Excerpts from FB live with Chennaiyin FC player Mohan Raj

Mohan Raj, Football, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Indian Super League, Facebook Live, Fans, The Super MachansChennaiyinFC’s fan club- The Supermachans conducted facebook live chat with their player Mohan Raj. Here is an excerpt from interaction with the Tamil Nadu born player.

 1) Ronaldo or Messi?

Both are equally good but I’m a big fan of Ronaldo because he has performed well in 3 different countries-England, Spain and Portugal. He performs well wherever he goes

2) Who is your best friend in CFC?

I’m very close to all the foreign players, especially Eder because we spend a lot of time together in the gym. He’s a very sincere person. Mulder is also a very good friend of mine. In the Indian players, it’s Abishek Das.

3)Who is your role model?

My mother, because she has struggled a lot, and she is a hard worker

4)Who is the funniest person in CFC?

It’s Mendy Bernard. He is very friendly. He has played in bigger leagues and is now playing with us and having fun, I’m very happy for it

5) Will you prove yourself in next season?

(Gethu kaatuveengala) No one can say that but I’m getting prepared for it

6)Tell us about dhoni

I’m not saying this because he is my owner, but because he is one my two favorite sportsmen from whom I wished I could get an autograph, the other one being Ronaldo. The main reason I like him is because he came from a very poor background and proved himself to the world. I’m very happy to have met him and get his autograph on my jersey and frame it, that’s one of my dream come true.

7) What is your mindset in your difficult times? Life is all about ups and downs, it depends on the situation, we should be ready to face it, we need to be stable always, mind is what matters, when you are in a difficult situation, just think positive

8) We are waiting to see you in cfc this season!

Hopefully

9)Buffon or Neuer, who is no 1?

For me its Buffon, Neuer is like his son!! We cannot compare son and father, Buffon is no 1

10) What is your view on merging ISL and I league, is it good for Indian football?

Very good question, nothing is going to happen depending on what I say, but my opinion is that if it’s merged there are chances for many players

11) Difference between Chennai club and Kolkata?

There are so many differences, there everyone will be under pressure every single day to play, to perform in every single match. They are very passionate. Our state has just got a team, we have to create the passion in Chennai, you all should come and support Chennai, it’s our city, so we have to take it forward.

12) Your favourite and most comfortable position?

I have tried many positions from childhood, in 3-5-2, left side defending and attacking, I have got many chances in ATK under Habbas coach, I will play in any position in the left side, be it defending or attacking!!

13) Which is your favorite football club?

I’m little different, I like a club in each country, but Chelsea & Real Madrid are my first love

14) Who is your strength?

My strength is God, I believe in God’s grace, I read Bible regularly. In difficult times, those words motivate me a lot

15) Can we see many TN players in next ISL?

Hopefully! Few players are doing good, we can definitely see many players this season

16) Your football inspiration and the obstacles you had faced before becoming a player?

I chose this career aaccidentally . I lost my father when I was a kid and I had two elder sisters. I understood the situation and joined in sports school and stayed in hostel for free education, now it has brought me here. I had faced so many struggles and problems, God was with me and he has brought me here.

17) What do you think about Jerry Lalrinzuala and his future?

He is a young left back who plays for CFC. He plays really good. Watching Jerry reminds me of myself when I was 17 , 18 years old! He is a very good friend and a very nice guy. No can predict future, let’s wait and see.

18) Are you ready to face ISL 4?

I’m working hard for it, I hope I will have a good season

19) Can we expect retired players this season from Europe?

This question is not for me, it depends on whoever comes.

20)what is your advice to the young players rising across India?

Football’s future is very good compared to 10 years ago. We have so many facilities now which we didn’t have 10 years ago, so young generation put your heart ,mind and soul , and train hard and you will have a very good future. Keep motivating yourself, take the sport as a profession, every single day try to work hard to reach higher levels . Do not think about playing only in Indian clubs, I want many footballer to go abroad and play.

21) Your View on how to develop Indian football?

