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India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Blue Tigers can't wait to rectify past mistakes, says Sunil Chhetri
Kolkata, (West Bengal) [India], May 25 (ANI): Sunil Chhetri is the only Indian player to record an appearance in three AFC Asian Cups, according to a release from AIFF. The path to reach Asia's showpiece event is always a gruelling one. From scoring that unforgettable hat-trick way back at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup final, which led India to the 2011 Asian Cup, to now battling for qualification for the 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia, Chhetri's longevity in the national team is unmatched. Between 1960 and 2007, India had only qualified for two Asian Cups. And now, as the Blue Tigers aim to script history by making it to three successive Asian Cups for the first time, Chhetri tags it as a 'bare minimum' requirement for the nation. But it's a year-long journey of qualification and the boys must take things 'game by game'. 'We should qualify for every Asian Cup, and it's mandatory. But I don't want to put pressure on the boys and the team. Let's take one game at a time. Hong Kong, of course, is going to be very crucial. But yes, for India, it's a bare minimum to qualify for the Asian Cup, so that we can test ourselves with the best in Asia and keep proving that we are improving,' said Chhetri. India were held goalless by Bangladesh on Matchday 1 of the Qualifiers in March, and will next face Hong Kong in Kowloon City on June 10. Before that, Manolo Marquez's men will play Thailand in a preparatory friendly on June 4 in Pathum Thani. 'The initial feeling after the Bangladesh game was that we let ourselves down, let the country down,' said Chhetri. 'And after I saw the replays, I thought we, as a team, could have done so much more. It was a huge opportunity to take the lead in the table, playing Bangladesh at home. We should have done so many things better. Ending up with just a point, I think we players have no one else but ourselves to blame. We didn't turn up the way we should have. And that is the reason why we drew the game. We've talked about it, we've seen the videos, and we can't wait to rectify it.' No one knows the hustle of the Asian Cup qualifiers better than the 40-year-old. After all, he has been the talisman in the previous three qualifying campaigns. The hat-trick against Tajikistan at the Ambedkar Stadium in 2008 ended India's 27-year wait for an Asian Cup appearance. The last-minute winner against Myanmar and that sensational strike against the Kyrgyz Republic in 2017 eased India's path to the 2019 tournament. Another Chhetri moment came in the 2022 qualifiers, when he scored a stunning free-kick against Afghanistan at the Salt Lake Stadium. Not to mention the brace against Cambodia. And so, despite India not making the best of starts to the current campaign, Chhetri knows that the road is a long one and there's a healthy amount of time available to put things on track. The work for the June FIFA window began in Kolkata on May 19, and with five full training sessions under the belt, everything is going as per plan so far. 'The first five days have been more about the physical aspect of the game. As the coach mentioned, many players have come in at different physical stages. To bring everyone on the same page for the first few days was quite intense. 'All the boys look good, everyone looks sharp and confident. We also had some video sessions where we had a lot of learning to take on board. Everything looks good,' said Chhetri. On May 28, the Blue Tigers will travel to Thailand, where they will have a few more training sessions before squaring off against the hosts at the Thammasat Stadium on June 4. The squad will subsequently depart for Hong Kong for their first away match of the qualifiers. Apart from the physical and technical preparation, the most important and simple need is to 'turn up,' according to Chhetri. 'The coach has got a bit of time to formulate a plan. We players have to make sure that we take everything on board and be in sync as to what the plan is, and go and try and execute it to the best of our ability. But more importantly, the mistake we made against Bangladesh was that we didn't turn up. And all the preparation, the technical aspect put aside, you have to go and show up. You just have to go and give whatever you have. 'We saw some clips of Hong Kong. We will watch more of them. But I think, right now in the stage that we are, we are thinking more about ourselves and slowly we'll progress into what the opponent is and how they play,' Chhetri said.(ANI)
Arab Times
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi faces key absences ahead of Challenge Cup semifinal second leg
KUWAIT CITY, April 12: Al-Arabi will be without key player Khalid Al-Murshid for its upcoming match against Turkmenistan's Arkadag next Wednesday in the second leg of the AFC Challenge Cup semi-final. Al-Murshid picked up an injury during recent training and will not be part of coach Nasser Al-Shatti's plans for the match. Additionally, Badr Tariq will also miss the game due to injury. The Al-Arabi delegation arrived in Turkmenistan last evening, led by board member Ismail Al-Habib, and will hold its first training session this evening. Complicating travel plans, the Turkmenistan Civil Aviation Authority denied permission for the delegation to travel via a direct flight or private plane. As a result, Al-Arabi announced on its official "X" platform account that the team would travel to Turkmenistan via a connecting flight through Dubai, UAE, after the original plan was blocked. The club also mentioned that it would explore the possibility of returning the team on a private plane for its return journey. It's important to note that the Al-Arabi delegation was initially scheduled to depart Kuwait today on a private flight. In the first leg of the semi-final at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium, Al-Arabi secured a 2-0 victory over Arkadag, with Nigerian forward Christopher John scoring the opening goal in the 71st minute, followed by Salman Al-Awadhi's strike in the third minute of stoppage time.
