Football betting tips(Mauritius), Mauritius, Port Louis (2020)

Afternoon all, welcome back to the series that Gary Neville described as ‘How did you get this number, no I don’t know what you’re on about, piss off’. So far I’ve brought to life the teams of 24 hypothetical regions, that’s an entire Euro 2020’s worth! hmm that gives me an idea...
Before I begin separating the counties of Estonia, let’s stay focused and remind ourselves of how we got this far.
Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, Group F,
Today’s post details the squads of the tournament’s penultimate group. Whilst this pool of players isn’t the greatest, they will be playing in front of the most participant sets of fans. Mexican waves meet Vuvuzelas in the battle for top spot while the other two’s wavin flags will look like this.
Southern Africa
South Africa, Lesotho, Eswantini, Mauritius, Reuinion, Comoros, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania
Population (millions): 255.34
The part of the world that brought us the only African world cup to date (and some other less wholesome moments in history), this southern hemispheric subcontinent has underachieved in modern memory.
The region is a mix of engrossed and apathetic when it comes to footballing subscription in the public consciousness, with four of the top seven African GDP’s per capita, their resources should theoretically be better than anyones. Just four World Cup qualifications (one of those by default) makes this the second least punctual region of the continent.
Lusophone’s Angola are the exception to an otherwise South African sweep of appearances. The ‘Giant sable antelopes’ (I’m sure it sounds better in portuguese) shocked the CAF by toppling Nigeria by the narrowest of margins to reach the 2006 finals; the nation’s top scorer and Barbie Girl singing eurodance group Akwá was the protagonist in a 1-0 win against the Super Eagles, this retrospectively acted as a tie-breaker when David & Goliath finished with the same points in their qualifying group. Their time in Germany was short yet respectable, conceding just two goals in three games and almost holding their colonisers Portugal to a bore draw, revenge is sweet.
A rugby nation by trade, South Africa were crowned World Cup champions just last year, unfortunately for soccer fans they have flattered to deceive in the world’s most beloved game. A ‘golden generation’ in 2002 featured the coloured careers of Steven Pienaar, Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe and Quinton Fortune; failing to escape an easy group, a huge opportunity missed. 18 years on Bafana Bafana’s only big names are of a literal sense.
Contrary to what I would have guessed, South Africa is not the regions most populous nation; Tanzania’s 56 million inhabitants puts them level with England, and the nation seem to identify as footyholics as much as their historic oppressors, unfortunately they haven’t got their money's worth for their sporting subscription.
The tiny island of reunion has produced the likes of Dimitri Payet and Laurent Robert, but since still being a French territory, anyone worth their salt gets a plane to Paris.
Botswana fail to feature in the squad, but with top clubs called ‘Meat Commision’ and ‘Miscellaneous’, it might be safe to say the nation isn’t taking the game as seriously as others.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Itumeleng Khune	RSA	Kaiser Chiefs	GK	Ventersdorp	67	€0.47	32
Darren Keet	RSA	OH Leuven	GK	Cape Town	58	€0.80	30
Defenders
Bastos	ANG	Lazio	CB	Luanda	70	€12.70	28
Mexer	MOZ	Bordeaux	CB	Maputo	65	€4.50	32
Clinton Mata	ANG	Club Brugge	CB	Verviers	63	€7.70	28
Jeremy Morel	MAD	Rennais	CB	Lorient, France	63	€0.30	35
Bruno Gaspar	ANG	Olympiakos	RB	Evora, Portugal	60	€1.70	26
Romain Metanire	MAD	Minnesota	RB	Metz, France	60	€3.30	30
Reinildo	MOZ	Lille	LB	Beira	54	€0.75	26
Nurio	ANG	Charleroi	LB	Luanda	60	€3.60	25
Midfielders
Wilson Eduardo	ANG	Braga	RW	Pedras Rubras	66	€5.90	30
Percy Tau	RSA	Club Brugge	RW	Witbank	65	€17.60	25
Marvelous Nakamba	ZIM	Aston Villa	CDM	Hwange	64	€14.00	26
Khama Billiat	ZIM	Kaiser Chiefs	RW	Harare	66	€0.50	30
Thulani Serero	RSA	Al Jazira	CDM	Soweto	61	€4.90	30
Keagan Dolly	RSA	Montpellier	CAM	Johannesburg	62	€3.70	27
Bongani Zungu	RSA	Amiens	CM	Duduza	64	€4.80	27
Djalma	ANG	Alanyaspor	LM	Luanda	60	€1.10	32
Forwards
Mbwana Ally Samatta	TAN	Aston Villa	ST	Dar Es Salaam	66	€19.90	27
Patson Daka	ZAM	RB Salzburg	ST	Chingola	64	€2.60	21
Lebo Mothiba	RSA	Strasbourg	ST	Johannesburg	62	€3.70	24
Tinotenda Kadewere	ZIM	Lyon	ST	Harare	62	€3.70	24
				Averages/Totals	63	€118.22	28

On paper the team shouldn’t need to rely on talismanic powers as the middling quality runs true throughout this team. Aston Villa surely have a scout in this part of the world as they are blessed with the services of key players Marvellous Nakamba and Mbwana Samatta.
