The Goa Football Association (GFA) has issued a sweeping 288-page chargesheet indicting 14 footballers over alleged match-fixing during the 2025–26 Goa Professional League season, marking a decisive escalation in one of the most serious in tegrity crises to hit Goan football in recent years. The chargesheet, served following a months long probe, names Rohan Krishna Pednekar, Akash Amrut Kudnekar, Akash Sanadi, Bhaskar Jalmi, Krishnanath Shirodkar, Vinayak Rane, Chaitan Dabholkar, Sachidanand Satelkar, Aman Govekar, Minesh Kunkolkar, Satish Kankonkar, Mouzzan Shaikh, Suraj Hadkonkar and Ronaldo Oliveira. The players have been given 10 days to respond. Most of those named are former members of Chapora Yuvak Sangh, which had sacked nine players from its squad in late October 2025 after suspecting match manipulation. The club subse quently escalated the matter by filing a formal com plaint with the GFA and lodging a First Information Report at the Mapusa Police Station.
Acting on the complaint, the GFA appointed retired Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandesh T Chodankar as Integrity Officer to conduct an independent inquiry. His findings were submitted to the association’s Ethics Committee, which has now moved to formally charge the 14 players as the investigation reaches its final stage. The Ethics Committee is expected to meet in early March to deliberate on possible sanctions — decisions that could include lengthy bans and effectively end careers if the charges are upheld. GFA President Caitano Fernandes struck a firm tone, reiterating his administration’s zero-tolerance stance. “When I took over the GFA in 2022, I promised the clubs that I would do everything possible to eradicate this men ace from Goan football and clean up the system. We are on our way towards achieving that goal. The GFA Executive Committee will take the strongest possible action against all those involved,” he said. The controversy has rattled the State’s football frater nity, with stakeholders warning that any perception of leniency could cause lasting damage to the sport’s cred ibility. Pravin Dhabholkar, President of Chapora Yuvak Sangh, said, “Authorities must act firmly against those involved in match-fixing. If strict action is not taken, it will jeopardise the future of Goan football. Many parents invest heavily in football academies to nurture their children’s careers, and any continued malpractice will place the sport’s future in peril.” GFA Vice-President (North) Jonathan de Souza said the Ethics Committee is likely to meet in the first or second week of March to decide on sanctions. “People doubted our intentions. We are serious and we will ensure people are banned,” he said. With the Ethics Committee’s decision imminent, the case is poised to become a defining test of the GFA’s resolve — and of whether Goan football can restore trust after allegations that strike at the heart of the game’s integrity.
