2017–18 Indian Arrows season
The 2017–18 season is Indian Arrows' 4th competitive season in the top-flight of Indian football, I-league. Indian Arrows was formed in 2010 on the behest on then Indian team coach, Bob Houghton, with the main goal of nurturing young talent in India in the hope of qualifying for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[3] It was disbanded by AIFF in 2013 when their club sponsor, Pailan Group, could not financially support the group.[4]
| 2017–18 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Luís Norton de Matos | ||
| Stadium | Ambedkar Stadium | ||
| I-League | 10th | ||
| Super Cup | Qualifying Round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Abhijit Sarkar (4 goals) All: Abhijit Sarkar (4 goals) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 5,563 vs NEROCA (16 January 2018)[1] | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 218 vs Chennai City (29 November 2017)[2] | ||
| Average home league attendance | 3,256 | ||
|
| |||
It was revived again for 2017–18 season and fielded the team in 2017-18 I-League after the successful hosting of 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup to give more game time to U-17 world cup players and best talent from U-19 players who recently played in 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification.[5][6] They will play in Goa and Delhi as their home grounds.
Indian Arrows ended their I-League campaign on 27 February 2018 finishing last in the league but will not be relegated since it was formed as development side by AIFF. They got selected for qualifying match of 2018 Indian Super Cup but were eliminated losing to Mumbai City.[7]
Season overview
November
On 14 November, AIFF has named its development side for 2017-18 I-League after disbanding it in 2013. A bit of focus will be on the side that will comprise the best talent from the team that competed in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the Under-19 team. The idea is to keep the boys together to make the cut for 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup for which India has submitted a bid application.[8]
On 28 November, AIFF announced squad for this season, consisting mostly of U-17 World-Cup players and some U-19 national players. There are no foreign players in this squad. It is also announced that first 2 home matches will be played in Goa with rest of the home matches to be played in New Delhi.[9][10]
On 29 November, Indian Arrows started off the I-League campaign on a winning note with 3–0 win against Chennai City at home. Aniket scored a brace followed by a 90th-minute goal from Boris to ensure three points for youngsters. For the first goal, Boris, from his half, relayed ball to Rahul on the right and latter sent in a cross inside a box for Aniket to unleash a powerful shot that found roof of the net. Arrows came up with a counter-attack for second goal which saw Lalrindika latching on long-ball before squaring it for Aniket who shot home to make scoreline 2–0. Boris took advantage of Chennai City's sloppy defence and hammered third goal in 90th minute.[11][12]
December
On 5 December goal in each half from William helped Minerva Punjab beat Indian Arrows by 2–0. Khosla laid it for William after a long throw-in by Sukhdev and the powerful long-ranger by the Ghanaian ruptured through the Arrows defence, going past a hapless Dheeraj into the goal in the seventh minute. William brushed aside Jitendra and slotted the ball at the back of the net, this time from Chencho's cross in the 84th minute to seal the win for Minerva Punjab.[13]
On 18 December, Minerva Punjab completely outplayed Indian Arrows but Arrows somehow managed to keep scoreline 0–0 at half-time with brilliant saves from their custodian Dheeraj. The match was headed into certain draw until Chencho scored solitary goal for Minerva and took the match away in 80th minute with a brilliant solo effort.[14]
On 22 December, a goal at the beginning of the each half by Gokulam Kerala helped them register victory over Indian Arrows who produced a spirited performance but failed to post any goals. Gokulam's Addo headed Mirza's corner into Arrow's net for first goal. In 58th minute, Stalin curled a vicious right-footer off a free-kick which beat Gokulam keeper Bilal but struck upright. Al Saleh curled a looping left-footer off free-kick to beat Dheeraj in goal and double Gokulam's lead in 64th minute.[15]
