Team Herald
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PANJIM: Pope John XXIII Quepem and Albert Developers emerged champions in Sporting Clube de Goa’s AFC Grassroots Day celebrations 5-a-side football in the women’s and men’s category, held at Don Bosco grounds, Panaji, recently.
Pope John Quepem upset favourites Rosary High Secondary School, Navelim 1-0 in the finals with Joycima Fernandes netting the match winner.
Earlier in the round robin four team league, Rosary had taken the top slot with 9 points while Pope John followed in the second spot with 6 points from two wins and one loss against Rosary.
St Xaviers, Moira and Our Lady of Piety HS Collem were the other two teams in the competition.
St Xavier’s Moira were awarded the Fair Play Trophy.
In the veterans’ final, Victor Lobo was the hero for Albert Developers scoring a brace to give them a 2-0 win over a fighting Calangute Veterans.
In the league phase Albert Developers topped group B with 5 points followed by Bardez Veterans with 4 points.
In Group A, Calangute Veterans nudged ahead of Temptations Miramar by better goal difference after both teams had ended with 7 points.
In the first semi-finals Albert Developers beat Temptations Miramar with a star goal from Bibiano and in the other semi-final goalkeeper Dominic joined the attack and scored fromthe narrowest of angle to send his team into the finals ahead of Bardez Veterans.
First team stars Cajetan Fernandes and Glan Martins along with chief coach Mathew Da Costa were present for the event.
The prizes were distributed by chief guest Antonio Bothelo, veteran football administrator and former General Secretary of GFA who is most remembered as the man behind the famous Panvel Sports Club, along with guests of honour Natty Vaz Co-Owner of Sporting Clube and Jovito Lopes veteran sports journalist and former long time member of the GFA Executive Committee.
