2017–18 I-League

I-League
Season 2017–18
Champions Minerva Punjab
Relegated Churchill Brothers
Champions League Minerva Punjab
Matches played 90
Goals scored 205 (2.28 per match)
Top goalscorer Aser Pierrick Dipanda
(13 goals)
Best goalkeeper Shilton Paul
(8 clean sheets)
Biggest home win East Bengal 7–1 Chennai City
(24 February 2018)
Biggest away win Gokulam Kerala 0–3 NEROCA
(9 December 2017)
Highest scoring East Bengal 7–1 Chennai City
(24 February 2018)
Longest winning run Minerva Punjab
East Bengal(4 games)
Longest unbeaten run NEROCA
(9 games)
Longest winless run Churchill Brothers
(6 games)
Longest losing run Churchill Brothers
(5 games )
Highest attendance 64,630
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal
(3 December 2017)
Lowest attendance 218
Indian Arrows vs Chennai City
(29 November 2017)
Total attendance 832,665
Average attendance 10,280
All statistics correct as of 8 March 2018.

The 2017–18 I-League is the 11th season of the I-League. Aizawl are the defending champions. NEROCA have entered as the promoted team from the 2016–17 I-League 2nd Division. The season began on 25 November 2017.

Teams

All India Football Federation invited bids for new teams on 21 July 2017 from Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Ranchi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Malappuram and Trivandrum, among others.[1] On 20 September, after second round of bidding invitation, the Bid Evaluation Committee decided to award Sree Gokulam Group the right to field their team in the Hero I-League 2017–18 season onward from Kozhikode, Kerala.[2] Bengaluru FC successfully bid for a place in 2017–18 Indian Super League season and thus was not a part of I-League. NEROCA F.C. were promoted for winning 2016–17 I-League 2nd Division. After successful hosting of FIFA U-17 World Cup, AIFF revived Indian Arrows project to field the colts in I-League.

Stadiums and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Aizawl Aizawl, Mizoram Rajiv Gandhi Stadium 20,000[3]
Chennai City Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore 30,000[4]
Churchill Brothers Salcete, Goa Tilak Maidan Stadium 6,000
East Bengal Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium
Barasat Stadium		 66,000
22,000
Indian Arrows Delhi, New Delhi
Bambolim, Goa		 Ambedkar Stadium
GMC Bambolim Athletic Stadium		 35,000[5]
6,500
Gokulam Kerala Kozhikode, Kerala EMS Stadium 54,000
Minerva Punjab Ludhiana, Punjab Guru Nanak Stadium 15,000[6]
Mohun Bagan Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium
Barasat Stadium
Mohun Bagan Ground		 66,687[7]
22,000
22,000
NEROCA Imphal, Manipur Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 30,000
Shillong Lajong Shillong, Meghalaya Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 30,000

Personnel and kits

Team Head coach Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Aizawl India Santosh Kashyap Vamos NE Consultancy Services
Chennai City India V Soundararajan Counter Sports[8] None
Churchill Brothers Nigeria Joseph Afusi Faisports Churchill Group
East Bengal India Khalid Jamil PERF Kingfisher
Gokulam Kerala India Bino George Kaizen sports Aachi Group
Indian Arrows Portugal Luís Norton de Matos Nike None
Minerva Punjab India Khogen Singh Astro[9] Apollo Tyres[10]
Mohun Bagan India Shankarlal Chakraborty Shiv Naresh Nilkamal
NEROCA India Gift Raikhan Vector X[11] Classic Group of Hotels
Shillong Lajong India Alison Kharsyntiew Nivia Sports[12] None

Foreign players

On 2 August 2017, it was announced by the All India Football Federation that the number of foreigners for each I-League club would go up to six, with two of the six having to be born in Asia or registered with the AFC.[13]