On 26 December, Indian Arrows drub Shillong Lajong 3–0 in an impressive show of passing football. Arrows's quick free-kick took Lajong by surprise and Jitendra beat the opposition to put the ball at the bottom right corner of the goal making him the youngest goal-scorer in I-League.[16] At the hour mark, Lalrohlua's game ended early after he went hard at Arrows forward Rahim Ali, earning his second yellow card to bring Lajong down to 10 men. In 86th minute, Naorem put the game out of Lajong's reach as he dribbled past six defenders and slotted the ball home. Rahul then struck in the first minute of the injury-stoppage time to make it 3–0.[17][18]
On 29 December, Indian Arrows despite playing with 10-men managed to hold off Mohun Bagan to 1–1 draw at Kolkata. Mohun Bagan took the penalty route to take lead in the 27th minute through Dipanda after Arrows' got penalised for Ashish's contact with Mariners' Nikhil. But Arrows restored parity within 6 minutes when Rahim raced past Kingshuk and Kingsley from the left before Rahul slotting it home. In 65th minute, Amarjit was sent off for the second booking in the match but Arrows put up a solid show with fine saves from Dheeraj to hold on to a draw.[19]
On 31 December, Indian Arrows' custodian Dheeraj's contract expired as he chose to pursue opportunities in Europe.[20]
January
On 2 January, Indian Arrows failed to score points against table leaders, East Bengal as they went down 0–2 in a home encounter. The two early goals by Amnah and Yusa for visiting side put pressure on Arrows. Arrows came back strongly in an evenly-contested second half but a goal eluded them as they failed to give finishing touches in crucial moments.[21]
On 5 January, A first-half brace by Subhash helped NEROCA outplay a young Indian Arrows side for the majority of the game. Israilov released a well-weighted through-ball into the path of Subhash who chipped Prabshukhan with aplomb. In 45th minute, Chidi split the Arrows defence and Subhash slotted the ball into the net to end the half with a two-goal lead for NEROCA. Birthday boy Abhijit scored a late consolation goal for the Arrows tapping in cross from Rahul.[22]
On 6 January, it has been reported that Arrows players have signed contracts till end of 2019–20 season, except for Jeakson Singh, Anwar Ali and Nongdamba Naorem, who are on loan from Minerva Punjab.[23] They also got Princeton Rebello on loan from Goan FC.[24] AIFF also announced its decision to replace their heroic goalie Dheeraj with U-19 goalkeeper, Lara Singh.[25] FC Goa announced signing of Mohammad Nawaz on January 9.[26]
On 8 January, Indian Arrows lost 0–1 in a hard-fought encounter with Shillong Lajong. Arrows started the match on backfoot as Lajong took more aggressive approach. Lajong attacked Arrows' defence but young goalie Prabshukhan made some impressive saves including Lalmuanpuia's spot-kick after Deepak's handball inside the box. Lajong's winning goal finally came in the 80th minute when forward Koffi raced into the box, past the outstretched Jitendra and delivered a wonderful shot into the roof of the net.[27]
On 12 January, Abhijit was on target as Indian Arrows beat Gokulam Kerala 1–0. Arrows' were steaming in their pursuit of some much-needed points as their defenders, especially Boris did a tremendous job to tame Odafa and make a positive impact in the match. At half-time, Rahim came very close to scoring the opening goal but Bilal jumped at the right time to get hold of the cross flown by Rahul. The deadlock was finally broken by the Abhijit in the 77th minute as Rahul from the left flank tried his luck only for Bilal to palm it away to Abhijit who put the Arrows in lead.[28]
On 16 January, Indian Arrows lost to NEROCA 0–2 in a home encounter conceding one goal in each half. NEROCA had scoring chances but couldn't penetrate Arrows' defence until Anwar Ali committed a mistake to score an own goal in the 18th minute. Arrows later attacked from the flanks but found the going tough against the rival defenders. With the Arrows doing most of the attack, NEROCA played it safe before Chidi scored after getting past Arrows' defender and the keeper to slot the ball into the net.[29]
