Welcome to another edition of the Indian football roundup. Today, we will talk about Sunil Chhetri being conferred the Padma Shri, India sliding down the top 100 in FIFA rankings, ISL result between Kerala Blasters and ATK’s match, I-League result between Minerva Punjab and Shillong Lajong’s match, and Jamshedpur FC’s latest signing Augustin Fernandes and Mumbai City FC’s latest signing Sanjay Balmuchu.
In case you missed out yesterday’s edition of the Indian football news roundup, you can check it out here.
Sunil Chhetri to be conferred the Padma Shri award on Republic Day
Indian national team captain Sunil Chhetri will be conferred the Padma Shri award on Republic Day for his achievement in Indian football. The 34-year-old will become the sixth footballer to achieve the fourth highest civilian award following the footsteps of Gostha Pal, Sailen Manna, Chuni Goswami, P.K. Banerjee, and Bhaichung Bhutia.
India to slide down the top 100 in FIFA rankings in the latest update
Indian Men’s national team is expected to drop down from the top 100 in the latest update of FIFA rankings. The Blue Tigers are expected to rank 103, below Vietnam, Jordan, and Palestine.
The highest governing body of football in India will release their next update anytime after January 27. Unless, the teams ranked higher than us lose matches against teams ranked lower than them, India isn’t expected to move up the 103 mark.
ISL Result: Kerala Blasters and ATK share the spoils in late drama
Kerala Blasters and ATK shared the spoils in late drama at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. ATK’s latest signing Edu Garcia drew first blood for the away side after he outfoxed the wall by rolling the ball underneath them in the 85th minute. However, their joy was short-lived as Matej Poplatnik leveled things up three minutes later through a sublime header.
This draw puts a dent on ATK’s chances of finishing inside the top 4. They are still sixth on the table with 17 points from 13 matches. Kerala Blasters, too, remain on the eighth position with 10 points from 13 matches.
I-League Result: Shillong Lajong pip Minerva Punjab in the final minutes
Shillong Lajong got their second win of the campaign as they pipped the defending champions Minerva Punjab 1-0. It looked as if the game would end on level terms but, Shillong Lajong’s Naorem Mahesh Singh played spoilers to the plan after breaking the deadlock in the 84th minute.
This win, however, doesn’t change Shillong Lajong’s position in the league table as they are still rock-bottom with 7 points from double the matches played. Minerva Punjab, too, sit on the seventh position in the table with 14 points from as many matches.
ISL Transfers: Jamshedpur FC sign Augustin Fernandes and loan out Sanjay Balmuchu to Mumbai City FC
ISL side Jamshedpur FC have signed center-back Augustin Fernandes for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The 30-year-old last played for ATK in the 2017-18 season, but was released by them in the winter transfer window itself. He has been without a club since then.
To make space for him, the Red Miners have loaned out Sanjay Balmuchu to Mumbai City FC for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old will become the fifth Indian defender in the Islanders’ ranks following the footsteps of Joyner Layrenco, Subhasish Bose, Shouvik Chakraborty, and Anwar Ali.
