Pune FC announce 16-member squad for Administrator’s Challenge Cup, Chandigarh

A sixteen-member Pune FC Under-17 squad heads north to take part in the 12th Administrator’s Challenge Cup All India Football Tournament which kicks off at Chandigarh on Monday, 22nd September.

The tournament will be Pune FC Under-17’s first of the 2014-15 season and the new-look squad will hope to make their mark on the national level.

Moreover, this is the first-time ever that the Under-17 team will be travelling outside Maharashtra for an all-India tournament since the inception of the Peninsula Pune FC Academy (PPFCA) in 2011.

Speaking on the eve of the team’s departure, PPFCA Director Ranjan Chowdhury said, “This tournament is very important for our team and we have a positive approach. Being the first tournament of the season, a good performance will give a massive boost to the academy cadets for the season ahead.”

Having attracted Under-17 teams from all over the country, the tournament sees participation from a total of sixteen teams which have been divided into four groups of four teams each.

Pune FC has been clubbed in Group C along with Madhya Pradesh Football Association (MPFA), Thau Sports Academy, Imphal and Dashmesh Marshal Sports, Anandpur Sahib and open their campaign against MPFA on Wednesday, 24th September.

All teams will play three matches each in a round-robin format in the Group stage. The Group winners will then qualify for the semifinals and later the finals to be held on September 30th. All matches will be played at the Sector – 17 Football Stadium and the Sector 42 ground in Chandigarh.

The 16-member squad leaves Pune on Friday, 19th September.

The Team

Goalkeepers: Iprotip Das, Suraj Bhosale

Defenders: Tarif Akhand, Asish Rai, Gaurav Bora, Kiran Saravanan, Amos Lalnienga

Midfielders: Pemba Rai, Sunil Mane, Sebastian Thangmuansang, Sajid Hossain, Prakash Sarkar, Omega Vanlalhruaitluanga

Strikers: Aniket Jadhav, Cladeo Nongpluh, Jagadish Gadewad

Officials: Sujay Sharma (Coach), Sachin Dhondge

FIXTURES

Group-C
24^th September – Rd. 1: Pune FC vs. Madhya Pradesh Football Association
26^th September – Rd. 2: Pune FC vs. Thau Sports Academy, Imphal
27^th September – Rd. 3: Pune FC vs. Dashmesh Marshal Sports, Anandpur Sahib

Knockouts
28^th September – Semifinal: Group C winner vs. Group B winner
30^th September – Final