On 22 January, Indian Arrows lost 0–2 to Churchill Brothers. Churchill Brothers dominated the proceedings throughout but were frustrated by Arrows' defenders until 88th minute. Arrows' made some quick counter moves, especially from Rahul but could not get past defender, Monday and custodian Kithan. Desperate attempts by opposition in dying minutes finally managed to score twice in 88th minute and later in injury-time by defender Ceesey after deflection from Anwar Ali and substitute Gurung through free-kick from Koffi.[30]
On 27 January, Goalkeeper Prabshukhan put up a commendable performance as Indian Arrows held Chennai City to a goalless draw in an away I-League encounter. Chennai City started to make their attacking intentions clear in the first half as they scooped up a number of chances but injuries played the spoilsport as Chennai City's Pradeep and Arrows' forward Rahim Ali have to leave the field. Arrows continued to show composure and maintain their defensive shape until the final whistle which earned them a point.[31]
February
On 5 February, Omagbemi's late strike with a looped header helped East Bengal to secure a narrow win over Indian Arrows. It was heartbreak for Indian youngsters as they put up a stellar defence, only to fall short in the dying minutes. Earlier, Arrows forward Abhijit had a golden opportunity when he found himself in a one-on-one position with Ubaid but he hit the ball straight at the East Bengal custodian. Later, Stalin set it up with a brilliant cross but Rahul headed it out with Ubaid coming out of his line.[32]
On 10 February, Substitute Abhijit scored two injury-time goals in as many minutes as Indian Arrows rallied to pull off a stunning 2–1 victory over Churchill Brothers. Arrows started the match positively as Naorem threatened in the 8th minute when he picked up Deepak's pass whose curler forced a very good save from Kithan to keep the ball out. But, it was Churchill who broke the deadlock with Nicholas surging forward with the ball to deliver an accurate cross into the box, which was easily nodded in by an unmarked Ceesay. As the match entered the injury time, Abhijit equalised with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner off a Boris assist. He then scored the all-important goal two minutes later.[33]
On 16 February, Aizawl FC drew 2–2 against a resilient Indian Arrows in an away match. Ionescu produced brilliant delivery for Saighani who slotted it past a helpless Prabhsukhan in 40th minute. Indian Arrows was quick to find the equalizer on the 48th minute as Ashish found Lalrindika with an exquisite delivery, who foxed his marker to trigger a shot at the bottom right corner which beat a diving Avilash. Aizawl continued to pile pressure and in 54th minute, Dodoz pierced the net after latching on to a pass from inside the box by Zohmingmawia. The blue colts finally equalized in the dying minutes when skipper Amarjit converted penalty after Lalrosanga brought down Rahul inside the box.[34]
On 23 February, Indian Arrows lost 3–0 to Aizawl F.C. in an away encounter. In the 7th minute, Lalkhawpuimawia skipped past Stalin and shot towards goal but Arrows' custodian Prabhsukhan failed to grab as it found its way to Ionescu who easily found the back of the net. In the 16th minute, Lalkhawpuimawia slipped from the guard of the Arrows defenders and shot only to hit woodwork but didn't miss on the rebound. Lalkhawpuimawia scored his second in the 87th minute after Dodoz provided him with a perfect pass from the back.[35]
On 27 February, Indian Arrows completed their I-League campaign on a losing note after losing 0–2 to Mohun Bagan and finishing last in the league but not relegated being the development team. Jitendra failed to read Watson's long ball into the box as Dicka find back of the net with a half-volley to give Mohun Bagan the lead. In few minutes before half-time, Moghrabi connected to a cross from the left by Gurjinder to double their lead. Anwar Ali and Rahul got their chances in second-half but failed to connect.[36]
On the virtue of finishing outside top-6 in I-League, they have to play qualifier for Indian Super Cup against Mumbai City.[37][38]
March
