Kolkata:&nbsp;Fresh from their dominating win over heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan, two-time I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC will look to put one foot in the inter-zone semifinal with a victory over Maziya Sports &amp; Recreation Club in the AFC Cup here on Saturday. The Malabarians announced their arrival in the continental showpiece in style when they thrashed local favourites ATK Mohun Bagan 4-2 to take the pole position in group D ahead of Bashundhara Kings on goal difference. With only the top team from group D to advance into the Inter-Zone semi-finals, another three points for the Vincenzo Alberto Annese-coached side would brighten their prospects. Luka Majcen, who was their top goal-scorer with 13 to his kitty in the I-League, showed ominous signs with a brace and the Slovenian centre-forward will again be a vital cog in their attack. The promising Indian duo of Emil Benny and Muhammed Uvais impressed with their creativity in the midfield.An opening day 0-1 defeat to Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings means another loss on Saturday will end Maziya's hopes. Maziya head coach Miodrag Jesic however is not ready to give up."The mood in the team is good, although we are expecting a very tough match tomorrow. We will try to win. "I think we played a good game against Bashundhara but what we need to do against Gokulam is minimise our mistakes and convert our chances," said Jesic. "We know Gokulam are in good form and are a very good side. However, if we can minimise our errors, victory will be ours," he added. The Italian Annese however is not taking their opponents lightly. "We will face a team who have rich experience in this competition. They have players who have stayed with the team for a long time and they have national players. "We studied them, they have quality in the middle, they have good pace and they try to give a lot of trouble to defensive lines," said Annese.Perform or perish for ATK Mohun Bagan ======================== ATK Mohun Bagan's bid to advance to their successive Inter-Zone semi-finals suffered a big blow when they lost to Gokulam Kerala FC. A defeat against Bashundhara Kings on Saturday would mean early elimination for Juan Ferrando's side. Their central defence collapsed in the second half after Tiri suffered an ACL tear. Without Tiri, who has been ruled out for seven to eight months, managing their central defence would be the key area for the Mariners.Suspense over Jhingan fitness =================== Veteran India stopper Sandesh Jhingan, who too is fighting injury issues, was seen warming up on the sidelines but was not included even after Tiri was stretchered off. It remains to be seen whether Jhinghan finally makes a comeback or Ferrando gives him more time to recover with India set to play three Asian Cup qualifiers slated here next month. "We have been unlucky with injuries, like Tiri. Pressure exists all the time, we have 26 players. I trust all the players. We won't have Tiri but there are other players that I trust to hold the defence in his absence," he said. Bashundhara Kings head coach Oscar Bruzon said the opening 30 minutes would be crucial in deciding the outcome of the match. "Big match, nice venue with the home team (ATK Mohun Bagan) planning a do-over game. We will stick to our plan, it will be important to hold the first 30 minutes, and then go ahead with our plans," said Bruzon. "ATK Mohun Bagan are a team still in transition. They need to adapt more to the coach's plan. We know they are struggling at the back. But I am sure the coach has identified the struggles, and we will not get complacent," he added.—PTI

Fresh from their dominating win over heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan, two-time I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC will look to put one foot in the inter-zone semifinal with a victory over Maziya Sports & Recreation Club in the AFC Cup here on Saturday.

Gokulam Kerala upbeat ahead of Maziya clash

New Delhi: Travelling is an experience - it's about the journey as much as it is about the destination. Packing your bags may be prompted by the destination, but the journey itself may excite you. What if we told you that you could travel locally and reach China and London by road from India?


Here is a list of possible international road excursions

<h2>Malaysia</h2>

Skyscrapers and riverside homes coexist in Malaysia, which effectively expresses the region's cultural spirit. In addition to that, they serve some of the greatest meals in the area, which is a wonderful treat after travelling such a long distance. However, you could have to pass through Tibet, which will cause issues with autonomous vehicle movement. To arrive in Kuala Lumpur, you will have to travel across two other countries - Myanmar and Thailand, for which valid travel documents are required.

<h2>Thailand</h2>

Even while it may be less expensive to fly, the recently opened motorway linking the two countries is nonetheless quite thrilling. Since Thailand has magnificent beaches, an unusual culture, and options for all types of travellers, it is well known as one of the easiest destinations to have a good time. The road to Bangkok, goes across the northeastern states of India and crosses Myanmar to arrive in Thailand. Many who have undertaken this roadtrip, suggest the following journey: head from Delhi to Imphal, cross Moreh, Kale, Bagan, Inle Lake, Yangon, Maesot, and arrive in Bangkok from Tak.

