When you think of a girl being a fan of someone or something, you’d expect them to mostly factor in the ‘cuteness factor’. But the female football fans of Goa aren’t just crazy about the eye candy on the field but take the game itself quite seriously.
With the clashing of entrance exams as the same days as the World Cup matches, Anjelica Mathias from Bicholim is still not going to miss watching her favourite team playing. A
footballer in her higher secondary and college days at St Xavier’s College, Mapusa, Anjelica got curious about football when she saw her elder cousins playing the game. “I was keen to know what exactly football is and I liked the speed and swiftness that the game requires. It’s Spain all the way as I have supported them from the start and their line-up is surely getting us the trophy,” says Anjelica who calls David Villa her favourite footballer, as she feels he knows how to perform under pressure. Her two sisters also follow the sport religiously. “We
support different teams but its Portugal vs. Spain in my home. We keep screaming during the entire match and keep our mother up too,” she adds as she plans to put up a Spanish banner outside her home.
Ageema Fernandes from Benaulim has the full game session planned, from setting up a projector to watch the games, to barbequed grilled meats and chouriso breads for all the supporters. Cousin of Brandon Fernandes, a Goan footballer, her family managed the Young Strikers Club of
Benaulim. “I used to play football in the fields all the time and my childhood was spent in attending and cheering Brandon for his matches. The World Cup is one big party and since it is happening in the country that we support, Brazil, we are all over excited. We already got the Brazilian jerseys but my dad is flying to Dubai with our shopping list including Neymar jerseys.” Speaking about the sport, she further adds, “The sport is so energetic and involves so much focus as eleven players need to mentally connect and coordinate to achieve the final goal. It also exhibits true sportsmanship.”
For Annelise Fernandes from Merces, FIFA World Cup is a family affair, with
support to Brazil, Portugal and Germany. A huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, she says,
“Football is an exciting sport and since it is
popular worldwide, we can think of it as a
universal language that everyone
understands. That’s why I love football. I pray incessantly for the teams I support.”
Well, with the grand day upon us, all we can do now is hold our breaths as the games unfold and root for our teams with all
our might.