Samatta became the Premier League’s first Tanzanian in January and will hopefully have a chance to add to his three appearances sooner rather than later. The imposing frontman scored 23 goals in the Belgian league in 2018-19 which makes him almost over qualified to lead the line in this XI.
Patson Daka was 13 and playing for locals Nchanga Rangers when Zambia sensationally shocked the world to lift the 2012 AFCON; the goldenboy of a generation determined to sequel the Copper Bullets’ success. The speedy Salzburg striker already has 24 caps for his country, time will tell if he is to follow Haaland and Minamino out of Austria to a European giant.
Mononymous Angolan Bastos will command the defence as best he can. Although recently struggling to make the squad, Bastos has served Lazio well with his protective prowess.
A plethora of pacey playmakers completes the assembly that will most likely finish runners up in this group. An exit in the round of 16 is on the cards as by process of elimination lots of you have already worked out Group H’s heavyweights are North & Central Europe.
West India
3 Indian States (Maharashtra, Gujurat, Madhya Pradesh)
Population (millions)
All the way back to the simpler time of Group A I hastily declared Uttar Pradesh as the worst region in the world, I’d like to publicly apologize for that remark as it’s become clear to me that West India is the bottom of a very deep barrell.
The region that provides the setting for Slumdog Millionaire has plenty to answer for as finding 22 players in this part of the world was harder than a where's wally of Manish market.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Kunal Sawant	IND	Mumbai City	GK	Maharashtra	16	€0.01	28
Sukhdev Patil	IND	Churchill Brothers	GK	Maharashtra	14	€0.00	21
Defenders
Rahul Bheke	IND	Bengaluru	RB	Maharashtra	33	€0.03	29
Ashutosh Mehta	IND	Mohun Bagan	RB	Gujurat	22	€0.02	28
Raju Galkwad	IND	Kerala Blasters	CB	Maharashtra	21	€0.01	29
Jayesh Rane	IND	ATK	RB	Maharashtra	21	€0.01	27
Abhishek Ambekar	IND	East Bengal	LB	Maharashtra	20	€0.01	28
Rohan Adnaik	IND	DSK Shivajians	CB	Maharashtra	13	€0.00	28
Karan Amin	IND	Jamshedpur	LB	Maharashtra	13	€0.01	30
Pratik Chaudhuri	IND	Mumbai City	CB	Maharashtra	18	€0.01	30
Midfielders
Raynier Fernandes	IND	Mumbai City	CDM	Maharashtra	26	€0.02	24
Farukh Choudhary	IND	Jamshedpur	CAM	Maharashtra	25	€0.02	23
Kean Lewis	IND	Bengaluru	LM	Maharashtra	21	€0.01	27
Alwyn George	IND	Minerva Punjab	CM	Maharashtra	20	€0.01	28
Shilton D'Silva	IND	Mohun Bagun	CM	Maharashtra	19	€0.01	27
Aditya Ashok Jha	IND	ARA fc	LW	Gujarat	11	€0.01	20
Nikhil Kadam	IND	Northeast United	RW	Maharashtra	17	€0.01	25
Darren Caldeira	IND	Kerala Blasters	CM	Maharashtra	17	€0.01	32
Forwards
Aniket Jadhav	IND	Jamshedpur	CF	Maharashtra	16	€0.01	19
Arif Shaikh	IND	Gokulam	ST	Maharashtra	13	€0.01	26
Bipin Singh	IND	Mumbai	ST	Maharashtra	17	€0.01	25
Girik Khosla	IND	Minerva Punjab	ST	Maharashtra	17	€0.01	25
				Averages/Totals	19	0.25

With 8 caps for the national team, Rahul Bheke is made to look like prime Cafu alongside his defensive compatriots. The Bengaluru full back plays a leading role in a one-star Bollywood show.