Aizawl (6) Chennai City (5) Churchill Brothers (6) East Bengal (5) Gokulam Kerala (6)
Liberia Alfred Jaryan
Ivory CoastLéonce Dodoz Zikahi
Nigeria Kareem Omolaja
Romania Andrei Ionescu
Afghanistan Masih Saighani (A)
Japan Yugo Kobayashi (A)		 Slovenia Uroš Poljanec
France Jean-Michel Joachim
SerbiaAleksandar Rakić
Kyrgyzstan Venyamin Shumeyko (A)
South Korea Kim Dong-hyeon (A)		 Nigeria Monday Osagie
The Gambia Dawda Ceesay
Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza
Nigeria Francis Onyeama
Lebanon Hussein El Dor (A)
Kyrgyzstan Bektur Talgat Uulu (A)		 Nigeria Dudu Omagbemi
Equatorial Guinea Eduardo Ferreira
Liberia Ansumana Kromah
Japan Katsumi Yusa (A)
Syria Mahmoud Amnah (A)		 Nigeria Emmanuel Chigozie
Ghana Daniel Addo
Uganda Henry Kisekka
Uganda Musa Mudde
Bahrain Mahmood Al-Ajmi (A)
Indian Arrows (0) Minerva Punjab (6) Mohun Bagan (6) NEROCA (6) Shillong Lajong (5)
Developmental squad Ivory Coast Bazie Armand
Ghana William Opoku
Ivory Coast Guy Eric Dano
Senegal Kassim Aidara
Nepal Kiran Chemjong (A)
Bhutan Chencho Gyeltshen (A)		 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda
Nigeria Kingsley Obumneme
Lebanon Akram Moghrabi
NepalBimal Gharti Magar (A)
Australia Cameron Watson (A)
Japan Yuta Kinowaki (A)		 Haiti Fabien Vorbe
Liberia Varney Kallon
Nigeria Felix Chidi Odili
Bosnia and Herzegovina Nedo Turković
Australia Aryn Williams (A)
Australia Nick Ward (A)		 Equatorial Guinea Lawrence Doe
Sweden Saihou Jagne
Ivory Coast Abdoulaye Koffi
Nigeria Daniel Odafin
South Korea Oh Joo-ho (A)

Note: (A) - AFC player

Results

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Minerva Punjab (C) 18 11 2 5 24 16 +8 35 Qualification to 2019 AFC Champions League qualifier
2 NEROCA 18 9 5 4 20 13 +7 32
3 Mohun Bagan 18 8 7 3 28 14 +14 31
4 East Bengal 18 8 7 3 32 19 +13 31
5 Aizawl 18 6 6 6 21 18 +3 24
6 Shillong Lajong 18 6 4 8 17 25 −8 22
7 Gokulam Kerala 18 6 3 9 17 23 −6 21
8 Chennai City 18 4 7 7 15 24 −9 19
9 Churchill Brothers[lower-alpha 1] 18 5 2 11 17 28 −11 17
10 Indian Arrows[lower-alpha 2] 18 4 3 11 13 24 −11 15
Source: i-league.org
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
(C) Champion.
Notes:
  1. ↑ Churchill Brothers were relegated, but reinstated after the appeal.[14]
  2. ↑ Indian Arrows were exempted from relegation, as they are an AIFF developmental team.

Results table

Home \ Away AIZ CHE CB KEB IA GK MP MB NFC SHI
Aizawl — 2–0 1–0 0–0 3–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 1–2 0–1
Chennai City 1–1 — 3–1 1–2 0–0 0–1 2–1 0–0 0–0 0–0
Churchill Brothers 1–0 0–2 — 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–1 1–2 0–1 2–0
East Bengal 2–2 7–1 3–2 — 1–0 1–0 2–2 0–2 1–1 5–1
Indian Arrows 2–2 3–0 2–1 0–2 — 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–0
Gokulam Kerala 0–2 1–1 2–3 2–1 0–1 — 0–1 1–1 0–3 3–2
Minerva Punjab 2–0 2–1 1–0 0–1 1–0 0–1 — 1–1 2–1 3–2
Mohun Bagan 2–0 1–2 5–0 1–0 1–1 1–2 1–2 — 0–0 1–1
NEROCA 0–0 2–1 1–0 1–1 2–1 1–0 0–1 2–3 — 0–2
Shillong Lajong 2–1 0–0 2–0 2–2 1–0 1–0 0–1 0–3 0–1 —
Source: I-League
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Scoring

As of 8 March 2018[15]

Clean sheets

As of 8 March 2018[16]
Rank Player Club Clean
sheets
1 India Shilton Paul Mohun Bagan 8
2 India Avilash Paul Aizawl 6
3 India Phurba Lachenpa Shillong Lajong 5
Slovenia Uroš Poljanec Chennai City
India Bishorjit Singh NEROCA
6 India Lalit Thapa NEROCA 4
India Rakshit Dagar Minerva Punjab
8 India Luis Barreto East Bengal 3
India James Kithan Churchill Brothers
Nepal Kiran Chemjong Minerva Punjab
11 India Dheeraj Singh Indian Arrows 2
India Prabhsukhan Singh Gill Indian Arrows
India Nidhin Lal Shillong Lajong
India Ubaid C K East Bengal
India Bilal Husain Khan Gokulam Kerala