<h2>Nepal</h2>

At the end of your trek into Nepal, you'll find forests, some fairly nice alcohol, and some of the highest peaks in the world. Along the journey, you'll see some great sights, but if border patrols annoy you too much, just take the bus! A drive from New Delhi to Kathmandu will take you across two states in India through New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and you enter Nepal through Sunauli Border and which will take approximately 2 days.

<h2>Bhutan</h2>

Bhutan's rich legacy, culture, and peculiarly lively atmosphere will persuade you to go there even if being the happiest nation in Asia isn't enough of a cause. This little nation in the Himalayas is remote (in all senses of the term), but doable. The route to Thimpu from New Delhi will take you across the states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam, from Guwahati, you will be able to move to the Bhutanese village Phuntsholing and then head to Thimpu and reach Bhutan in 3 days.

<h2>Sri Lanka</h2>

Take a drive to verdant Sri Lanka and take in the beaches, woods, and culture that have helped to shape the country into what it is today. Since locations are close to one another, you may squeeze in a lot of varied things in a short amount of time! A journey from New Delhi to Colombo will take you across the length of India, crossing 6 states - Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, you can take the Nagappattinam ferry to Colombo.

<h2>China</h2>

Although it would take a very long time and effort, it is technically conceivable to drive to China. The independent travel pass is difficult to obtain and takes a long time to be authorised. But if you do, please let us know! For arriving in China from New Delhi, one may take a route through Nepal via the Kodari-Zhangmu border and reach your destination in approximately 40 hours of journey.

<h2>Bangladesh</h2>

From some regions of India, you can practically see the border with Bangladesh. It has a rich history, magnificent waterways, and amiable citizens. To reach Dhaka, you will have to travel from New Delhi, across Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, and cross the border at Sonamasjid Sulka checkpoint or Petrapole-Benapole border to arrive in Bangladesh. Once you enter Bangladesh, it will take an approximately 8-hour drive to arrive in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. IANS

International road trips you can plan from India

Navi Mumbai: ATK Mohun Bagan FC held West Ham United FC �to a 1-1 draw in a closely contested clash of the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup at the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP), here on Wednesday.
The third-place occupants of the recently-concluded Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) were within touching distance of taking away three points from this game. However, a late goal by the Hammers' substitute Favour Fawunmi ensured that the incumbent FA Youth Cup champions walked away with a point from this game.
The Mariners started off positively as they didn't peg back and took the game to the opposition right from the beginning. They were organised enough to thwart attacks at the back and regularly made inroads into the West Ham defence by initiating some incisive passing patterns through the middle.
They immediately found a breakthrough in the 10th minute, as the backline recovered possession and moved it up the field quite seamlessly. ATK Mohun Bagan forward Suhail Ahmad Bhat quickly capitalised upon the goal-scoring opportunity by getting past the Hammers' backline and rounding off a clinical finish by putting the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
The team from Kolkata was pretty tenacious in their defensive efforts thereafter, as their midfield came together to break attacks at the centre of the park. The trio of Suhail, Kiyan Nassiri Giri and Ningombam Engson Singh interlinked brilliantly as they exploited the open spaces in the West Ham defence.
The Hammers came across a fine opportunity to equalise in the 50th minute but Lewis Orford's spot-kick was cleverly denied by ATK Mohun Bagan shot-stopper Arshdeep, who dived low on his left to save the shot. However, the substitutions that West Ham rang in did the trick for them and ensured that they avoided starting off the tournament with a defeat.
"The message was that we are facing a team that is the champion of the FA Youth Cup in England, which is a country in the top five of the FIFA rankings currently. They did an amazing final, beating Arsenal in the Emirates by 5-1. We knew who we were facing so the message was to keep fighting until the end, as we always do," �said ATK Mohun Bagan coach Josep Maria Roma Gibert.
"There is always a chance, opportunity and momentum to score and we did quite well because we had three-four good chances, of which we scored one," he added.
On the other hand, West Ham United coach Lauris Coggin spoke about his pep talk that helped his boys secure the late equaliser.
"The message was to have patience. We could have had more (of that). The opportunities that we created, what we planned for, what we expected, I think to be calmer around the box, to keep probing and looking for opportunities that we knew would come. Obviously, there were situations when we missed the penalty. There were opportunities in the penalty box where we should have been converting them," said Coggin.
West Ham United next face Bengaluru FC on May 20 whereas ATK Mohun Bagan will be locking horns with Stellenbosch FC in their respective next games on the same day.
—<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 14px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">IANS&nbsp;

 ATK Mohun Bagan FC held West Ham United FC �to a 1-1 draw in a closely contested clash of the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup at the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP), here on Wednesday.