Aniket Jadnav is maybe the one to keep an eye on, the wide forward failed trials at Blackburn late last year, but the fact that they even asked him makes this teenage talent the side’s crappy Mbappe.
A Bombay mix of unknowns will be thankful they haven’t drawn against the real heavyweights of the competition, or they could be on the end of a cricket score.
Mexico & Central US
Mexico, 16 US States (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois)
Population (millions): 244.75
The big wall will have to wait as this side leaves rednecks turning in their trailers. The region has fathered two point three tournaments with one on the way, but the main feature of this team always seems to leave the party early when it’s not at their house.
Mexico have been excruciatingly expelled in the second round an eye-watering SEVEN times running, the sombrero wearing soccer obsessed Senior’s are so frequently the bridesmaid it’s no exaggeration to call them football’s spinsters.
The US’s largest state, Texas, is the birthplace of one of America’s greatest players and worst rappers, Clint Dempsey. His impressive club career was an MLS sandwich with a London filling, the posterboy of a Fulham team that miraculously reached the Europa league final. Romantically tied with fellow yank legend Landon Donovan, Dempsey retired joint top scorer for USMNT, including four goals in three seperate world cups.
Mexican legends of the game include Hugo Sanchez, who scored over 200 goals for Real Madrid, and Barcelona treble winner Rafael Marquez who incredibly played 19 games across five World Cups, considering they never manage more than four, that’s almost as good as it gets.
Today El Tri are seemingly at the beginning of a promising Mexican generation that coincides with some notable late bloomers.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Guillermo Ochoa	MEX	America	GK	Guadalajara	71	€4.20	34
Jonathan Orozco	MEX	Santos Laguna	GK	Monterry	68	€2.90	33
Defenders
Jesus Corona	MEX	Porto	RB	Sonora	72	€23.00	26
John Brooks	USA	Wolfsburg	CB	Berlin	67	€7.10	26
Hector Moreno	MEX	Al Gharafa	CB	Sinaloa	68	€6.10	31
Carlos Salcedo	MEX	Tigres	CB	Guadalajara	68	€5.70	25
Nestor Aruajo	MEX	Celta Vigo	CB	Guadalajara	70	€15.80	26
Hugo Ayala	MEX	Tigres	CB	Michoacan	68	€2.70	32
Miguel Layun	MEX	Monterrey	RB	Veracruz	66	€3.80	31
Jorge Sanchez	MEX	America	LB	Coahuila	63	€2.30	21
Midfielders
Isaac Brizuela	MEX	Chivas	RM	California	64	€4.40	29
Hector Herrera	MEX	Atleti	CM	Tijuana	75	€33.40	29
Hirving Lozano	MEX	Napoli	RW	Mexico City	75	€27.70	24
Victor Guzman	MEX	Pachua	CM	Guadalajara	66	€4.20	24
Andres Guardado	MEX	Real Betis	CM	Guadalajara	71	€9.20	32
Jonathan Dos Santos	MEX	LA Galaxy	CM	Monterry	70	€5.60	29
Rodolfo Pizarro	MEX	Miami FC	CAM	Tamulipas	72	€4.40	25
Edson Alvarez	MEX	Ajax	CDM	State of Mexico	70	€8.10	21
Forwards
Raul Jimenez	MEX	Wolves	ST	Hidalgo	74	€39.00	28
Javier Hernandez	MEX	LA Galaxy	ST	Guadalajara	66	€4.10	31
Gio Dos Santos	MEX	America	CF	Monterry	64	€2.20	30
Carlos Vela	MEX	LAFC	LF	Quintana Roo	75	€6.30	30
				Averages/Totals	69	€222.20	28.04545455

One of the more mundane concoctions, it’s plain to see that Johnathan Brooks is the only ‘American’ to dare cross the border. The centre back scored a winner against Ghana in 2014 avenging the defeat of 2010.
After struggling badly at Atleti and then Benfica, it’s an unlikely story that aged 27 Raul signed for Wolves and has since become one of the Premier Leagues most feared strikers. The nation is hoping to harness whatever time he’ll be able to stay at this level, having scored five goals in a winning Gold Cup campaign.
Eredivisie fans will be familiar with Guardado and Alvarez, the bookends of a variety of age groups in the middle of the park.
‘Chucky’ Lozano is the posterboy, the Napoli winger scored the only goal in an historic victory over 2014 champions Germany. At just 24, it shouldn’t be of too much concern that he is competing to become a regular amongst fierce Neopolitan competition.
As usual, perhaps North-America’s best bet for success. They should win this group, but with the second round curse yet to be broken, maybe another John Brooks goal is needed to make the quarters.