It’s my personal view- we have to concentrate on grassroots, now we have a recognized leagues, so we can train young players and make them play in recognized leagues, for that not only players we also need educated coaches, because training grown up players is different. Coaching them at a younger age is very important.

22) Are you happy to be a Tamizhan?

I’m super happy and super proud to be a Tamizhan

23) Are you happy on seeing Star sports in Tamil?

Yeah, of course, because there will be a huge reach in villages. It’s hard to understand Hindi & English, I know the struggle to learn these languages.Tamil is our language and is easy to understand.

24) What advice would you give football talents in Tamil Nadu?

I want more academies  to open in Tamil Nadu, and they should have educated coaches to train small kids. They have to give all facilities to them at an younger age, develop and motivate them and set a target to make them play for the country.

25) Can Tamil Nadu be a force? Does it have good coaches?

There are a few good coaches in Tamil Nadu. Soundar anna, Robin Anna, Ranjith Anna, Sabir Anna are all good coaches but unfortunately we have very less professional clubs to take them. I wish them good luck and wish they go and shine at a bigger level.

26) Who is your favourite team mate?

Everyone

27) What is your life’s motto?

Get up and do something for football until you die.

28) Few words on Robin Charles Coach

He is the man who recognised me during my struggling days. I still remember Soundar Rajan and Robin Charles were the ones who selected me to play in the Santhosh Trophy in 2006 which happened in Delhi. I have a huge respect for Robin and his family that will remain forever.

29) Your SAI experience?

SAI was life changing, thanks to Unni Coach and Subramaniam Coach. They were amongst the best coaches I had in my early ages. And then had met Manoharan Coach in Madurai. I have a huge respect for Unni Coach who used to wake up at 3:30 am and travel from Tambaram to coach us, although we went late at 6:15 am. He was very dedicated and must be happy now to see many SAI players playing in India. Also, I’d like to mention Kamali bhai and Lakshmanan from Madurai who helped me a lot in my early ages.

30) Any dream vacation spot?

Izbia, Spain

31) What are your objectives for the upcoming season?

To keep myself fit and free from injury. I’m working hard and want to play as much as possible in the coming season

32) How important do you think it is for players to interact with fans like this?

Without fans there will not be any football club. Fans come first under any circumstance, so I’m happy to interact with you guys. In fact, this is my first ever live session, personally and professionally.

33) Your views on TN training facilities and stadiums? Are they improving?

200% improved. ChennaiyinFC’s training ground is the best training ground at the moment. I have trained at the same ground as a SAI student and ChennaiyinFC has really improved the ground a lot. The facilities at both the training ground and stadium have been improved to a great extent by ChennaiyinFC.

34) Your comments on Dhanpal Ganesh?

I’m very very very very happy for him right now. He recovered from a very serious injury, played in I league and scored goals, and is now with the National team. I wish he continues this way and shines more. Namma ooru, namma payyan, he should definitely do well.

35) Few points to Supermachans to improve the experience for players

Come and support the team irrespective of whether they play good or bad. You have to stand by them during their tough times. Show the love you have for the city to the city’s club. It doesn’t matter who plays for the club and who doesn’t. The name is Chennaiyin and that’s where your support should lie.

36) Who’s the most humble person in ChennaiyinFC?

Everyone in the team is very humble. There’s no one who shows attitude and everyone’s very nice, but the most humble and cutest person is Raphael Augusto.

37) Before 3 years, did you expect two clubs from our city, one in ISL and the other in I league?

We always had talents, but we never had teams, so from the time I heard about ChennaiyinFC, I’ve been their number 1 fan.

38) Who has been your motivator about from your family members?

James, a friend from Chennai. He gives me right advices. I also read the Bible, the words from the Bible keep me motivated.

39) Has your family cheered you from the stadium?

No, because my mother is very sensitive. She cried after seeing Postiga being taken in a stretcher during the inauguration match in Chennai. I’m also her only son, and she’d be hurt if she ever sees me injured on the pitch. So I never bring her to the stadium when I play.

40) Which player mostly takes command of the team? Mendy Bernard

41) Your opinion on fans of CFC?