Next Gen Cup: ATK Mohun, West Ham United FC play out 1-1 draw

New Delhi: Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant will begin their AFC Asian Cup 2023-24 quest in the Preliminary Stage round two on August 15 against the winners between Nepal's Machhindra FC and Bhutan's Paro FC in the South Zone of the competition.
The Mariners sealed their AFC Cup 2023-24 preliminary round berth after beating Hyderabad FC 3-1 on penalties in the Club Playoffs held in Kerala in May.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the third Indian team to qualify on the continental stage alongside Mumbai City FC who will feature in the AFC Champions League and Odisha FC who have made their way to the group stage of the AFC Cup.
The Juan Ferrando-led side will look to draw inspiration from their triumphant ISL 2022-23 season and eye a step further in the continental competition after bowing out in the quarter-finals last season.
After getting past Sri Lankan side Blue Star SC and Bangladeshi side Abahani Limited, the Green and Maroons were drawn in Group D alongside fellow I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC, Bangladeshi side Bashundhara Kings, and Maldivian team Maziya S&amp;RC in the AFC Cup 2022-23.
After going down 4-2 in their opening match against Gokulam Kerala FC, the Mariners fought back and won their remaining matches to top their group. Pitted alongside Malaysian side Kuala Lumpur City FC in the Inter-Zonal playoff round, the side lost 1-3 at home to the eventual finalists.
With the addition of new players in the 2022-23 season and a potential addition of several other players in the summer transfer window, the Spaniard will be aiming for nothing less than success on the continental stage.
The side will be banking on the foreign company of Dimitri Petratos, Hugo Boumous, and Brendan Hamill to deliver the goods alongside the national crop of Ashique Kuruniyan, Asish Rai, and Vishal Kaith.
—IANS

Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant will begin their AFC Asian Cup 2023-24 

AFC Cup fixtures for Mohun Bagan Super Giant revealed

Kolkata: Dimitri Petratos scored the lone goal of the match as Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated cross-town rivals East Bengal to be crowned champions of the 132nd Durand Cup football tournament here on Sunday.  On a Super Sunday for India's oldest football competition, Mohun Bagan, despite being reduced to 10 men, avenged their defeat from the group stage against Emami East Bengal (EEB), winning the Kolkata derby 1-0 in the final.  Petratos struck the winner in the 71st minute after Anirudh Thapa was sent off for a second bookable offence, early in the second half.  There was nothing much to choose between the two sides save the Petratos strike, in an entertaining final at the hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), here in the city, which had close to 50,000 fans watching.  A tactical game  Both managers sprung surprises with the first eleven. Carles Cuadrat of EEB gave Md. Rakip was given a start for the first time in the tournament, while Juan Ferrando of MBSG kept Manvir, who has had a good campaign, on the bench, while starting with both his foreign forwards, Dimitri Petratos and Armando Sadiku.  Ashique won the game’s first corner for MBSG within the first five minutes, however not much came off it. A similar fate awaited EEB when they got theirs a few minutes later. There was nothing to choose between the two in the first quarter of an hour. Left was the preferred attacking flank for both teams, with Ashique of MBSG and Mahesh of EEB being the prime movers of such attacks.  Then just after the water break, Jordan Elsey seemed to have twisted his ankle and Cuadrat had to replace him with Jose Antonio Pardo at the back.  With just a couple of minutes to go, the half’s two best chances fell to both teams. First when a cross by Borja meant for Siverio’s head fell for Nandhakumar, but the winger failed to keep his shot on target. Then Dimitri Petratos unleashed a brilliant strike from the top of the EEB box, but also just missed his target.  The half ended equal, not only in terms of no team scoring a goal but also in terms of both getting an equal number of bookings, with Saul Crespo and Borja for the Red and Gold brigade and Hugo Boumos and Thapa for the Green and Maroon team going into the referee’s book in the final stages.  Petratos breaks the deadlock  Cuadrat made his second change in the 57th minute of the game when he brought on the experience and guile of Brazilian Cleiton Silva in place of Borja. Ferrando responded with Manvir Singh in place of Ashish Rai.  The Punjab winger created an immediate chance on the hour-mark for Boumous, but the Frenchman shot wide from close.  Another critical moment of the match then happened when Anirudh Thapa was sent off for a high boot on Saul Crespo, his second bookable offence of the match.  In the 69th minute, Ferrando made a triple change, bringing on Australian World Cupper Jason Cummings, Liston Colaco and Glan Martins in place of Boumous, Sadiku and Ashique.  The move brought Mohun Bagan luck in the 71st minute as Dimitri Petratos, MBSG’s Greek forward, received the ball in transition, just inside the EEB half and kept advancing towards goal without much challenge from the right-hand side. He then unleashed a left-footed diagonal along the ground from just outside the box.  The ball took a bad bounce to elude the outstretched palm of Prabhsukan Gill and went in to give Mohun Bagan the lead.  In the 78th minute, Cuadrat effected a triple-change himself, bringing on Nishu Kumar, VP Suhair and Edwin Vanspaul, in place of Chungnunga, Siverio and Rakip. Then in the 87th, Ferrando made his final move, consolidating his defense by bringing on Brendan Hamill in place of Sahal Abdul Samad.  Try as they might, East Bengal could not break the MBSG defence and had to contend with the runners-up finish on this day.  Mohun Bagan were awarded the Simla Trophy and the Durand Cup, the original prize, at a glittering prize distribution ceremony.  Among the other prize winners of the day were:  Golden Boot (Highest scorer)- David Lalhlansanga-six goals (Mohammedan Sporting)  Golden Gloves- Prabhsukan Gill (Emami East Bengal)  Golden Ball (Player of the Tournament)- Nandhakumar Sekar (Emami East Bengal) —IANS

