion, the deal set a new benchmark as the highest price ever agreed upon for a North American sports franchise—until June, when Mark Walter struck a deal to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers at a staggering $10 billion valuation. The Celtics sale will become the second-largest in NBA history, only behind the Lakers' recent valuation. Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and co-founder of the California-based private equity firm STG Partners, is a lifelong Celtics fan. While Wyc Grousbeck is expected to remain the team's governor until the end of the 2027–28 season, Chisholm will assume that role once the transition is fully complete. The Grousbeck-led group originally purchased the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million, a figure that underscores the massive appreciation in franchise valuations over the past two decades. Boston Basketball Partners LLC disclosed in 2023 that they planned to sell the majority stake in late 2024 or early 2025, with the remainder to be offloaded by 2028. Grousbeck, whose family played a key role in the Celtics' operations and resurgence over the past two decades—including the 2008 NBA Championship—will continue to oversee the franchise during the transitional period. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
AIFF moves Super Cup forward to allow ISL teams, Indian players game-time, but uncertainty over league continues
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Thursday proposed that the Super Cup, a tournament held at the end of the season, be moved forward and conducted after the Durand Cup in the first week of September – all in all confirming that any plans to host the Indian Super League (ISL) at its original timeline had failed. But AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey assured stricken ISL clubs that had demanded this meeting that the league would take place this season, even though no agreement between the premier footballing body and its commercial partner the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) over the Master Rights Agreement was in sight. Any further discussions on the agreement has been stalled with the Supreme Court yet to announce its final order on the AIFF's constitution. The AIFF also added that it had decided to discuss moving up the tournament so as to give players who are part of the Indian team some game time. Chaubey further stated that details of the exact schedule of the tournament and its structure will be hashed out in another meeting that will be held in the next '7-10 days'. Chaubey acknowledged that with most clubs yet to start their pre-seasons, they will need six to eight weeks for preparation. 'Super Cup was scheduled at the end of the season as you know but due to this situation, we may reschedule it (so that it happens) before the league so that the club can play a competition. We are losing a month or so for this. We also have to finish this season within 31st of May next year,' said Chaubey. Chaubey further stated that the format of the tournament can be modified to save costs. However, arranging pre-season schedules may be only one of many concerns for a number of clubs, with the likes of Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC pausing their first-team operations and Bengaluru FC suspending salaries of first team players and coaching staff. Chaubey further reiterated that the upcoming season of the ISL will take place, even saying that all matches that 'were scheduled will take place' in the season. 'Super Cup and league both will be held. Super Cup before ISL. Clubs have a concern that if there is no league then what is their commitment towards managing their squads. So they need to know how many matches there are going to be in this season. All the matches that were scheduled will all take place,' he said. However, the federation also said on Thursday that it has no choice but to wait till the Supreme Court verdict to come to further its negotiations with the FSDL, which in turn need to be concluded for any tentative dates to be decided for the 2025/26 ISL. 'Nobody is thinking about delayed judgement, we are all waiting for it to come at the earliest. It's the Supreme Court, we are waiting for it. We asked (for it to be fast tracked) on the first day itself,' said AIFF vice-president NA Haris. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, NorthEast United CEO Mandar Tamhane and Punjab FC general manager Nitin Pant were the three representatives from ISL clubs that stayed back after the meeting for the press conference on Thursday. When asked if the clubs are happy with the outcome of the meeting, Puskur said: 'We have just finished the meeting so I don't think we have had to actually sit down and digest everything. You will have to give us a little bit of time because we can't just press a button and then things fall in place. 'It takes a lot of coordination, a lot of logistical work that needs to be done. So once we have some clarity on that, like the honourable president mentioned, we will come back collectively and discuss it and then we can give you some more clarity on how that will work for us. But yes, ultimately we also want the game to continue. So, make of it what you will.' FC Goa are scheduled to play a qualifying match for the AFC Champions League Two against Oman's Al-Seeb at home on August 13. Meanwhile, 2024/25 ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant have qualified for the group stage of the continental tournament, which starts on September 16. Odisha FC owner Rohan Sharma, meanwhile, was far more direct on X. 'Yup, just empty words,' he said in his post. 'Super Cup=Durand Cup… Why would clubs again do another tourney with no clarity for the league,' he said. Rohit Mundayur is a Copy Editor with the Sports Team at The Indian Express. He works with the online team and is based out of Delhi. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Thailand win gave me recognition: Sangita Basfore
Kolkata: 'From 2015 to 2025, we had a dream,' Sangita Basfore said. Our batch had set a lot of targets: qualifying for Olympics, AFC Women's Asian Cup and even World Cup, she said. 'After the final whistle at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, I wept because I remembered snatches of those conversations.' India women's team midfielder Sangita Basfore. (AIFF) In an international career that is 10 years and 70 matches old, Basfore picked the 2-1 win against Thailand on July 5 as her best. 'Because of that match, everyone got to know me,' she told HT in an interview on a video call on Thursday when India climbed seven places to 63 in the FIFA rankings. India's ascent in the rankings happened because they had tamed Thailand, ranked 46th, in their lair; a result that meant a first-time qualification for the AFC Women's Asian Cup finals. Switched from a holding midfielder to No.8 by new India coach Crispin Chhetri, Basfore got both goals but for her, the team was the real star. And by team she included all those who had dreamt with her. This was as much for Aditi Chauhan, Asha di (Ashalata Devi), Dalima Chhibber, even Bembem Devi, Basfore's favourite Indian player, who have either retired or are left out of the India squad as it was for Sanju Yadav and Sweety Devi who were in Thailand, she said. Nine players in Chiang Mai were also part of the ill-fated 2022 Asian Cup campaign where hosts India were scratched because of an outbreak of Covid-19 in the squad. 'They have not forgotten that. It came up before we played Thailand; the players saying how unfair it was to have been scratched. They had pledged they would prove to the world that they could qualify,' said Basfore. She missed the tournament with an ACL injury. India have been drawn with Japan (8th in FIFA ranking), Vietnam (37) and Chinese Taipei (42) in next March's finals in Australia. 'We have played them before. We know the mistakes we made and we will work on them,' said Basfore. India lost to Japan and Vietnam in the 2023 Olympic qualifiers and to Chinese Taipei in the last Asian Games. 'The women's league has got a lot better and that has helped improve skill and fitness levels. I don't think that will be a problem anymore. Our preparation will have to focus on how the opponents play,' said Basfore. Which explains why despite being ranked the lowest in the group, Basfore said the aim is to finish in the top eight for it. 'Because the only target is to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. We want to work hard and show that we can do it.' Basfore is now preparing for the Asian Women's Champions League qualifiers. It is where she will make her debut for Indian Women's League champions East Bengal, injury having prevented her from playing in the league they won scoring the most (38) and conceding the least (10) number of goals. With nearly 10 India players on East Bengal's roster, Basfore said the qualifiers in Phnom Penh against Phnom Penh Crown FC (August 25) and Kitchee FC (August 31) will help club and country. 'The more national players there are in East Bengal, the better the tournament will be for us. And when the players go to the national camp, they will be fit.' No one in Basfore's family was sceptical about a 10-year girl in shorts playing with boys — her uncle Bijoy Basfore played for Mohun Bagan and helped her learn the ropes — but she accepted that women's football has a lot of ground to cover. She is also proof of how far it has travelled. 'I got a job because of football. Now, when I go home (in Kalyani, nearly 60km from Kolkata), people tell me, 'Didi, start an academy, I want to train with you,'' she said.
