TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
ALLAN VALENTINO D’CRUZ
PANJIM: The State was left in disbelief after Goa were knocked out in the qualifiers of Santosh Trophy. What was even unacceptable for the local fans was the defeat from the hands of Gujarat, where football isn’t played much.
There had been debates about Goan football standards earlier and Herald had timely written about Goa’s football slow death, and after the Santosh Trophy debacle, football fans and enthusiasts questioned whether Goa reached its nadir?
“This has been a reality check. It’s hard to accept the defeat but the truth is we aren’t the same at football what we used to be before. We just can’t say we are doing enough,” stated Menino D’Souza, a football fan from Vasco.
Savio Fernandes, a former Dempo SC and Vasco SC player highlighted that the state team missed out on best talent for the Santosh Trophy. “I have watched most of the games and I can see we have failed to include top players in the team. The selection wasn’t upto the mark. Cavin Lobo, Francisco Fernandes, Clencio Pinto, Chetan Komarpat are some of the fine talent who should have been given a chance,” stated Savio Fernandes, who also captained India in the Futsal championship held in Spain and is currently coaching budding talent at TSH Goa.
Another football fan Tyson D’Costa stated, “We can’t blame the players. I personally feel some of the fine Goan players were left out. The football administrators and club officials should ensure the best for football. The members have been elected to work towards the development of the sports and not encourage favouritism,”
Tyson pointed out that Vasco is currently leading the Goa Pro league and no players have been included in the Santosh Trophy squad. “Personally I feel, Francisco Fernandes and CAvin should have been considered as they are in the best form. And those who watched the Goan football, will agree,”
A former Santosh Trophy champion who now is a coach questioned on how the appointment of the coach and assistant coach was made by the State association.
“Every state appoints coaches with the best record in recent years and by that virtue Sporting Clube coach Savio Vas deserves to be called for the State team. He won the title in consecutive seasons and has been undefeated in the last 21 games in the league. I don’t know how the coaches are appointed,” questioned the former Goa Santosh Trophy team captain.
The former India international who chose to remain anonymous stated that If the association has to improve then the GFA members should consider the association and football as people’s sports and not their own. “If they wanted someone to be an assistant coach, they should have considered India international players who are now into coaching,” stated the former champion.
Another Goa football fan Lenin Fernandes questioned the omission of upcoming Goan footballers such as Stephen Starkar, Ribhav Sardessai, Chetan Komarpant, Irfan Yadwad.
Stephen Satarkar has scored 15 goals in the last two seasons for Salgaoacar FC in the Pro League seasons while Clencio Pinto too scored numerous goals for Churchill Brothers SC in Pro League in the previous seasons. “I think the entire State will agree that Stephen deserved to be in the squad. He had brilliant last two seasons in GPL. And looking at the squad I can say that the team has been selected based on last years’ performance,” stated Fernandes. “If the team was selected based on this year’s performances then there were certain players in the Goa squad, who did not start a single game in the Goa Pro league,” stated Fernandes.
Derrick Pereira, the former Santosh Trophy winner stated that Goa needs to be open minded now and work together to get back to the glory days. “It is unfortunate that we are out. I don’t want to blame anyone. We need to work together to bring back the glory days,” concluded Derrick Pereira, who lifted the crown outright in Madras in 1984 defeating Punjab 1-0.