Dimitri Petratos scored the lone goal of the match as Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated cross-town rivals East Bengal

132nd Durand Cup: 10-man Mohun Bagan beat archrivals East Bengal, crowned champions

Kolkata (West Bengal): Mohun Bagan Super Giant delighted the home crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with an enthralling 3-1 victory over Indian Super League (ISL) debutants Punjab FC to round off an entertaining doubleheader. The Mariners’ Australian attacking duo of Jason Cummings and Dimitri Petratos scored a goal a piece in the first half before Punjab’s Slovenian forward Luka Majcen pulled one back in the 53rd minute on Saturday.
However, just as it appeared that Staikos Vergetis’ men would storm back into the proceedings, Manvir Singh tapped one in from a few yards out thanks to some brilliant link-up by their frontline to squander any hopes of a comeback for the away team, as per an Indian Super League (ISL).   Juan Ferrando’s men, fresh from their title-winning Durand Cup run, looked like a well-coordinated unit right from kick-off. Asish Rai raced ahead on the right flank and cut back in a pass to Sahal Abdul Samad inside the box. The attacking midfielder couldn’t get enough power behind the shot but Cummings was at the right spot at the right time to net his debut goal in the ISL.  Cummings donned an all-round role in the forward line. He dropped back and played a terrific and incisive pass through the Punjab backline to land at Liston Colaco’s feet in the 35th minute. The winger couldn’t finish the move but Petratos lapped up the rebound to bag the team’s second goal of the night.  Punjab didn’t give up and came out with renewed spirit and enthusiasm in the second essay of the game. They pressed high up on the field and bore the fruits of the same by forcing the Mohun Bagan midfield into committing a defensive error. Glan Martins was compelled into making a back pass but he mistakenly ended up playing a through ball to Majcen. The 34-year-old, who was the highest goal-scorer in the I-League last year with 16 strikes, calmly slotted the ball behind Vishal Kaith to reduce Punjab’s deficit.  However, Ferrando’s side got their act together as Petratos shifted wide on the left flank to collect a through ball and square up a pass for Manvir. He capitalised upon the chance by getting at the end of the delivery to notch his team’s third goal and thereby secure their three points from the game.
*Key performer of the Match: Jason Cummings  The Australian striker delivered a comprehensive performance leading the frontline as he secured a goal and an assist each to seamlessly settle into the rigours of the ISL. He showed no rustiness and donned both the role of a goal-scorer as well as that of a playmaker in an outing that excited the supporters to no end.  *What’s next for both teams?  The Mohun Bagan Super Giant will next host Bengaluru FC on September 27 whereas Punjab FC will travel to Goa to take on the Gaurs at the Fatorda Stadium on October 2.  Brief Scores  Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Jason Cummings 10’, Dimitri Petratos 35’, Manvir Singh 64’) – 1 Punjab FC (Luka Majcen 53’).
—ANI

Mohun Bagan Super Giant delighted the home crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with an enthralling 3-1 victory over Indian Super League

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Gokulam Kerala upbeat ahead of Maziya clash

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Gokulam Kerala upbeat ahead of Maziya clash

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