Our city, our fans, the best Thank you all for interacting with me. There’s Chennai coastal cleanup happening on June 18th which is a Sunday. Please go and participate to make our city clean. We have to do our little part to make our city better. I really appreciate Supermachans for taking up this initiative. You’re doing a great job apart from football. Thank you all!

You can watch the interaction with Mohan Raj here

Santosh Trophy 2017 : South Zone Qualifiers – Groups & Fixtures

Santosh Trophy, 2017, South Zone Qualifiers, South Zone, Qualifiers, Kozhikode

 

 

 

 

South Zone qualifiers for Santosh Trophy 2016 will be held in EMS Stadium in Kozhikode starting from January 5. Teams in the south zone are divided into two groups.

Champions of the respective groups will qualify for the final round.

Group A : Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra, Puducherry
Group B  : Services, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Lakshadweep
Date Schedule Results
Jan 5 Kerala vs Puducherry 3-0
Jan 5 Karnataka vs Andhra Pradesh 1-2
Jan 6 Services vs Telangana 7-0
Jan 6 Tamil Nadu vs Lakshadweep 2-0
Jan 7 Puducherry vs Karnataka 0-3
Jan 7 Kerala vs Andhra Pradesh 0-3
Jan 8 Telangana vs Tamil Nadu 0-4
Jan 8 Lakshadweep vs Services 0-4
Jan 9 Puducherry vs Andhra Pradesh  0-0
Jan 9 Kerala vs Karnataka
Jan 10 Telangana vs Lakshadweep
Jan 10 Services vs Tamil Nadu

Matches : 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm

Kerala announce 40 probables for Santosh Trophy Camp

Kerala, Tamil nadu, Santosh Trophy, 2017, South Zone Qualifiers, Nagpur, final round, February, South Zone, QualifiersKerala Football Association has announced 40 probables for Santosh Trophy. Preliminary rounds of the competition is expected to start in December. Former Indian international and State Bank of Travancore football coach V.P Shaji is the head coach for the team.

The team is as follows :

Goalkeepers: S. Hajmal (Palakkad), Midhun (Kannur), Shahinlal (Kozhikode), K. Pranav (Kannur), Robinson (Trivandrum), Sherin Stephen (Idukki)

Defenders: V.V. Surjith (Thrissur), S. Lijo (Trivandrum), B.T. Sarath (Kollam), Rahul V. Raj (Thrissur), Sreerag (Kottayam), Sherin Sam (Ernakulam), Rijohn Jose (Kottayam), Akhil J. Chandran (Idukki), Safvan (Malappuram), Ajas S. Sajeev (Kottayam), Vishnu Vinod (Thrissur), A.V. Deepak (Kozhikode)

Midfielders: Jijo Joseph (Thrissur), Shibinlal (Kozhikode), Mohammed Rafi (Wayanad), Praveen Kumar (Kasaragode), V.S. Ashkar (Malappuram), Netto Benny (Idukki), Mohammed Parakkottil (Palakkad), Jishnu Balakrishnan (Malappuram), F. Jijo (Trivandrum), T. Sohail (Malappuram), Asharudheen (Malappuram), K. Abhijith (Kottayam)

Forwards: Jipson (Trivandrum), K. Firose (Malappuram), Sumesh (Thrissur), Seeason (Trivandrum), V.P. Suhair (Palakkad), Shijimon (Trivandrum), Subi (Ernakulam), Anwarsha (Kollam), Sahal Abdu Samad (Kannur), Ibrahim Sulaiman (Kasaragode).

 

Indian Super League Season 3 Preview : Chennaiyin FC

Here we go with the 2nd preview on Chennayin FC.

Chennaiyin FC coached by Marco Materazzi is the current champions of Indian Super league. Starting from the 1st season, Chennayin FC has a great record in the ISL. In the 1st season, they finished top in the league table and qualified for the playoffs. Materazzi will be hoping to replicate the same feat even this season. However, things will be quite different for Chennayin this season as they will miss out on two crucial players they had for the last two seasons. Marquee player Elano who scored 12 goals for the team in the last two seasons and was pulling strings in the midfield with his deft touches and freekicks will be sorely missed by the team. Same with Stiven Mendoza, the Colombian liver wire who has scored 17 goals for the franchise in the last two seasons has joined Newyork City FC in the MLS. It will have to be seen how the team copes up with these departures.