On 16 March, Indian Arrows failed to qualify for 2018 Indian Super Cup after losing 2–1 to Mumbai City in qualifiers. It was even in the first half though Arrows upped their game until in 76th minute when Rahul broke the deadlock by scoring a brilliant goal as he latched on to a perfect through-ball by Aniket. Later, Mumbai equalized eventually through Emaná's penalty kick awarded to them when Ashish brought down Santos inside the box which pulled the game into extra time. Santos scored winner past Prabhsukhan at the flag-end of the first half of the extra time chesting down long ball that knocked Indian Arrows out of the tournament.[7]
Coaching staff
| Position | Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach |  Luís Norton de Matos | |||||||||
| Team manager |  Velu Dhayalamani | |||||||||
| Assistant coach | Floyd Pinto | |||||||||
| Goalkeeping coach | Mohammed Ansari | |||||||||
| Source: | ||||||||||
Squad information
Indian Arrows project was reinstated after 3 years. On 28 November 2017, AIFF announced squad for this season, consisting mostly of U-17 World-Cup players and some U-19 national players. This is considered as development squad for young and upcoming talent in India.[9][10]
First-team squad
| No. | Name | Nationality | Date of Birth (Age) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| 20 | Prabhsukhan Singh Gill | |
2 January 2001 | |
| 30 | Lara Singh | |
- | |
| Defenders | ||||
| 2 | Boris Singh Thangjam | |
3 January 2000 | |
| 3 | Jitendra Singh | |
13 June 2001 | |
| 4 | Anwar Ali | |
28 August 2000 | |
| 5 | Sanjeev Stalin | |
17 January 2001 | |
| 18 | Ashish Rai | |
2 February 1999 | |
| 21 | Roshan Singh | |
3 March 1999 | |
| 22 | Deepak Tangri | |
1 January 1999 | |
| 25 | Sumit Rathi | |
17 October 1999 | |
| 26 | Narender Gahlot | |
- | |
| Midfielders | ||||
| 6 | Suresh Singh Wangjam | |
7 August 2000 | |
| 7 | Ninthoinganba Meetei | |
13 July 2001 | |
| 8 | Amarjit Singh Kiyam (captain) | |
6 January 2001 | |
| 9 | Abhijit Sarkar | |
5 January 2000 | |
| 12 | Princeton Rebello | |
5 March 1999 | |
| 13 | Lalengmawia | |
17 October 2000 | |
| 15 | Jeakson Singh Thounaojam | |
21 June 2001 | |
| 16 | Nongdamba Naorem | |
2 January 2000 | |
| 17 | Rahul Praveen | |
16 March 2000 | |
| 19 | Abhishek Halder | |
12 April 1999 | |
| 23 | Namgyal Bhutia | |
- | |
| 24 | Ashish Pradhan | |
- | |
| Forwards | ||||
| 10 | Edmund Lalrindika | |
24 April 1999 | |
| 11 | Aniket Jadhav | |
13 July 2000 | |
| 14 | Rahim Ali | |
21 April 2000 | |
Last updated: 05 March 2018
Source: Indian Arrows First Team
Transfers
In
| No. | Position | Player | Previous club | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | GK | Lara Sharma |
 |
January 2018 | [25] |
Loan-in
| No. | Position | Player | Club | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | DF | Anwar Ali |
Minerva Punjab |
November 2017 | [23] |
| 15 | MF | Jeakson Singh Thounaojam |
Minerva Punjab |
November 2017 | [23] |
| 16 | MF | Nongdamba Naorem |
Minerva Punjab |
November 2017 | [23] |
| 12 | MF | Princeton Rebello |
FC Goa |
January 2018 | [24] |
Out
| No. | Position | Player | New club | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem |
|
1 January 2018 | End of contract[20] |
| 1 | GK | Mohammad Nawaz |
FC Goa |
9 January 2018 | [26] |
Competitions
Overview
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| I-League | 29 November 2017 | 27 February 2018 | Matchday 1 | 10th | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 24 | −11 | 22.22 |
| Super Cup | 16 March 2018 | 16 March 2018 | Qualifier | Qualifier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Total | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 26 | −12 | 21.05 | ||||
Last updated: 16 March 2018.
Source: Competitions
I-League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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
Notes:
- Churchill Brothers were relegated, but reinstated after the appeal.[39]
- Indian Arrows were exempted from relegation, as they are an AIFF developmental team.
Result summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 24 | −11 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 | −8 |
Last updated: 27 February 2018.
Source: i-league.org
Results by match
- Indian Arrows were exempted from relegation as they were an AIFF development team.
