SINGAPORE - When Akbar Nawas took over as head coach of Chennai City last year, the Indian football club had only three games to stave off relegation from the I-League.
They beat Churchill Brothers 3-1, lost 7-1 to East Bengal, before securing safety with a 2-1 win over Minerva Punjab in their final match.
A year later, former Tampines Rovers coach Akbar, assisted by ex-Hougang United coach and fellow Singaporean K. Balagumaran, helped Chennai complete a remarkable turnaround after Saturday's (March 9) come-from-behind 3-1 win over Minerva at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Tamil Nadu sealed a first league title for both club and coach.
With 13 wins, four draws and three defeats, they amassed 43 points, one ahead of second-placed East Bengal.
It is believed that the duo are the first Singaporean coaches to win a professional football league title outside of South-east Asia.
And they did it in swashbuckling style, scoring 48 goals in 20 matches, and never relinquishing their place at the top of the 11-team league from the third match week.
The Times of India summarised their triumph as "befitting their dominant campaign, the fulcrum of which was a sustained possession-based football".
Akbar, 43, told The Straits Times: "It is a great satisfaction after accepting the challenge of taking over a relegation-threatened team, and then winning the league within a year.
"Our team perform best when we are chasing the game. Thus, we didn't panic when we were behind (against Minerva on Saturday). I told the team we must end every attack with a chance at goal. I was pretty confident we could bounce back and win like we had done before."
Â
His sidekick Balagumaran, 54, added: "It is so overwhelming, I don't know if we are still in a dream.
"When we got here, the players we had were not from football academies, they were from the streets and so unpolished.
"Many of them are playing in their first professional season and now they have won their first professional league title.
"Personally, it is also the highlight of my career, but I hope there is more to come, and I also hope this opens the door for more Singaporean coaches to venture abroad."
With the league win, Chennai are eligible for the 2020 AFC Champions League qualifiers.
Neymar was suspended for three Champions League matches by UEFA on Friday for a foul-mouthed tirade at match officials following Paris Saint-Germain's shock exit from this season's tournament to Manchester United. The Brazil star missed the 3-1 Champions League second leg last 16 defeat on March 6
Neymar banned for three Champions League matches over ref
Fulham boosted their Premier League survival hopes after Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a stoppage time winner to give them a 1-0 win over bottom team Huddersfield Town at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Last-gasp Mitrovic earns Fulham win over Huddersfield
Tottenham Hotspur gained sweet revenge over north London rivals Arsenal as goals in each half by Son Heung-min and Dele Alli earned them a 2-0 win on Wednesday and a League Cup semi-final place.
Tottenham stuns Man City to reach Champions League semis
WRAPUP 2-Soccer-Spurs beaten for first time in new stadium; Saints stay up. * First defeat for Spurs in their new stadium Southampton guaranteed their survival with a thrilling 3-3 home
Spurs beaten for first time in new stadium; Saints stay up
The Norwegian Town Where the Sun Doesn't Rise I spent a year in Tromsø, Norway, where the "Polar Night" lasts all winter—and where rates of seasonal depression are remarkably low.
If you don't mind puppet porn, salty language and sacrilege, see Hand to God. It's the hottest play of the season. If you don't mind puppet porn, salty language and sacrilege, see Hand to God. It
Swearing Puppet - Fiverr BLOOPERS (PP-30) - YouTube
Gotze predicts success for diligent Dortmund, Football News
Can Wolverhampton Wanderers be the first newly promoted team to beat Tottenham Hotspur in 40 Premier League attempts at their temporary home of Wembley.. Leave your thoughts below.
Tottenham stadium: Spurs granted extension to stay at Wembley
Nov 14, 2014 · SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian hospital says Pele is "recovering well" after undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones. The Albert Einstein hospital said in a statement Friday that the 74-year
Pele 'recovering well' after kidney stones surgery - Yahoo Sports
Guardiola stays cool despite shock Man City defeat 23 December 2018, MVT 20:44 Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola arrives for the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 22, 2018.
Football: Guardiola stays cool despite shock Man City defeat
Wayne Rooney received his first red card in the MLS as DC United were thrashed 4-0 by Los Angeles FC.Diego Rossi was the hero at Audi Field with his first career MLS hat-trick, helping lead his
Sports News, 16 Aug 2014 | 15 Minute News - Know the News
0 comments:
Post a Comment