Attendance

Average home attendances

As of 8 March 2018
Team GP Cumulative High Low Mean
NEROCA9192,43835,28511,02021,382
East Bengal9156,29552,9518,69217,366
Mohun Bagan9142,42164,3604,36015,825
Gokulam Kerala973,17725,8416218,131
Chennai City973,73914,7513,0828,194
Minerva Punjab951,6278,2433,8455,736
Shillong Lajong949,0867,8803,0005,454
Aizawl938,2977,2802,8004,256
Indian Arrows929,3005,5632183,256
Churchill Brothers926,2853,4372,4002,921
Total90832,66564,36021810,280

Highest attendances

Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Date Stadium
1Mohun Bagan1–0East Bengal64,3603 December 2017Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan
2East Bengal0–2Mohun Bagan52,95121 January 2018Salt Lake Stadium
3NEROCA2–1Indian Arrows35,2855 January 2018Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
4NEROCA1–1East Bengal28,24330 December 2017Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
5NEROCA2–1Chennai City27,63315 December 2017Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
6East Bengal1–1NEROCA26,9008 March 2018Salt Lake Stadium
7Gokulam Kerala1–1Chennai City25,8414 December 2017EMS Stadium
8NEROCA0–0Aizawl20,34510 February 2018Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
9Mohun Bagan1–2Chennai City18,3162 January 2018Mohun Bagan Ground
10NEROCA1–0Gokulam Kerala17,3004 February 2018Khuman Lampak Main Stadium

Awards

Hero of the Match

Match Hero of the Match Match Hero of the Match Match Hero of the Match
Player Club Player Club Player Club
Match 1 Haiti Sony Norde Mohun Bagan Match 31 Syria Mahmoud Amnah East Bengal Match 61 Lebanon Akram Moghrabi Mohun Bagan
Match 2 India Alen Deory Shillong Lajong Match 32 East Timor Murilo de Almeida Chennai City Match 62 Liberia Varney Kallon NEROCA
Match 3 Japan Katsumi Yusa East Bengal Match 33 India Subhash Singh NEROCA Match 63 India Prabhsukhan Singh Gill Indian Arrows
Match 4 India Aniket Jadhav Indian Arrows Match 34 Slovenia Uroš Poljanec Chennai City Match 64 Nigeria Monday Osagie Churchill Brothers
Match 5 Bhutan Chencho Gyeltshen Minerva Punjab Match 35 India Bali Gagandeep Minerva Punjab Match 65 India Bali Gagandeep Minerva Punjab
Match 6 India Hardy Nongbri Shillong Lajong Match 36 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan Match 66 France Jean-Michel Joachim Chennai City
Match 7 Nigeria Kingsley Obumneme Mohun Bagan Match 37 Ivory Coast Abdoulaye Koffi Shillong Lajong Match 67 India Lalram Hmunmawia Aizawl
Match 8 India Nikhil Bernard Gokulam Kerala Match 38 Ivory Coast Mechac Koffi Churchill Brothers Match 68 India Anwar Ali Indian Arrows
Match 9 Ghana William Opoku Minerva Punjab Match 39 India Michael Soosairaj Chennai City Match 69 Kyrgyzstan Venyamin Shumeyko Chennai City
Match 10 Nigeria Felix Chidi Odili NEROCA Match 40 Bhutan Chencho Gyeltshen Minerva Punjab Match 70 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan
Match 11 India Laldanmawia Ralte East Bengal Match 41 India Abhijit Sarkar Indian Arrows Match 71 Syria Mahmoud Amnah East Bengal
Match 12 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan Match 42 India David Lalrinmuana Aizawl Match 72 Liberia Varney Kallon NEROCA
Match 13 Senegal Kassim Aidara Minerva Punjab Match 43 India Rakshit Dagar Minerva Punjab Match 73 India Edmund Lalrindika Indian Arrows
Match 14 Afghanistan Masih Saighani Aizawl Match 44 Nigeria Ogba Kalu Nnanna Churchill Brothers Match 74 India Bilal Husain Khan Gokulam Kerala
Match 15 India Sheikh Faiaz Mohun Bagan Match 45 India Avilash Paul Aizawl Match 75 India Michael Soosairaj Chennai City
Match 16 India Lalit Thapa NEROCA Match 46 Liberia Varney Kallon NEROCA Match 76 India Subhash Singh NEROCA
Match 17 India James Kithan Churchill Brothers Match 47 Nigeria Monday Osagie Churchill Brothers Match 77 Sweden Saihou Jagne Shillong Lajong
Match 18 India Redeem Tlang Shillong Lajong Match 48 Nigeria Felix Chidi Odili NEROCA Match 78 Uganda Henry Kisekka Gokulam Kerala
Match 19 India Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem Indian Arrows Match 49 India Santu Singh Gokulam Kerala Match 79 India Lalkhawpuimawia Aizawl
Match 20 India Rana Gharami Mohun Bagan Match 50 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan Match 80 Nigeria Dudu Omagbemi East Bengal
Match 21 France Jean-Michel Joachim Chennai City Match 51 India Prabhsukhan Singh Gill Indian Arrows Match 81 India Arjun Jayaraj Gokulam Kerala
Match 22 Ghana Daniel Addo Gokulam Kerala Match 52 Ivory Coast Abdoulaye Koffi Shillong Lajong Match 82 Ivory Coast Guy Eric Dano Minerva Punjab
Match 23 Slovenia Uroš Poljanec Chennai City Match 53 Ivory Coast Leonce Dodoz Zikahi Aizawl Match 83 Cameroon Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan
Match 24 India Phurba Lachenpa Shillong Lajong Match 54 Bhutan Chencho Gyeltshen Minerva Punjab Match 84 Ivory Coast Leonce Dodoz Zikahi Aizawl
Match 25 India Jitendra Singh Indian Arrows Match 55 India Prabhsukhan Singh Gill Indian Arrows Match 85 India Michael Soosairaj Chennai City
Match 26 Ivory Coast Leonce Dodoz Zikahi Aizawl Match 56 Bahrain Mahmood Al-Ajmi Gokulam Kerala Match 86 India Nikhil Kadam Mohun Bagan
Match 27 India Mohammed Rafique East Bengal Match 57 Nepal Kiran Chemjong Minerva Punjab Match 87 India Nidhin Lal Shillong Lajong
Match 28 India Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem Indian Arrows Match 58 Nigeria Felix Chidi Odili NEROCA Match 88 India Nikhil Bernard Gokulam Kerala
Match 29 Equatorial Guinea Eduardo Ferreira East Bengal Match 59 India Wayne Vaz Churchill Brothers Match 89 India Ricardo Cardozo Churchill Brothers
Match 30 Romania Andrei Ionescu Aizawl Match 60 India Michael Soosairaj Chennai City Match 90 India Lalit Thapa NEROCA