Greater Beijing
7 Chinese provinces (Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Tianjin)
Population (millions): 246.63
The capital with plenty of capital, Beijing is the focal point of a Chinese region that stands the best chance of all it’s countryfolk. The region boasts half of the national team’s top ten appearance makers.
Liaoning is the most vibrant reserve of Chinese talent, defender Sun Jihai is often revered as the country's greatest player with 127 premier league appearances for Man City, after years of battling relegation his departure came just one month before the Abu Dhabi group took over, a cautious tale of what happens when you let cookies decide your fortune.
Domestic football is rife in the region with six of 16 CSL teams, including Beijing Guoan, who pay for the services of Cedric Bakambu and Renato Augusto.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Liu Dianzuo	CHN	Guangzhou E	GK	Liaoning	47	€1.90	29
Wang Dalei	CHN	Shandong Luneng	GK	Liaoning	53	€3.70	31
Defenders
Nico Yennaris	CHN	Beijing Guoan	RB	London	59	€10.40	26
Li Xuepeng	CHN	Guangzhou E	LB	Liaoning	51	€3.40	32
Wang Tong	CHN	Shandong Luneng	RB	Liaoning	50	€3.20	27
Liu Yiming	CHN	Guangzhou E	CB	Liaoning	49	€3.40	25
Dai Lin	CHN	Shandong Luneng	CB	Liaoning	49	€2.00	32
Feng Xiaoting	CHN	Guangzhou E	CB	Liaoning	48	€1.10	35
Gao Zhunyi	CHN	Guangzhou E	CB	Jilin	48	€3.50	25
Ren Hang	CHN	Hebei C Fortune	CB	Liaoning	48	€2.40	31
Midfielders
Wu Xi	CHN	Jiangsu Suning	CDM	Hebei	53	€4.40	31
Yu Hanchao	CHN	Free Agent	RM	Liaoning	53	€2.50	33
Chi Zhongguo	CHN	Beijing Guoan	CDM	Jilin	52	€4.60	30
Zheng Zhi	CHN	Guangzhou E	CM	Liaoning	52	€0.48	40
Zhang Chengdong	CHN	Hebei C Fortune	RM	Hebei	50	€3.20	31
Jin Jingdao	CHN	Shandong Luneng	CM	Jilin	47	€2.60	28
Piao Cheng	CHN	Beijing Guoan	CM	Jilin	47	€3.20	31
Yin Hongbo	CHN	Hebei C Fortune	CAM	Jilin	47	€2.70	30
Forwards
Dong Xuesheng	CHN	Hebei C Fortune	ST	Liaoning	49	€3.50	31
Yang Xu	CHN	Tianjin	ST	Liaoning	47	€3.00	32
Tan Long	CHN	Changchun Yatai	ST	Liaoning	47	€3.00	32
Wu Xinghan	CHN	Shandong Luneng	ST	Liaoning	46	€2.40	32
				Average/Totals	50	€70.58	30.81818182

Ex-Celtic and Charlton midfielder Zheng Zhi has 108 national caps and counting, still wearing the arm-band at 39 years old. An industrious and efficient playstyle combined with terrific passing range lends itself to still being able to compete at such a late age, although he will require the leg work of fellow 30-somethings Wu Xi and Chi Zhonguo if moves can be made.
Born in London, Nico Yennaris or ‘Li Ke’ was the first ever naturalised Chinese player, the former Arsenal youth and Brentford stalwart is hoping to become a trailblazer to the development of Asian football.
It isn’t an absolute certainty that this team will come third, but beating Southern Africa will be key, in a group of subjectively low quality, China’s best team is maybe their only hope.
Emotional times as tomorrow brings the final group, by this point it should be obvious who’s left.
See you all in the comments to discover what I’ve got wrong today (I will comb through the whole thing with your suggestions once this is done).

GOALKEEPERS
Name: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Club: Bengaluru FC
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 26
Ever since making the move to Hero ISL team Bengaluru FC from Norwegian club Stabæk in 2017, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has had a fine run both for the club and country.
He is the first-choice in between the sticks for Stephen Constantine and has put in some memorable performances for India over the years. Gurpreet’s height combined with good decision-making allows him to cover a wider frame and makes him a safe bet for balls inside the box.
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In two Hero ISL seasons, Gurpreet has made 30 appearances and has conceded just 25 goals and made 76 saves. He has played for East Bengal before leaving for Norway and has 29 caps for Indian national team.
