India open SAFF U-16 campaign with narrow win

Thimphu (bhutan): The Indian U-16 men’s football team secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bangladesh to open its SAFF U16 Championship campaign here today. The Ishfaq Ahmed-coached side, playing their first-ever international match, were kept at bay by some solid goalkeeping from Bangladesh’s Nahidul Islam before Thoungamba Singh Usham netted the winning goal in the 74th minute.

Kolkata
Mohun Bagan, East Bengal to fight for Durand Cup title       

The stage is set for the year’s biggest faceoff in Indian domestic football as fierce rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giants and East Bengal FC lock horns in the grand finale of the Durand Cup here tomorrow. It will be a battle of nerves and emotions between the two giants at the Salt Lake Stadium. The clash would be a repeat of the 2004 Durand Cup final, which East Bengal won 2-1. The two clubs have won the tournament a record 16 times each.

New Delhi
Bhubaneswar, Guwahati to host FIFA WC qualifiers      

Bhubaneswar and Guwahati will host India’s opening two home matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2, the All India Football Federation announced today. India have been drawn in Group A of the Asian qualifiers alongside Qatar and Kuwait. The fourth team will come from the Round 1 fixture between Afghanistan and Mongolia.   

London
Premier League clubs spend record £2.36 billion

Premier League clubs spent a record £2.36 billion on new players in the recently concluded transfer window. The transfer window, which opened on June 14 before closing on September 1, exceeded last year’s record £1.92 billion, with the top-flight clubs spending £255 million on deadline day alone. Premier League clubs are responsible for 48 per cent of the total spending across Europe’s top five leagues, which include La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Agencies