Goal.com

In part two of our series, Goal.com looks back at India's performance in all the past editions of the competition...

1989	Margao, Goa

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
20  Jan 89 India 0-2 Poland U-21 24  Jan 89 India 0-2 USSR U-21 27  Jan 89 India 1-2 North Korea 29  Jan 89 India 1-2 Iraq Youth 31  Jan 89 India 0-1 Hungary	Teams- India, Soviet Union U-21, Hungary, Poland U-21, Iraq Youth, North Korea Winners - Soviet Union Final: Hungary 2-0 Soviet Union U-21          (Zoltán Csucsánszky, Róbert Jován) Top Scorers: Róbert Jován, Hungary    (6 goals)

Scorers For India

Bikash Panji - 1 goal Satyajit Chatterjee  - 1 goal

It was finally in the 1989 edition that the Soviet juggernaut was brought to a crashing halt, as Hungary emerged winners.The Hungarian team represented by the club Videoton SC. The Soviets did send their U-21 side for that matter after winning the Nehru Cup four times consecutively. India finished bottom of the group, losing all 5 of their matches.

1991	Thiruvananthapuram, India

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
13  Jan 91 India 0-2 Romania B 17 Jan 91 India 1-2 Hungary 22 Jan 91 India 0-1 China 24  Jan 91 India 1-3 Soviet Union 24  Jan 91 India 1-0 Zambia	Teams- India, Soviet Union, Hungary, China, Zambia, Romania B Winners - Soviet Union Final: Romania B 3-1 Hungary          (G.Raduta, I.Stan, I.Vladoiu; Váczi ) Top Scorers: NA

Scorers For India

Bikash Panji - 2 goals CV Pappachan - 1 goal

As the Nehru Cup went biannual, the 1991 Nehru Cup was a let down as most nations had sent under strength teams. Even then India lost 4 of their 5 matches while a Bikash Panji goal allowed them a win over Zambia. Meanwhile Hungary could not defend the Nehru Cup as the B team of Romania were victorious.

1993	Chennai, Tamil Nadu

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
20  Jan 93 India 0-0 Finaland 24  Jan 93 India 1-1 Cameroon 26  Jan 93 India 0-2 Finland 30  Jan 93 India 2-2 Cameroon	Teams- Group A: DPR Korea, Romania B, Russia, Bolivia Group B: Cameroon, Finaland, India * Group B had 3 teams with each team playing each other twice Winners - North Korea Final: DPR Korea 2-0 Romania B          (Choi Yong Son, Kim Gwang Min) Top Scorers: Choi Yong Son, DPR Korea    (11 goals)

Scorers For India

VP Sathyam - 1 goal Aqeel Ansari  - 1 goal I.M Vijayan - 1 goal

India had every chance of progressing from Group B but they were held by Poland in the last game of the group. They drew 3 matches and lost 1 of their four. Defending champions Romania B reached the final but some outstanding goalscoring by North Korean hitman Choi Yong Son, saw them lift the trophy with Choi finishing the tournament with an incredible 11 goals.

1995	Kolkata, West Bengal

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
10 Jan 95 India 0-5 Thailand 12  Jan 95 India 1-1 Iraq 22  Jan 95 India 1-0 Uzbekistan 24  Jan 95 India 1-3 Russia	Teams- India, Russia, Iraq, Thailand, Uzbekistan Winners - Iraq Final: Iraq 1-0 Russia        Top Scorers: NA

Scorers For India

Tausif Jamal - 1 goal Bhaichung Bhutia  - 1 goal

India slumped to a massive five goal humbling against Thailand in their very first match but recovered well to draw against eventual champions Iraq and beat Uzbekistan. However a loss against Russia ended their chances of making the final in the round robin format. Iraq narrowly edged past Russia in the final to lift their first Nehru Cup.

1997	Kochi, Kerala

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
01  Apr 97 India 0-0 China 04  Apr 97 India 2-2 Uzbekistan 06  Apr 97 India 0-1 Iraq 08  Apr 97 India 2-2 Ghana	Teams - India, Iraq, Ghana, China, Uzbekistan Winners - Iraq Final: Iraq 3-1 Uzbekistan          (Naji, Kuralev OG, Shihab - Mataliev) Top Scorers: R. Mataliev, Uzbekistan    (3 goals)   Sadiq Abdul Ridha, Iraq

Scorers For India

Carlton Chapman - 2 goals I.M Vijayan - 2 goals Bhaichung Bhutia - 2 goals

India's best performance in a Nehru Cup so far was when they managed to reach the semi-finals only to be ousted in a penalty shootout against Iraq with the scoreline reading 2-4. Iraq went on to defend their crown successfully, defeating Uzbekistan in the final with ease.

2007	New Delhi, India

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
17 Aug 07 India 6-0 Cambodia 20 Aug 07 India 1-0 Bangladesh 23 Aug 07 India 2-3 Syria 26 Aug 07 India 3-0 Kyrgyzystan	Teams- India,Cambodia, Bangladesh, Syria, Kyrgyzystan Winners - India Final: India 1-0 Syria          (N.P Pradeep) Top Scorers: Zyad Chabbo, Syria  ( 5 goals )

Scorers For India

Sunil Chhetri - 4 goals Bhaichung Bhutia - 3 goals NP Pradeep - 2 goals Steven Dias - 2 goals KN Ajayan - 1 goal Abhishek Yadav - 1 goal

After Bob Houghton persuaded the AIFF to bring back the Nehru Cup, after a long gap of 10 years, the 2007 edition heralded the restart of this prestigious tournament. In consultation with Houghton, the AIFF invited teams who are considerably weaker ranked than India. It paid off, as India captured their first Nehru Cup by defeating Syria in the final. Incidentally Syria had defeated them in the round robin stages. The tournament also marked the emergence of new boy on the block, Sunil Chhetri who scored 4 goals in the competition.

2009	New Delhi, India

INDIA'S DISPLAY	ABOUT THE EDITION
19  Aug 09 India 0-1 Lebanon 23 Aug 09 India 2-1 Kyrgyzystan 26 Aug 09 India 3-1 Sri Lanka 29  Aug 09 India 0-1 Syria	Teams- India, Syria, Lebanon, Kyrgyzystan, Sri Lanka Winners - India Final: India 1-1 Syria AET 4-2 on penalties          (Renedy Singh; Ali Diab) Top Scorers: Mohamed Izzadeen, Sri Lanka  (3 goals)     Abdul Al Agha, Syria                    Mohamed Al Zeno, Syria

Scorers For India

Bhaichung Bhutia - 2 goals Sunil Chhetri - 1 goal Steven Dias - 1 goal Gouramangi Moirangthem - 1goal Renedy Singh - 1 goal

History repeated itself as India were defeated by Syria in the round robin stages but finally triumphed over them in the finals, albeit on penalties. India started slowly, going down against Lebanon but cruised against Kyrgystan and Sri Lanka to secure the final spot. Bhaichung Bhutia was named the best player of the tournament. It was a brilliant Renedy Singh freekick in the final, in extra time that gave India the lead but it went to penalties after Syria equalised in the dying minutes.

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