Another notable thing Chennayin has done prior to this season is that they signed on 5 AIFF academy graduates  – Anirudh Thapa, Prosenjit Chakraborty, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Baoringdao Bodo and Bedashwor Singh. We will have to see if any of these players will find a regular place in the line-up since they are quite young to be blooded in a league where there is so much at stake. However, this is a great gesture from the franchise and the boys  are bound to learn a lot training under Marco and the other senior players in the team.

Now, let’s go ahead and analyze the different departments of the team.

GK: Duwayne Kerr, Karanjith Singh, Pawan Kumar

Duwayne Kerr is a Jamaican goalkeeper, who has played in Norway and Iceland. He is a very dominating big figure in the box. If Marco decides o play an Indian GK, Karanjith with his immense experience will be the choice. Pawan Kumar who has played for Bengaluru FC earlier and was part of Mumbai FC will be definitely an able back up!

Defenders : Abhishek Das (RB),  Bernard Mendy(RB), Dhanachandra Singh (LB), Eder (CD), Elie Sabia (CB), Riise, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Nallapan Mohanraj (RB).

We will mostly see Mendy being partnered with Riise in the middle of the defense, other central defending options are the new signings Eli Sabia, and Eder, who had a stint with Salgaocar in the I-league. Wadoo had a great season for Chennaiyin last time around and he will most probably the pick for RB.  Dhanachandra Singh who was a mainstay for the team in the last season will be the pick for LB.

Mid : Zakker Mundampara, Baljit Sahni, Dhanpal Ganesh, Manuel Blassi, Hans Mulder, Raphael Augusto, Siam Hangal and Thoi Singh

Hans Mulder, the Dutch footballer who gave a good account of himself in the last two editions of ISL for Delhi Dynamos is the new foreign recruit in the mid-field line up. Manuel Blassi and Raphael Augusto were a constant presence in Chennaiyin’s lineup last year, and this year I expect one of them to sit out and Hans Mulder taking that place. The Indian line up with Zakkeer, Dhanpal, Siam Hangal and Thoi Singh looks quite formidable too. However, i feel the midfield line-up esepcially the Indian contigent lacks in creativity and this could pose a serious threat for CFC.

Forwards : Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Davide Succi, Jayesh Rane, Jeje, Dudu, Maurizio Peluso, Uttam Rai.

Now, this is going to be a real problem area for Chennaiyin. As we mentioned earlier, MENDOZA WILL BE MISSED. Instead of him Materazzi has decided to bring in two Italian attackers.  Davide Succi and Maurizio Peloso. Succi is a 34 year old forward who has played for teams like Chievo, Palermo and Bologna, with pretty good conversion rate as well. Maurizio Peluso seems to be an attacker who plays mainly on the wings and has played in the lower divisions of the Italian league. Dudu is the other forward and he doesn’t need any introduction. He has been playing in India for a long time now and is pretty prolific as well. It will have to be seen if these new recruits can fill Mendoza’s shoes. Coming to the Indian contingent, Jeje is the standout name here. He had a very good season with Chennayin FC last year and would be hoping to replicate the same kind of form this season as well. Daniel is a highly rated forward who plays for BFC but he is going to miss some action due to BFC’s AFC Cup commitments. Jayesh Rane who plays for Mumbai FC had a good season with Chennaiyin last time around will be hoping to pitch in with some goals this season. Uttam Rai is a highly rated forward who plays for Dempo Sports Club. When he burst onto the scene, he was quite a sensation and but he did not live up to that hype after that.

On the whole, this team looks pretty decent but as we said, it will have to be really seen if they can replicate the same form they managed in the first two seasons. And I feel, Chennaiyin will miss out on the playoffs this season! Yes, you heard it right! 🙂

Listen to this preview on Youtube :

Santosh Trophy 2016 : Final Round – Groups & Fixtures

Santosh Trophy, 2016, Nagpur, final round, February, West Bengal, Railways, Services, Assam, Mizoram, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu & KashmirSantosh Trophy 2016 : Final Round will be held Nagpur. Two teams qualified from the zonal qualifiers are grouped into two groups.