Name: Amrinder Singh
Club: Mumbai City FC
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 25
Amrinder started his career as a striker before his coach noticed that his stature is made for goalkeeping. The Punjab-born Mumbai City FC star has always played second fiddle to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at the national level.
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He has represented Pune FC, ATK and Bengaluru FC in the past, featuring in the AFC Cup semifinals with the latter. The Islanders shot-stopper is currently one of the best in the country and boasts incredibly good reflexes.
Name: Vishal Kaith
Club: FC Pune City
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 22
Vishal Kaith is an exciting prospect in between the sticks, with his performances for FC Pune City earning him widespread acclaim. He is good with his reflexes and in the air, and his traits consolidate his position in the Indian squad as an able back-up to Gurpreet.
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Kaith has seven clean sheets in 21 appearances in his ISL career. He was the first-choice goalkeeper for India at the 2018 SAFF Championship and started all four games, managing two clean sheets.
DEFENDERS
Name: Pritam Kotal
Club: ATK
Position: Right back
Age: 25
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A product of the Tata Football Academy (TFA), Kotal has established himself as the first-choice right back for India in the last three years. The West Bengal native has plied his trade at Mohun Bagan, FC Pune City, ATK and Delhi Dynamos. Pritam has come back to ATK for the rest of current Hero ISL season. Capable of slotting into the left side of defense too if required, Kotal is a fullback who loves to venture forward with overlapping runs and can be a decent offensive outlet from his flank.
Name: Sarthak Golui
Club: FC Pune City
Position: Defender
Age: 21
Sarthak Golui, who plays right-back, is known for his marauding runs up and down the flank. He is a workhorse who is prepared to bomb forward in attack and make one overlapping run after another to support his teammates.
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The tenacious full-back has been playing for Pune City for the last two ISL seasons and has established himself as a first-team regular at his position. He has one goal and four assists to his name in 21 appearances.
Name: Sandesh Jhingan
Club: Kerala Blasters FC
Position: Defender- Centre/Right-Back
Age: 25
Chandigarh-born Sandesh Jhingan has been one of the most consistent performers for his club and country in recent years. He has spent his entire Hero ISL career with Kerala Blasters so far, racking up 70 appearances and four assists over the course.
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Jhingan is a physically strong and tall defender who adopts an aggressive and no-nonsense approach on the field. He is also adept at right-back, making him invaluable for the Indian national team.
Name: Anas Edathodika
Club: Kerala Blasters FC
Position: Defender - Centre-Back
Age: 31
Hailing from Malappuram, the hotbed of football in Kerala, Anas Edathodika got his break with Mumbai FC in 2007. He signed for the Hero ISL side Delhi Dynamos in 2015.
In 2017, he was picked up by Jamshedpur FC through the player draft and the 2018-19 season saw his homecoming to Kerala Blasters. Anas has managed 37 appearances in the Hero ISL and has scored one goal.
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With 15 caps for India in a short period, the Keralite has earned a first-team spot alongside Sandesh Jhingan at centre-back under coach Stephen Constantine. His reading of the game and composure at the back will be vital assets for the Blue Tigers in UAE.
Name: Salam Ranjan Singh
Club: East Bengal
Position: Defender
Age: 23
The Manipur born is a graduate from the Pune FC academy and made his professional debut in the 2013-14 edition of the Hero I-League. The defender spent three years there, which included a loan spell at Bengaluru FC. He is currently plying his trade with East Bengal and is the only player from I-League in the national team fold.
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He was excellent for India against Jordan in a recent friendly and is a good backup in defence.
Name: Subhasish Bose
Club: Mumbai City FC
Position: Defender
Age: 23
Subhasish Bose is a product of the Pune FC youth academy who made his professional debut for Sporting Clube de Goa in the Hero I-League in 2016. The youngster went on to represent some big guns like Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC before being roped in by Mumbai City.
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Born in Kolkata, he can play as a centre-back if required but is most comfortable in his natural position as left-back.
Name: Narayan Das
Club: Delhi Dynamos FC
Position: Left back
Age: 25
Narayan is a West Bengal native who came through the ranks of the Tata Football Academy (TFA). The left-footed defender has undergone stints at Pailan Arrows, East Bengal, Dempo, FC Pune City and FC Goa before arriving at the national capital in the summer.
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The left back made his India debut all the way back in 2013 and has established himself as a mainstay in Stephen Constantine’s side in recent years.
