PANJIM: Football fever never sets in Goa. After being treated to the crème de crème of football in the month-long Brazil FIFA World Cup, Goan fans now turn their attention to their favourite local teams to pledge support and the euphoria continue thereafter.
The football season will kick-off with the Charity Cup match between Goa Pro League champions Sporting Clube de Goa and Dempo Sports Club at the FIFA sponsored artificial turf, Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on August 17.
Goa’s top level football competition — the Goa Professional League — will commence the very next day – August 18. All matches of the Goa Professional League will be played at Duler Stadium.
At the moment, Goa Football Association (GFA) is seized with preparations for its elections for the term 2014-18 with the election slated for July 27.
While a number of office-bearers have tendered their resignations, notably long serving Alvaro Pinho and surprisingly, General Secretary Adlear D’Cruz, it will have to been seen how the new team will be able to plan the schedule and all other logistics like parking, security etc. within a short span of time.
Though the administrative capabilities of GFA President-elect Elvis Gomes is beyond doubt, it is left to be seen how efficient his support and administrative team will be to plan and execute the itinerary without hic-cups.
Not only the GPL is scheduled from August 18 but also the GFA U-20 League will be held parallel at the same venue with the games played in alternative week.
A reliable source within the GFA pointed out that the beneficiary of the Charity Match has yet not been decided while the schedule for the Goa Professional League has yet to be drawn out.
Goa’s heavyweight clubs have already pulled up their socks and are in training mode. Dempo Sports Club have begun training under the watchful eyes of Australian coach Arthur Papas, at Duler ground, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Another Panjim out-fit, Sporting Clube de Goa will kick-off their preparedness for the season after invoking the blessings of the Higher Power, on Monday. A mass will be celebrated on Monday, at Don Bosco shrine. The team will kick-off their training at Duler the next day in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Salgaocar Football Club will also kick off their training on Monday. However, suspense continues around the fate of a great football team Churchill Brothers Sports Club, the only top rung team in the country ran by a family.
Churchill Brothers though surviving the relegation of the I-League were axed as they did not fulfill the AFC Club Licensing criteria. While most of the players are believed to have abandoned the Churchill bandwagon for greener pastures, the club has surprisingly roped in a new coach for the season.
Joseph Afusi, a Nigerian national coach will have tough task to build a team that will compliment the reputation Churchill Bros have held these years.
It may be recalled that Churchill Bros had sought for a re-schedule of its title deciding GPL match last season, as they had important I-League engagements in Bangalore and did not turn up at Duler stadium for the decisive Goa Pro League match against Sporting Clube de Goa, who were crowned champions after gaining walkover.
It is being alleged that Churchill Bros are now knocking on the doors of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), FIFA, through the good offices of England Labour Member of Parliament of Leicester City Keith Vaz for an appeal against the All India Football Federation’s decision.
Newly promoted Vasco Sports Club have yet to get their act right. The other clubs contesting for the GPL will be Goa Velha Sports Club, Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, Tuff Laxmi Prasad Sports Club and Sesa Football Academy.
Important drawbacks learnt last year for an otherwise very successful and spectator friendly GPL were parking arrangements, which caused huge traffic congestion and security at the gates which saw violent scenes wherein security bouncers even attacked a spectator from South Goa during a Salgaocar FC ad Dempo SC I-League encounter.
So while the GFA under the leadership of unopposed President-elect Elvis will have to put their best foot forward for a good administrative team — after ballot day — the clubs are going about warming up the cockles, the fans are awaiting to push the World Cup fever into the local season which is long and exiting, with Goa playing host to lots of top level National competitions later this season.