Season awards

Hero I-League 2017–18 awards were announced on March 22.[17]

Award Recipient
Best GoalkeeperShilton Paul (Mohun Bagan)
Jarnail Singh Award for Best DefenderVarney Kallon (NEROCA)
Best MidfielderMichael Soosairaj (Chennai City FC)
Best ForwardChencho Gyeltshen (Minerva Punjab)
Highest ScorerAser Pierrick Dipanda (Mohun Bagan)
Best Emerging Player (U-22)Samuel Lalmuanpuia (Shillong Lajong)
Syed Abdul Rahim Award for Best CoachGift Raikhan (NEROCA)
Best OrganizersNEROCA
Fairplay awardNEROCA

See Also

References

  1. ↑ "AIFF Invites New Bids For Hero I-League 2017–18". 21 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "AIFF WELCOMES SREE GOKULAM GROUP IN HERO I-LEAGUE". 20 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "Aizawl F.C. Stadium". I-League.
  4. ↑ "Chennai City Stadium". I-League.
  5. ↑ "Shillong Lajong Stadium". I-League.
  6. ↑ "Minerva Punjab Stadium". I-League.
  7. ↑ "Mohun Bagan Stadium". I-League.
  8. ↑ FC, Chennai City (2017-10-30). "Official First Team Home Kit #CCFC designed by @counter_sports for the upcoming @ILeagueOfficial Season! #PrideOfTamilNadu". @ChennaiCityFC. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  9. ↑ FC, MINERVA PUNJAB (2017-11-28). "We thank all our Sponsors and Partners who backed us for the ongoing @ILeagueOfficial season #chakdephatte #IndianFootball". @Minerva_AFC. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  10. ↑ FC, MINERVA PUNJAB (2017-11-24). "Join us in welcoming @apollotyres as our official title sponsors for the upcoming @ILeagueOfficial season #chakdephatte". @Minerva_AFC. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  11. ↑ FC, NEROCA (2017-08-08). "VECTOR X THE OFFICIAL KITS AND UNIFORM SPONSOR FOR NEROCA FC !!! Various official MERCHANDISE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL OUR FANS SOON!!". @Nerocafc. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  12. ↑ https://twitter.com/lajongfc/status/930676489858805760
  13. ↑ Mergulhao, Marcus (2 August 2017). "I-LEAGUE Foreign players: Mohun Bagan, EB get their way". Times of India. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  14. ↑ "AIFF reinstates Churchill Brothers in I-League". 20 September 2018.
  15. ↑ "Top scorers". i-league.org. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "Clean Sheets". I–league. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  17. ↑ "I-League 2017-18: Minerva Punjab presented with winners' trophy; NEROCA's Gift Raikhan named season's best coach". 22 March 2018.
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