MIDFIELDERS
Name: Udanta Singh
Club: Bengaluru FC
Position: Right wing
Age: 22
Another product of the prestigious Tata Football Academy (TFA), Udanta Singh is a speedy winger with bags of tricks up his sleeves. The Manipur-born winger has been a mainstay for Bengaluru FC ever since their inception in 2014.
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A winger who can beat his man at will, Udanta also has an eye for goal and can score the occasional beauty. After a slow start, the winger has burst into life with three goals to show for in the first half of the 2018-19 Hero Indian Super League.
Name: Rowllin Borges
Club: NorthEast United FC
Position: Central midfielder, Defensive midfielder
Age: 26
Having emerged through the ranks at Sporting Clube de Goa, Borges has quickly established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders in the country. After five seasons with Sporting, the Goan native moved to NorthEast United in 2016 and has become a key figure for the Guwahati-based club.
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Borges played a key role in India’s AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign and bagged a goal in the win against Macau. He has been in excellent form for NorthEast in the current season with two goals and as many assists in 12 appearances so far.
Name: Anirudh Thapa
Club: Chennaiyin FC
Position: Midfielder - Centre
Age: 20
Dehradun-born Anirudh Thapa broke into the football scene with Hero ISL team Chennaiyin FC in 2016. A short loan stint at Minerva Punjab later, Thapa quickly became a first-team regular in midfield for the Marina Machans.
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His vision and passing range make him a trump card in a double pivot. For India, he has also shown that he can play further forward as an attacking midfielder when required. He likes to dictate the tempo of the game and has an eye for incisive passes. He has two goals and three assists in 29 appearances in the Hero ISL. He has 13 caps for India and is now part of a formidable midfield pivot with Pronay Halder.
Name: Vinit Rai
Club: Delhi Dynamos FC
Position: Midfielder
Age: 21
The Assam-born midfielder has been touted as one of the best midfield prospects of the country. Rai started his Hero ISL career with Kerala Blasters in 2016 before making the move to Delhi Dynamos where he has enjoyed a fruitful spell.
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Technically sound and comfortable with the ball at his feet, Vinit is adept at controlling the tempo of game from midfield. He has started only four matches for his club this season but is slowly carving out a regular role with the national team under Stephen Constantine, having impressed in the recently concluded 2018 SAFF Championship in Bangladesh.
Name: Halicharan Narzary
Club: Kerala Blasters FC
Position: Forward - Left/Right Winger
Age: 24
The 24-year-old Halicharan Narzary is a fleet-footed forward and a willing runner who likes to operate from the flanks. He started out with Indian Arrows and joined FC Goa in 2014.
He left Goa to join NorthEast United in 2015 and played for the Highlanders for three seasons. Presently with Kerala Blasters, the winger has made 43 appearances in the Hero ISL with five goals and an assist to his name.
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He has been a mainstay in the Indian national team under Stephen Constantine in the last few years. Having made his debut in 2015, he has recorded 23 caps and scored one goal.
Name: Ashique Kuruniyan
Club: FC Pune City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22
Kuruniyan is one of the few players in the Indian squad who has had a training stint in Europe with Villarreal ‘C’ team. He has since gone on to evolve his game and has established himself in the national fold.
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The winger made his national team debut against Chinese Taipei in the Hero Intercontinental Cup in 2018. The 22-year-old can stretch the field or cut inside and has been given a great opportunity to establish himself by Pradyum Reddy at FC Pune City.
Name: Germanpreet Singh
Club: Chennaiyin FC
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22
Germanpreet Singh broke into the football scene after graduating from the renowned Tata Football Academy. He shone for Chennaiyin in the 2017-18 ISL and was an integral part of John Gregory's team that won the trophy.
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The midfielder likes to keep things simple with his passing and is always up for hard work in midfield. He screens the defence well and closes space for the opponents to operate. He has three caps for India.
Name: Jackichand Singh
Club: FC Goa
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Jackichand was one of the key figures behind Royal Wahingdoh’s dream run in the Hero I-League. Thereafter, the Manipur-born went on to play for a host of clubs and is currently at FC Goa. Jackichand has been showing great strides in his development under Sergio Lobera and has two goals and as many assists this season.
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The pacey winger has been a key part of Stephen Constantine’s plans since 2015 and will be looking to continue his good form in the UAE.
Name: Pronay Halder
Club: ATK
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Midfielder Pronay Halder has made the midfield in India's starting line-ups his own in recent years. His resolute approach to football has earned him plaudits as well. After stints with FC Goa and Mumbai City, Halder moved to ATK and has thrived in a tough-tackling midfield role under Steve Coppell in the 2018-19 season.