Arab Times
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kazma and Al-Nasr face tough tests in Amir Cup preliminary rounds
KUWAIT CITY, April 9: The 63rd edition of the prestigious Amir Cup tournament kicks off today with two exciting preliminary round matches. Kazma will face Al-Jahra at 5:20 pm at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium, while Al-Nasr will go head-to-head with Al-Yarmouk at 8:30 pm at Al-Sadaka and Al-Salam Stadium. Action in the preliminary round continues tomorrow as Khaitan plays Al-Shabab, and Al-Salmiya takes on Al-Sahel. The round concludes the day after with Al-Fahaheel facing Al-Tadamon and powerhouse Kuwait Club meeting Al-Jazeera. Due to Al-Qadsia's qualification for the Gulf Champions League final, the Kuwait Football Federation has postponed its match against Burgan to May 10. Additionally, the fixture between Al-Arabi and Al-Sulaibikhat has been postponed due to Al-Arabi's participation in the AFC Challenge Cup. Seven clubs have previously lifted the Amir Cup. Al-Qadsia leads with 17 titles, followed closely by Al-Arabi and Kuwait Club with 16 each. Kazma has won the trophy eight times, while Salmiya and Yarmouk have two titles apiece. Fahaheel has won once. In today's opener, Kazma aims to redeem itself after a disappointing Zain Premier League season that saw the club relegated to the Relegation League for a second consecutive year. The team hopes to replicate its recent Crown Prince Cup quarterfinal appearance. Al-Jahra enters the match in high spirits, topping the Zain First Division League and having recently qualified for the Crown Prince Cup quarterfinals with a win over Al-Jazeera. The team also seeks to avenge a 7-3 loss to Kazma in their last meeting in the Relegation League. In the evening clash, Al-Nasr and Al-Yarmouk renewed their rivalry after meeting twice in the league this season. The first encounter ended in a 2-2 draw, while Al-Nasr dominated the second with a 4-0 win. They are also set to meet again in the Relegation League on May 5. Despite its recent head-to-head advantage, Al-Nasr is aiming to bounce back after a Crown Prince Cup exit. Meanwhile, Yarmouk, currently bottom of the league, is seeking a turnaround in cup competition, hoping to deliver a surprise despite its ongoing struggles.
Arab Times
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Top six, relegation spots up for grabs as the Zain Premier League resumes
KUWAIT CITY, March 26: The Zain Premier League resumes with a pivotal match between Al-Nasr and Al-Fahaheel at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, marking the start of the eighteenth and final round. The round continues tomorrow, Friday, with two key fixtures: Khaitan faces Al-Qadsia, while Kazma takes on Al-Yarmouk. The round will conclude on Saturday, with Kuwait Club playing against Al-Tadamon and Al-Arabi squaring off against Al-Salmiya. Kuwait Club leads the standings with 44 points, closely followed by Al-Arabi, who trails due to a difference in matches played. Al-Qadsia holds 32 points, Al-Salmiya has 28, Fahaheel is at 25, Al-Tadamon has 20, Kazma sits at 16, Al-Nasr has 12, Khaitan has 11, and Yarmouk rounds out the table with 6 points. After this round, the top six teams will advance to the single-round "Championship" league, while the bottom four teams will compete in the "Relegation League," also in a single-round format, with two teams set for relegation to the First Division. The league had been paused since February 28th due to Al-Arabi's participation in the AFC Challenge Cup, Al-Qadsia's run in the Gulf Champions League, and Al-Azraq's involvement in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This round is crucial for teams looking to accumulate points and strengthen their positions before the final stage of the league. In today's match, Al-Nasr is aiming to avenge its earlier defeat to Al-Fahaheel, who had triumphed 3-1 in the first division. Al-Nasr is hoping for a morale-boosting win before entering the Relegation League, while Al-Fahaheel is determined to secure victory and climb the standings.
Observer
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Red Warriors gear up to battle S Korea in WC qualifiers
MUSCAT: Red Warriors are underway in their daily training sessions in Goyang City in South Korea under the watchful eyes of experienced national head coach Rasheed Jaber. The team will conduct their third straight training session at the Goyang Stadium on Tuesday ahead of their crucial AFC Asian of the World Qualifiers — Road to 26 against the hosts South Korea on Thursday. The Oman team delegation arrived in Seoul city on Friday and six days in advance for the encounter in order to ensure the team's adaptation to the climate and time change of five hours compared to Oman. The team will conduct their third straight training session at the Goyang Stadium on Tuesday. During the last two training sessions, coach Rasheed and his assisting team worked hard to finalise the starting line-up of the team including the suitable player who will cover the absence of experienced midfielder Harib al Saadi, who will not be available for Thursday's clash due to yellow cards. Oman's two professional players including Mohsin al Ghassani of Bangkok United SC and Issam al Subhi (Iraqi Air Force Team or Al Quwa Al Jawiya) joined the team's training sessions. Rasheed will study several proposals for covering the centre of the middle line after Harib's absence by adding Abdullah Fawaz and Arshad al Alawi. Despite the difficulty of South Korea assignment, the runner-up of last edition of the Gulf Cup in Kuwait are in perfect shape to impress in Goyang City. Oman's striking line-up features top stars including Mohsin al Ghassani, who impressed in the Thailand league besides Issam al Subhi, who shined in the recent Gulf Cup. Seeb star Abdulrahman al Mushaifri delivered top show in the last few matches with his team at AFC Challenge Cup and with the national team too. Al Munthir al Alawi and Salah al Yahyaei are back to the national team squad with top records after an absence for a while and this will give a good motivation for the team to bounce back strongly in the qualifiers. Coach Rasheed The Red Warriors target is to secure positive results in the upcoming two matches against South Korea and Kuwait on Thursday and Tuesday respectively to boost their chances of securing direct or indirect slots for the World Cup qualification. The first two teams in each group of the Asian qualifiers will secure direct spots while third and fourth place will enter additional qualifying stages. Oman are currently placed fourth in Group B, with six points from two wins and four defeats. South Korea are topping the group with 14 points while Iraq are second with 11 points. Jordan are in third place with nine points.