Matches
Win Draw Loss
The fixtures for the 2017–18 season were announced on 13 November 2017.[40][41]
| 29 November 2017 1 | Indian Arrows | 3–0 | Chennai City | Bambolim |
| 17:30 IST | Amarjit Singh Kiyam  8' Aniket Jadhav  20', 58' Dheeraj Singh 66' Boris Singh Thangjam 90' |
Report | Stadium: GMC Bambolim Attendance: 218 Referee: Tanmoy Dhar Man of the Match: Aniket Jadhav (Indian Arrows) |
| 5 December 2017 2 | Indian Arrows | 0–2 | Minerva Punjab | Bambolim |
| 20:00 IST | Report | William Opoku 7', 84' Kamalpreet Singh 86' |
Stadium: GMC Bambolim Attendance: 776 Referee: Akash Jackson Routh Man of the Match: William Opoku (Minerva Punjab) |
| 18 December 2017 3 | Minerva Punjab | 1–0 | Indian Arrows | Ludhiana |
| 20:00 IST | Chencho Gyeltshen 80' |
Report | Stadium: Guru Nanak Stadium Attendance: 5,342 Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta Man of the Match: Dheeraj Singh (Indian Arrows) |
| 22 December 2017 4 | Indian Arrows | 0–2 | Gokulam Kerala | New Delhi |
| 14:00 IST | Aniket Jadhav 30' Sanjeev Stalin 64' Abhishek Halder 79' |
Report | Daniel Addo 11' Khaled Al Saleh 65' Provat Lakra 90+1' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Attendance: 3,701 Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta Man of the Match: Daniel Addo (Gokulam Kerala) |
| 26 December 2017 5 | Indian Arrows | 3–0 | Shillong Lajong | New Delhi |
| 17:30 IST | Jitendra Singh 19' Amarjit Singh Kiyam 29' Suresh Singh Wangjam 29' Nongdamba Naorem 86' Rahul Praveen 90+1' |
Report | F. Lalrohlua 57'  61' Daniel Odafin 68' Redeem Tlang 76' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Attendance: 2,428 Referee: Pratik Mondal Man of the Match: Jitendra Singh (Indian Arrows) |
| 29 December 2017 6 | Mohun Bagan | 1–1 | Indian Arrows | Kolkata |
| 14:00 IST | Aser Pierrick Dipanda 27' (pen) Manandeep Singh 71' |
Report | Anwar Ali 6' Rahul Praveen 33' Amarjit Singh Kiyam 50' 65' Jitendra Singh 90' |
Stadium: Mohun Bagan Ground Attendance: 14,718 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar Man of the Match: Dheeraj Singh (Indian Arrows) |
| 2 January 2018 7 | Indian Arrows | 0–2 | East Bengal | New Delhi |
| 14:00 IST | Abhishek Halder 12' |
Report | Mahmoud Amnah 13' Katsumi Yusa 16' |
Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium Attendance: 5,205 Referee: Umesh Bora Man of the Match: Mahmoud Amnah (East Bengal) |
| 5 January 2018 8 | NEROCA | 2–1 | Indian Arrows | Imphal |
| 14:00 IST | Subhash Singh 39', 44' |
Report | Prabhsukhan Gill 17' Nongdamba Naorem 76' Boris Singh Thangjam 81' Abhijit Sarkar 89' |
Stadium: Khuman Lampak Main Stadium Attendance: 35,285 Referee: R Palmson Moses Raj Man of the Match: Subhash Singh (NEROCA) |
| 8 January 2018 9 | Shillong Lajong | 1–0 | Indian Arrows | Shillong |
| 17:30 IST | Abdoulaye Koffi 80' |
Report | Deepak Tangri 35' Rahul Praveen 41' Roshan Singh 75' Jitendra Singh 81' |
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Shillong) Attendance: 4,600 Referee: Akash Jackson Routh Man of the Match: Abdoulaye Koffi (Minerva Punjab) |
| 12 January 2018 10 | Gokulam Kerala | 0–1 | Indian Arrows | Kozhikode |
| 17:30 IST | Report | Amarjit Singh Kiyam 54' Abhijit Sarkar 77' |
Stadium: EMS Stadium Attendance: 8,335 Referee: Tanmoy Dhar Man of the Match: Abhijit Sarkar (Indian Arrows) |
| 16 January 2018 11 | Indian Arrows | 0–2 | NEROCA | Vasco da Gama |
| 20:00 IST | Suresh Singh Wangjam 85' Jitendra Singh 88' |
Report | Anwar Ali 18' (o.g.) Fabien Vorbe 75' Gouramangi Singh 90' Felix Chidi Odili 90+3' |
Stadium: Tilak Maidan Stadium Attendance: 5,563 Referee: C. R. Srikrishna Man of the Match: Varney Kallon (NEROCA FC) |
| 22 January 2018 12 | Churchill Brothers | 2-0 | Indian Arrows | Margao |
| 20:00 IST | Dawda Ceesay 88' Wayne Vaz 90' Israil Gurung 90+2' |
Report | Boris Singh Thangjam 81' |
Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 2,867 Referee: Pratik Mondal Man of the Match: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Indian Arrows) |
| 27 January 2018 13 | Chennai City | 0-0 | Indian Arrows | Coimbatore |
| 17:30 IST | Henry Monsang Tesong 28' 71' Edwin Sydney Vanspaul 74' |
Report | Princeton Rebello 32' Deepak Tangri 74' Aniket Jadhav 76' Rahul Praveen 90' |
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Coimbatore) Attendance: 7,038 Referee: Crystal John Man of the Match: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Indian Arrows) |
| 5 February 2018 14 | East Bengal | 1-0 | Indian Arrows | Barasat Stadium |
| 20:00 IST | Dudu Omagbemi 90+3' |
Report | Attendance: 8,692 Referee: Om Prakash Thakur Man of the Match: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Indian Arrows) |