Venue:

Matches will be played at South East Central Ralway ground in Motibagh and Nagpur University ground

Group A: Services, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Railways, Maharashtra
Group B: Punjab, Tamilnadu, West Bengal, Assam Goa

 

Matches Group A :

Date Schedule Results
Feb. 29 Mizroam vs Railways 1-1
Feb. 29 J & K vs Maharashtra 1-3
Mar. 02
Services vs J & K 1-0
Mar. 02 Maharashtra vs Railways 3-0
Mar. 04
Mizoram vs Maharashtra 0-1
Mar. 04 Railways vs Services 0-2
Mar. 06 Maharashtra vs Services 0-1
Mar. 06
J & K vs Mizroam  1-4
Mar. 08 Railways vs J & K  1-2
Mar. 08 Services Mizroam  1-

Points Table Group A :

Team MP W D L GF GA GD Points
Maharashtra 4 3 0 1 7 2 5 9
Services 4 3 0 0 5 2 3 9
Mizoram 4 2 1 1 7 4 3 7
J & K 4 1 0 3 4 9 -5 3
Railways 4 1 0 3 4 9 -5 1

Matches Group B :

Date Schedule Results
Mar. 01 Tamil Nadu vs Assam 3-0
Mar. 01 West Bengal vs Goa 1-3
Mar. 03 Punjab vs West Bengal 0-1
Mar. 03 Goa vs Assam 1-0
Mar. 05 Tamil Nadu vs Goa 0-0
Mar. 05
Assam vs Punjab 0-2
Mar. 07 Goa vs Punjab 1-0
Mar. 07 West Bengal vs Tamil Nadu  0-1
Mar. 09 Assam vs West Bengal 1-5
Mar. 09 Punjab vs Tamil Nadu 0-5

Points Table Group B :

Team MP W D L GF GA GD Points
Tamil Nadu 4 3 1 0 7 0 7 10
Goa 4 3 1 0 5 1 4 10
Bengal 4 2 0 2 7 5 2 6
Punjab 4 1 0 3 2 7 -5 3
Assam 4 0 0 4 1 9 -8 0

Semi final :

Date Schedule Results
Mar. 11 Tamil Nadu vs Maharashtra  0-1
Mar. 11 Services vs Goa 1-0 (ET)

Final :

Date Schedule Results
Mar. 13 Maharashtra vs Services 2-1

Tamil Nadu announce Squad for Santosh Trophy 2016

Tamil nadu, Santosh Trophy, 2016, South Zone Qualifiers, Nagpur, final round, February, South Zone, Qualifiers Tamil Nadu has announced the 20 member squad for the South Zone qualifiers of Santosh Trophy 2016.

Squad :

Goalkeepers: Sunesh; Arun Pradeep; Sachidanandam

Defenders: Joffin; Wayne; Vineesh Moury; Santhosh; Mohanraj; Prem; Kalialaudeen

Midfielders: S. Karthick; Edwin; Shajan; Britto; Soosai; Pradeep; Sirajudeen

Forwards: Reagan; Praveendran; Ameerudeen;

Reserve players: Md. Ajmal (Goalkeeper); Sarathraj (Forward); Jude (Midfielder); Sriram (Midfielder);

Coach: Robin Charles Raja

Asst. coach: Aldroy Atkinson

Goalkeeping coach: Muruhuvendan.

Tamil Nadu Announce Santosh Trophy 2014-2015 Squad

Tamil Nadu, football, soccer, association, team, santosh trophy, manjeri, south zone, 2014, 2015,  Tamil Nadu football Association (TFA) has announced a 20 member squad for the 69th National football championship played for the Santosh Trophy. Tamil Nadu will play the south zone qualifiers at the MSDC stadium in Manjeri. Tamil Nadu is in Group B along with Services and Pondicherry. Tamil Nadu will kick off their South Zone campaign when they meet Pondicherry on the 18th of January.

