PANJIM: 4.00pm: The FC Goa team bus leaves Goa Mariott Hotel, Miramar. There wasn’t much fanfare as the players and management got on to the bus in preparation for departure to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. Two stops would be made enroute to the stadium – one at the ‘Fulancho Khuris’ in Bambolim and another at the Damodar temple outside the Fatorda stadium. With a police escort – one jeep in front and another behind – the bus set off.
4.20pm: The first stop at the ‘Fulancho Khuris’ is made. Jonathan De Souza, manager of the team gets out and puts a garland of flowers on the cross before stopping to offer a prayer. Fans of the Gaurs were waiting in numbers for the team to reach and shout chants of ‘’Forca Goa’ as a few members of the squad acknowledge the fans by waving back. The bus then leaves five minutes later with a trail of fans in various vehicles in tow. There were open top jeeps with people shouting their support for the team while the team anthem blared.
5.10 pm: The bus halts at the Damodar temple just outside the Fatorda Stadium. The trail of supporters religiously follow the bus all the way to the stadium. Another group of fans shout and scream with enthusiasm the minute the bus halted at the temple as supporters pull out their mobile phones to click photographs of their heroes. It was a short halt at the temple before the bus proceeded on to Gate 1 ahead of the Delhi Dynamos bus.