| 10 February 2018 15 | Indian Arrows | 2-1 | Churchill Brothers | Vasco da Gama |
| 17:30 IST | Abhijit Sarkar 90', 90+3' |
Report | Dawda Ceesay 11' Denchandra Meitei 27' Wayne Vaz 45+1' |
Stadium: Tilak Maidan Stadium Attendance: 5,491 Referee: Om Prakash Thakur Man of the Match: Anwar Ali (Indian Arrows) |
| 16 February 2018 16 | Indian Arrows | 2-2 | Aizawl | Vasco da Gama |
| 17:30 IST | Edmund Lalrindika 48' Amarjit Singh Kiyam 89' (pen.) |
Report | Masih Saighani 40' Leonce Dodoz Zikahi 54' C Lalrosanga 56' 88' |
Stadium: Tilak Maidan Stadium Attendance: 3,175 Referee: C. R. Srikrishna Man of the Match: Edmund Lalrindika (Indian Arrows) |
| 23 February 2018 17 | Aizawl | 3-0 | Indian Arrows | Aizawl |
| 14:00 IST | Andrei Ionescu 7' Lalkhawpuimawia 16', 87' 59' Rochharzela 67' |
Report | Stadium: Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Aizawl) Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Rosario Fernandes Man of the Match: Lalkhawpuimawia (Aizawl F.C.) |
| 27 February 2018 18 | Indian Arrows | 0-2 | Mohun Bagan | Vasco da Gama |
| 17:30 IST | Deepak Tangri 45+2' |
Report | Aser Pierrick Dipanda 26' Akram Moghrabi 41' |
Stadium: Tilak Maidan Stadium Attendance: 2,743 Referee: Velu Dhayalamani Man of the Match: Aser Pierrick Dipanda (Mohun Bagan AC) |
Super Cup
On the virtue of finishing outside top-6 in I-League, Indian Arrows have to play qualification match against Mumbai City at Bhubaneshwar.[38] They were eliminated in the qualifiers on losing 2–1 to Mumbai City.[7]
| 16 March 2018 Q | Mumbai City | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Indian Arrows | Bhubaneshwar |
| 17:00 IST | Achille Emaná 90+1' (pen.) Everton Santos 104' |
Report | Aniket Jadhav 68' Ashish Rai 71' Rahul Praveen 77' Boris Singh Thangjam 89' |
Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Referee: Ajitkumar Lairenlakpam Man of the Match: Rahul Praveen (Indian Arrows)[42] |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | I-League | Super Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||
| 20 | GK | IND |
Prabhsukhan Singh Gill | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Defenders | |||||||||||
| 2 | DF | IND |
Boris Singh Thangjam | 13 | 1 | 10+2 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| 3 | DF | IND |
Jitendra Singh | 17 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 4 | DF | IND |
Anwar Ali | 16 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 5 | DF | IND |
Sanjeev Stalin | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 18 | DF | IND |
Ashish Rai | 10 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 21 | DF | IND |
Roshan Singh | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | DF | IND |
Deepak Tangri | 14 | 0 | 12+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 26 | DF | IND |
Narender Gahlot | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||||||
| 6 | MF | IND |
Suresh Singh Wangjam | 15 | 0 | 11+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | MF | IND |
Ninthoinganba Meetei | 9 | 0 | 3+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | IND |
Amarjit Singh Kiyam (captain) | 16 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 9 | MF | IND |
Abhijit Sarkar | 14 | 4 | 7+7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | MF | IND |
Princeton Rebello | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | MF | IND |
Lalengmawia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 15 | MF | IND |
Jeakson Singh Thounaojam | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| 16 | MF | IND |
Nongdamba Naorem | 12 | 1 | 6+5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 17 | MF | IND |
Rahul Praveen | 17 | 3 | 15+1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 19 | MF | IND |
Abhishek Halder | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | MF | IND |
Namgyal Bhutia | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | MF | IND |
Ashish Pradhan | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Forwards | |||||||||||
| 10 | FW | IND |
Edmund Lalrindika | 14 | 1 | 9+4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 11 | FW | IND |
Aniket Jadhav | 12 | 2 | 8+3 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| 14 | FW | IND |
Rahim Ali | 17 | 0 | 10+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Players who left club in August/January transfer window or on loan | |||||||||||
| 1 | GK | IND |
Dheeraj Singh | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
- Source: us.soccerway.com
Updated: 16 March 2018
Goal scorers
The list is sorted by shirt number when total goals are equal.