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He has formed a solid partnership in a double pivot with Anirudh Thapa and will have an important role in breaking up the opposition's attacks at the Asian Cup. He has 11 caps for the country and has scored one goal.
FORWARDS
Name: Sunil Chhetri
Club: Bengaluru FC
Position: Centre forward, Left wing
Age: 34
The undisputed talisman of the national team, Chhetri’s is a name which needs no introduction to Indian football. A long-standing servant of the Blue Tigers, Chhetri is the all-time top-scorer for India.
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Capable of providing the decisive impact at any moment, Chhetri keeps getting better with age and is as complete a centre-forward as they come. The Delhi-born forward has played for both the Kolkata giants in a trophy-laden career and has undertaken overseas stints at Sporting Lisbon B and the Major League Soccer (MLS) before becoming the lynchpin at Bengaluru.
Name: Jeje Lalpekhlua
Club: Chennaiyin FC
Position: Forward - Centre
Age: 27
Jeje Lalpekhlua is an excellent finisher of moves and is a goalscoring threat in front of goal.
Starting with Pune FC, the Mizoram-born striker climbed his way up the ladder with sheer dedication and commitment. He joined Chennaiyin in 2014 and has played in all Hero ISL seasons for the Marina Machans.
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Jeje has 22 goals and seven assists from 64 Hero ISL appearances so far. He is a two-time Hero ISL champion with Chennaiyin and an I-League winner with Mohun Bagan. He has 52 caps for India with 20 goals to his name and is a sure-shot to lead the attack for the Blue Tigers at the AFC Asian Cup.
Name: Sumeet Passi
Club: Jamshedpur FC
Position: Striker
Age: 24
A graduate of the famed Chandigarh Football Academy, Sumeet Passi made his debut for the national team in 2016 against Laos in an Asian Cup qualifier game. He has since gone on to join Jamshedpur FC and has scored two goals in the ISL this season.
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He is a hard-working centre-forward and his proficiency at hold-up play, bursting pace and good movement, renders him a promising prospect.
Name: Balwant Singh
Club: ATK
Position: Centre forward, Left wing
Age: 32
The Hoshiarpur-born striker is a grafter in the truest sense who is a constant nuisance for the opposition defenders. Having broken through the ranks at JCT, the 32-year-old has some big clubs on his CV in the form of Salgaocar, Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan.
Having waited a long time to make his India debut, Balwant took his opportunity with both hands by registering a goal against Mauritius in his first outing in India colours. He has been going from strength to strength since then and is now a key player in Constantine’s plans.

The Seychelles are a small group of islands off the coast of East Africa that is a popular holiday destination, mainly for newlyweds and snorkelers. This tiny nation isn't known for its football yet, but is trying hard to make a name for itself through sheer determination and meticulous focus on its grassroots coaching system. I thought I'd post a brief insight into it's history, link some articles and show you what this nation is trying to do, and who knows, it may pay off one day when we see some of these lads' children playing in the World Cup.
They play their home games at their 10,000 seater stadium Stade Linite, which is based just outside the capital Victoria. Their top scorer is Phillip Zialor with 11 goals.
The start:
Not much is known about the history of the Seychelles pre the 1990's. Their first match was against the Indian Ocean powerhouses Reunion in 1974 which ended in a 2-0 defeat. They participated in the Indian Ocean Island games in 1979, finishing runner up to (who seemed to be their kryptonite at the time) Reuinion, losing 2-1 to the host nation, and also recorded their record win, 9-0 against the Maldives, in the same year. They went out in the group stages in 1985 and came in 3rd place in 1990, beating Comoros 3-1 in the consolation playoff.
Managers:
The earliest known coach Englishman Adrian Fisher who first introduced rules to the game to the island. He was the first man to introduce 90 minute games to the people of Seychelles (before he arrived they played 60 minute games). He is seen as the key reason as to why football is so popular on the islands today.
The next known coach and first native coach was Seycehllios manager Ulric Mathiot, who was in charge in 1991. He is a highly respected coach in the Seychelles and currently works as a technical director for the National team. He's also taken charge briefly in 2008, and in 2014-15 where he lead the Seychelles into the Indian Ocean Island Games, where they went out in the group stage. You can read an interview he did here. Ulrich is the go to guy when the Seychelles are in trouble, which is why he's overseeing training of the next generation of coaches on the island, I mean he has to retire at some point, right?
The next known manager is Helmut Kosmehl, who, for the majoirty of his sporting career was a handball player. He lead the team into fourth place in the Indian Island Ocean Games and then was seemingly sacked. He was last seen in South Africa, being appointed director of the South African club AmaZulu FC in 2008.