Fixtures :

18/01/2015 4 Pondicherry Tamil Nadu
20/01/2015 6 Tamil Nadu Services

Team :

Ajmal (Indian Bank/Chennai)
Vugneswaran (Chennai FC/Chennai)
PremKumar (RBI/CHennai)
Wayne Antoniou’s Silva (Indian Bank/ Chennai)
G V Hariharana (Customs/Chennai)
Sivapriyan (RBI/Chennai)
M Gnana Sekaran (Indian Bank/Chennai)
S Santosh Kumar (S.Railway/Chennai)
John Carlo (ICF/Chennai)
Praveendran (FCI/Chennai)
Sudhakar (AG’s Office/Chennai)
Vikram Patel (AG’s Office/Chennai)
Mijo Jose (Indian Bank/Chennai)
Soosairaj (Chennai City FC/ Chennai)
Regan (AG’s Office/Chennai)
H Ameerudeen (Income Tax/Chennai)
Edwin (Indian Bank/Chennai)
Rajkumar (ICF/Chennai)
Suresh Kumar (Cuddalore)
Suraj Bahadur (Nilgiris)

Coach – M Narayana Murthy (SAI, Chennai)
Manager – K Radha Krishnan (VP TFA)
Physio – Dr. Ragunath Manogaran

Italian Giants Inter Milan to Conduct Coaching Camp in Chennai

Inter Milan, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Football, Soccer, Indianfootball, Coaching Camp, Talent Hunt, India, AsiaMedia reports suggest that Inter Milan, the Italian club is to conduct a two day coaching camp in Chennai. The event slated to be on March 19th and 20th will have theory and practical classes.

This would be a joint effort of Tamil Nadu Football Association, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Inter Milan. The Inter Milan contingent will consist of technical director Marco Monti, fitness coach Stefano Rapetti and youth coach Andrea Ratti.

Read More : Inter Milan team coming to Chennai in search of talent – TOI

 

Santosh Trophy Final Round Fixtures and Results

Santosh Trophy, Football, South Zone, North-East Zone, East Zone, West Zone, North ZoneThe zonal preliminary rounds of Santosh Trophy 2014 concluded on 4th February and ten teams from different zones qualified for the final round to be held in Siliguri starting from 24th February. See the results from the Zonal Qualification Round here.

Ten teams that qualified are divided in two groups – A & B

Group A :

Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Kerala, Services, Maharashtra

Group B :

Railways, West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa

Group A Fixtures :

Date : 24th February

 

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Date : 26th February

 

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Date : 28th February

 

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Date : 02nd March

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Date : 04th March

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Group B Fixtures :

Date : 25th Feb

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Date : 27th Feb

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Date : 01st Mar

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Date : 03rd Mar

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Date : 05th Mar

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Tamil Nadu Announces Santosh Trophy Squad

Tamil Nadu Football Association, Tamil Nadu, Santosh Trophy, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman Nicobar, C M Ranjith, Football, States, Siliguri, South Zone, Soccer, IndianfootballTamil Nadu has announced the squad for the upcoming Santosh Trophy. P Sudhakar will lead the team that will take part in the South Zone leg starting in Chennai from January 26th.

In the South Zone leg, Tamil Nadu will take on Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman Nicobar Islands. The top two teams from South Zone will qualify for the final phase to be held in Siliguri from February 2014.

Tamil Nadu squad:

S Rajini Kumar, A Arun Pradeep (vice-captain), TG Raj Guru, D Edison, K Satish, M Murthy, S Sandosh Kumar, F Francis Beschi, R Shiva Priyan, Wayne Antonio D’Silva, S Karthick, L Charles Anandaraj, Patil Vikram Vishwas, V Ashok Kumar, D Joffin, S Pravin Raja, P Sudhakar (captain), Santhakumar, A Raegan, H Ameerudeen.

Chief coach: CM Ranjith.

Assistant coach: P Rajeev.

Goalkeeping coach: M Muruhuvendan.

Manager: J Standy Dhanaraj.

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