| Rnk | Pos | No. | Player | I-League | Super Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MF | 9 | Abhijit Sarkar |
4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | MF | 17 | Rahul Praveen |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | FW | 11 | Aniket Jadhav |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | DF | 2 | Boris Singh Thangjam |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | 3 | Jitendra Singh |
1 | 0 | ||
| MF | 8 | Amarjit Singh Kiyam |
1 | 0 | ||
| FW | 10 | Edmund Lalrindika |
1 | 0 | ||
| MF | 16 | Nongdamba Naorem |
1 | 0 |
Last updated: 16 March 2018.
Source: us.soccerway.com
Clean sheets
The list is sorted by shirt number when total clean sheets are equal.
| Rnk | No. | Player | I-League | Super Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Dheeraj Singh |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Prabhsukhan Singh |
2 | 0 | ||
Last updated: 16 March 2018.
Source: us.soccerway.com
Disciplinary record
Includes all competitive matches. Players listed below made at least one appearance for Indian Arrows during the season.
| N | P | Nat. | Name | I-League | Super Cup | Total | Notes | ||||||
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | |
Dheeraj Singh | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 3 | DF | |
Boris Singh | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | DF | |
Jitendra Singh | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 4 | DF | |
Anwar Ali | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 5 | DF | |
Sanjeev Stalin | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 6 | DF | |
Suresh Singh | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 8 | MF | |
Amarjit Singh | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Missed a game, against East Bengal (red card) (2 January 2018)[43] | |||||
| 11 | FW | |
Aniket Jadhav | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
| 12 | MF | |
Princeton Rebello | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 16 | MF | |
Nongdamba Naorem | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 17 | MF | |
Rahul Praveen | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 18 | DF | |
Ashish Rai | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 19 | MF | |
Abhishek Halder | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 20 | GK | |
Prabhsukhan Singh | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 21 | DF | |
Roshan Singh | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 22 | DF | |
Deepak Tangri | 3 | 3 | ||||||||
Last updated: 16 March 2018
Source: us.soccerway.com
Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
Awards
Hero of the Match
| Round | Hero of the Match | Team | Round | Hero of the Match | Team | Round | Hero of the Match | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aniket Jadhav |
Indian Arrows | 7 |  Mahmoud Amnah |
East Bengal | 13 | Prabhsukhan Singh |
Indian Arrows |
| 2 |  William Opoku |
Minerva Punjab | 8 | Subhash Singh |
NEROCA | 14 | Prabhsukhan Singh |
Indian Arrows |
| 3 | Dheeraj Singh |
Indian Arrows | 9 |  Abdoulaye Koffi |
Shillong Lajong | 15 | Anwar Ali |
Indian Arrows |
| 4 | Daniel Addo |
Gokulam Kerala | 10 | Abhijit Sarkar |
Indian Arrows | 16 | Edmund Lalrindika |
Indian Arrows |
| 5 | Jitendra Singh |
Indian Arrows | 11 |  Varney Kallon |
NEROCA | 17 | Lalkhawpuimawia |
Aizawl |
| 6 | Dheeraj Singh |
Indian Arrows | 12 | Prabhsukhan Singh |
Indian Arrows | 18 |  Aser Pierrick Dipanda |
Mohun Bagan |
Achievements
- Abhijit Sarkar was top Indian goal-scorer for 2017-18 I-League scoring 4 goals in 14 matches.[44]
Reaction
AIFF announced on May 9, 2018 that AIFF technical committee has approved for one-year extension to coach, Luis Norton de Matos and the same needs to be ratified by the Executive Committee.[45]
References
- "Indian Arrows vs NEROCA Match Report" (PDF). i-league.org. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- "Indian Arrows vs Chennai City Match Report" (PDF). i-league.org. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- Sharma, Siddharth. "Vital steps to improve the Indian U23 football team". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Bali, Rahul. "AIFF decide to shut down Pailan Arrows". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- "I-LEAGUE: ARROWS PROJECT TO BE REINSTATED THIS SEASON".