They then went five years before appointing their next coach Vojo Gardasevic in 1998. This Yugoslavian came with good pedigree. He managed Iraq in 1981. He made his name with Gor Mahia in Kenya's domestic league, leading them to a title win, which got him a gig with the national side. He had a mixed spell where after a run of five straight losses, got the sack after the Kenyan FA went behind his back to appoint a new coach whilst Vojo was managing an official match with Kenya against Guinea. He managed the Pirates for 3 years, coming third in the Indian Ocean Island Games and lead them into their first World Cup campaign, getting a draw with Eritrea in the process. He loved the country so much that he managed two domestic sides, La Passe from 2005-2006, and Anse Reunion from 2006-2012, winning the league twice (once with each team) in that period.
Frenchman Domonique Barthenay was next on the scene and he lasted 6 months. The only thing I can find about him is this match report where his team beat Eritrea 1-0; "I can only say that the officials were very bad." being Eritrea coach Tekie Abrha's take on the game. He left to take over French side Sedan.
Then came Michael Nees, a German coach. He coached the team from 2002 to 2004 and apparently coached them again in 2010 according to this interview. "Six years after leaving Seychelles in a controversial manner and being at odds with the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), Mr Nees said he has buried the hatchet and is thrilled to be back. “What happened then is history. I live in the present and hope for a better future,” he said. “Not everything you plan works out the way you want. And it is not necessarily worse. It would have been ironic for me to come and work here and still carry ill-feelings." He came in full of positivity and it's good to see that that never changed. Mr. Nees corrently works as a director for the Kosovo national team.
Congolese man Raoul Shungu was then drafted in, and his reign was poor, winning only 3 games in 13 matches. His reign lead to discussions that the young Seychellios coaches managing in the domestic league should get the chance to manage the national team, such was the poor performances and seemingly lack of commitment from the foreign managers.
However, they were deemed not ready yet so yet another foreign coach joined, Dutchamn Jan Mak. He had two spells with the team, one in 2008 and one in 2013-14, where he noticed a significant change of the quality of the football between his two spells. He also said that they will never be the top team in Africa which I bet didn't persuade the board not to sack him after a string of poor results.
After Mathiot's short reign, it was the turn of Swede Richard Holmlund. There's not a lot of information about him or his reign, other than he also managed the Seychelles U20 team at some point. He sadly died in a car crash near Orebo, Sweden in 2011.
The Seychelles FA then spotted former Manchester City player Andy Morrison on the island soaking the rays, and offered him the job. Only that it wasn't actually Andy Morrison, but Andrew Amers-Morrison, whose past experience was founding a soccer community youth club in 2005. He was sacked before managing one game because he was an "imposter". Here is a video of his Samba Street Soccer School.
It seems as if they gave up on hiring foreign managers after that as they appointed promising young Seychellios manager Ralph Jean-Louis shortly after, who was appointed on the back of a successful stint at St Michel Utd, winning the title. His main aim was to make the nation proud by reaching the final of the Indian Ocean Island Games in 2011. He lead the team out of the group as winners by drawing 0-0 with Comoros, beating Mauritius 2-1 and walloping the Maldives 5-1. They then played against their bogey team Reuinion in the semi final, beating them 2-1 in extra time. He had achieved what he had set out to do, and had to face Mauritius, a team he beat in the groups, in the final. The game ended 1-1 after normal time and the tie could not be settled after extra time. A nervy penalty shooutout ensued and it was the Pirates who won 4-3, making this the first and only success of the Seychelles National Team. He resigned shortly after to take over St. Michel Utd.
Mak and Mathiot had short spells with the team again but quickly left after the Seychelles could not defend their crown in the Indian Ocean Island Games, going out in the group stages. Another interim coach came in, Madagascan manager Bruno Saindini who took charge against Ethiopia, drawing 1-1. Jean-Louis returned to the team shortly after.
Jean-Louis is the current manager and has been so since 2015. He's one of the many African managers making a name for himself on the internatinal stage, like Florent Ibenge of DR Congo and Alliou Cisse of Senegal. The Seychelles are out of the race to enter the 2018 World Cup, but there is no doubt they will try again for the 2022 World Cup, and who knows? Jean-Louis is a very passionate and part of a new breed of coach nurtured by Mathiot who may just have what it takes to upset the apple cart a bit. You can read another interview of his here.
and after all that, if you still want to know more about this fascinating nation's footballign history, you can just read this.