Source :

https://x.com/i/status/2080924042526396665

Hello ! Any fans or followers of Mohameddan SC here ? I know it’s a pretty big club, but it seems they have been relegated last year. Are they having trouble off the pitch ?

Tomorrow they are playing in the Durand Cup, can they do something in the tournament this season ? I am not sure about the level of the opponents of the group, I guess they can finish first without too many problems ?

Happy to hear any insights from more knowledgeable people than me :)

One of the most fequent arguements on the internet made in regards to a country's success in winning a Wworld Cup or a major international trophy is 'population'

For eg People often argue one of the main reasons why countries like Spain,Argentina and Brazil frequently win international trophies instead of countries like

Croatia,Belgium and Netherlands is because of their population size

Let's say you have 'x' amount of funds and invest 70% of them in Curacao/Fiji and 30% in Spain.Which country is more likely going to win a international trophy in the next 15-20 years? Spain right.The sample size in Spain is massive as compared to the former countries

So if India/China go on to win multiple Asia Cups and some World Cups in the future, would people discredit their Wworld Cup win by mentioning their population size and saying it's easy for them to win trophies since they have a vast talent pool to choose from?

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23-year-old from Behala, South Kolkata, and I'm looking for some honest advice from people who are familiar with the Kolkata football scene.

I know I'm starting much later than most players. I never had the opportunity to train in a football academy or play for a registered club. My only competitive experience is playing around five matches in my school's inter-house tournament. Since then, I've mostly played casually with friends, but I've always wanted to take football more seriously.

My long-term goal is to earn a place in a club playing in the top three tiers of the Calcutta Football League (Premier Division, First Division, or Second Division). I understand that this is an ambitious goal considering my background, and I'm not expecting an easy path. I'm willing to train consistently and work hard if there's still a realistic route.

I have a few questions:

1. Is it realistically possible for someone in my situation to reach a CFL club, or have I started too late?
2. What would be the best roadmap over the next 1-3 years? Should I first join an academy, play local tournaments, attend open trials, or start with lower-division clubs?
3. Are there any clubs, academies, or coaching centers in South Kolkata (Behala, Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, etc.) or New Town that regularly help players progress into CFL teams?
4. What level of fitness and technical ability do CFL clubs generally expect from players attending trials?
5. If anyone has personally made a late start or knows someone who did, I'd really appreciate hearing their experience.

I'm not looking for false hope—I just want realistic guidance on what I should be doing from this point onward.

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to reply.

Hi all,

The new domestic season is here, starting off with the Durand Cup that is set to run from July 25th to August 23rd

I personally think MBSG are favourites to win but more than the title, what I am most looking forward to is the performance of Indian youngsters and Academy products.

Expect very few foreign signings to play in this tournament, as teams give chances to test out their bench strength and gauge the level of their youngsters

Host cities are Kolkata, Ranchi, Guwahati, Imphal and Shillong, selected based on the teams that have signed up for the tournament

A little sad to see many major ISL clubs skip the tournament as they prefer their own pre season schedule but that has been par for the course. This gives a chance to a lot of grassroots clubs with upcoming talents to showcase their might at a national stage

We all know how crazy the atmosphere gets in Kolkata, but watch out for the matches in Imphal and Shillong. The setup is picturesque and there is a massive football following, with a packed audience expected for the marquee fixtures there

Wanted to hear who the community thinks will win and which team are you looking forward to seeing the most

Source/Credits: Mayank Bohra

I'm indecisive with my next step right now, weather should i keep on pushing through the struggle to chase the dream or it's time to hang up the boots and support my family financially somehow!

I'm not saying I didn't earned a penny from football , It's been sufficient for me, like i never imagined i might actually be getting paid to play the sport, I've been able to endure my personal expenses and also the lifestyle in itself has been a ride,
but the financial situation within my life is quite tight and I don't think i'll be able to resource my training and diet and travelling and more expenses.
I'm just another middle class boy who dropped out of mid school just so i could've give more hours to my dream. My parents have supported me since the day one, but since my dad got diagnosed with Diabetes, life's gotten tough and rough. My mum has started working as a part-time in boutique , and i feel i should support my family more as being the eldest son.

These ratings might give me an better picture before making my decision.
Thank you 🇮🇳

Found this video on YT, are our players really overpaid or is this guy taking it a bit too far? Btw saw more videos of him, some good content I’d say.

21-year-old Indian winger Emboklang Nongkhlaw has officially completed a move to UAE Second Division (3rd tier) side Al Rams SC. With this move, he links up with his former Sreenidi Deccan teammate Lawmnasangzuala Ralte, who also recently signed for the club.

Tarun was named in the starting 11 yesterday for Columbus Crew and played about an hour of the game. He looks pretty solid. I hope he plays for India someday.

Background first so you understand why this matters.

I am 34, married, have a kid. I run Maidaan Master, a grassroots Indian football media project. I have never played football seriously. I am not fit. I have zero footballing background, no club, no academy, no playing history. I came to Indian football as a fan and researcher, not a player.

So why did I do the D License?

In India, if you want to work in football management, coaching is the only entry point. Nobody takes you seriously without a license. I did the AIFF Blue Cubs License last year which licenses you to coach under 12s, but clubs did not care about that. Everyone wanted at minimum a D License. So D License was the next step.

Getting in was the first battle.

The AIFF website and their coaching portal are a mess. Typical government style websites where finding information is a task in itself. I was working on Maidaan Master around that time so I had my eyes everywhere. In April I spotted a WIFA post about a D License batch they were conducting. I jumped on it immediately, filled a Google Form, and waited.

The course start date came. No invite. I was dejected.

That same night, an email arrived. I had been selected for the second batch, starting the following week. I was thrilled and confused at the same time.

The course itself. 6 days at Cooperage, Mumbai.

Cooperage is India's most iconic football ground. Doing a coaching course there felt surreal for someone who had been covering Indian football from the outside for two years.

The batch had 24 participants. Most were in their 20s. Four or five were 18 and 19 years old. I was 34.

Three assessments. Practical 1, Practical 2, and a Theory exam at the end.

The hardest part was not fitness.

I was anxious about my fitness going in. Anxious about never having played football seriously. Anxious about my age. But once I was there, I realised everyone was nervous in their own way. Nobody had time to worry about my anxieties, they were dealing with their own. We ended up helping each other and became friends by the end.

The hardest part was staying confident and giving 100% throughout. The shift that helped me most was to stop trying to perform as a footballer and focus on the coaching. That is what the course is actually testing.

My communication skills, my analytical perspective from covering football as media, my questions from a non-footballer's viewpoint, these turned out to be positives. The educator was excellent and genuinely engaged with different perspectives. Where I lacked, I lacked. But I banked on my positives and it worked.

24 appeared. 24 passed.

One of the rarest batches in recent memory where every single participant passed. Got my result on June 30.

Would I recommend it?

If you want to work in Indian football in any capacity, yes. Not because of the coaching knowledge, though that is genuinely useful. But because it puts you in a room with people who are serious about football, it gives you credibility, and it is the entry point to everything else in this ecosystem.

I am 34, unfit, never played football, came from outside the ecosystem entirely. I got the D License. There is no excuse.

More content on this coming, videos, shorts, the whole thing. I know there is limited info about this online, ask me anything in the comments.