- "Young Arrows Looking To Give Hero I-League Clubs A Tough Fight".
- "Super Cup 2018: Late goal from Everton Santos helps Mumbai City overcome a resolute Indian Arrows". goal.com. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- "AIFF side named Indian Arrows, I-League to begin on Nov 25".
- "I-LEAGUE 2017/18: AIFF REVEALS 25-MEMBER SQUAD FOR INDIAN ARROWS".
- "I-LEAGUE 2017: LUIS NORTON DE MATOS – 'INDIAN ARROWS ARE PREPARED FOR THE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE'".
- "Indian Arrows begin with 3–0 win over Chennai City FC".
- "I-LEAGUE 2017: INDIAN ARROWS 3–0 CHENNAI CITY FC – ANIKET JADHAV'S BRACE HANDS ARROWS DREAM DEBUT".
- "I-LEAGUE 2017: INDIAN ARROWS 0–2 MINERVA PUNJAB – MINERVA MAINTAIN UNBEATEN RUN".
- "I-League: Minerva Punjab FC continue winning run, edge out Indian Arrows".
- "I-League 2017: Gokulam Kerala FC post 2–0 win over Indian Arrows".
- "INDIAN ARROWS' 16-YEAR-OLD JITENDRA SINGH BECOMES I-LEAGUE'S YOUNGEST EVER GOAL SCORER".
- "I-League 2017: Indian Arrows drub Shillong Lajong 3–0 in impressive show of passing football".
- "Indian Arrows stun Shillong Lajong 3–0 to register 2nd I-League win".
- "I-League 2017: Profligate Mohun Bagan held by 10-man Indian Arrows".
- "Dheeraj Singh quits Indian Arrows to pursue opportunities in Europe".
- "East Bengal beat Indian Arrows 2–0 to consolidate top spot in I-League".
- "I-League: Subash Singh strikes twice to help NEROCA FC beat Indian Arrows 2–1".
- "I-League 2017–18: Future of AIFF's developmental side Indian Arrows uncertain despite initial success this season". firstpost.com. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- "Goan FC down Panjim Footballers". heraldgoa.in. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- "I-League 2017/18: Indian Arrows sign Lara Sharma as Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem's replacement". sportskeeda.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- "FC Goa sign Mohammed Nawaz and Lalmuankima".
- "I-League: Shillong Lajong beat Indian Arrows 1–0 in hard-fought encounter".
- "I-League: Abhijit Sarkar on target as Indian Arrows beat Gokulam Kerala FC".
- "NEROCA FC beat Indian Arrows 2–0 in I-League clash".
- "Churchill Brothers beat Indian Arrows 2-0 in I-League".
- "I-League: Prabhsukhan Gill's heroics earn Indian Arrows a point vs Chennai City FC".
- "I-League: Dudu Omagbemi's late strike guides East Bengal to win over Indian Arrows".
- "I-League: Indian Arrows stun Churchill Brothers".
- "I-League 2017-18: Late penalty strike by Amarjit rescues a point for Indian Arrows at home". goal.com. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- "I-League: Defending champions Aizawl FC end winless run against Indian Arrows". hindustantimes.com. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- "I-League 2017-18: Mohun Bagan ease past Indian Arrows to register dominant win". goal.com. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- "Inaugural Super Cup's final round from Mar 31-Apr 22: AIFF". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- "Super Cup 2018: AIFF releases qualification fixture list". goal.com. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- "AIFF reinstates Churchill Brothers in I-League". 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
- "I-League fixtures announced: Aizawl begin title defence at East Bengal". espn.com. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- "I-LEAGUE 2017 FIXTURES RELEASED: MINERVA TO HOST MOHUN BAGAN IN OPENER". goal.com. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- "Hero Super Cup MCFC vs ARW". Indian Football Team (Official facebook page). 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- "I-LEAGUE 2017–2018: INDIAN ARROWS VS EAST BENGAL – TV CHANNEL, STREAM, KICK-OFF TIME & MATCH PREVIEW".
- "I-League 2017–18". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- "AIFF Technical Committee approves extension for Matos". NavHindTimes. Retrieved 31 May 2018.