Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Football Association (GFA) will start the Salcete Zone First Division League 2022-23 on March 19 with Nuvem SC clashing with SCC Cavelossim at Navelim ground.
The other Round 1 matches are: Cuncolim Union v Cortalim Villagers at Nagoa, Mandopa SC v YC Manora at Navelim and S Jose Areal v Curtorim Gymkhana at Benaulim, all on March 20.
The draws for the other zones in Bardez, Ilhas and Mormugao have not been released as yet.
The format for the First Division League has been overhauled following the amendment proposed by the Competition Committee headed by senior vice-president Antonio Pango, and its endorsement by the Executive Committee subsequently.
The change has been undertaken as the GFA opined that since there were around 25 teams in First Division, a single league is not feasible due to time and ground availability constraints and that four groups should be formed, one each in the four zones, and play it on a single-league basis with the team standing first and second in their respective groups moving into the next round. Consequently, the winner of Bardez will meet the runner-up of Ilhas, the winner of Ilhas will meet the runner-up of Bardez, the winner of Salcete will clash with the runner-up of Mormugao and the winner of Mormugao will be taking on the runner-up of Salcete.
Two teams from Salcete Zone will join the Mormugao Zone to have five teams in Mormugao Zone and so Salcete will have six teams, Ilhas seven teams and Bardez seven teams. The four winners will then play the semi-finals and then the finals for which a special draw will be made by lots, the GFA stated.
Finally, only one team, the winner of the finals, will qualify for the Goa Professional League (GPL) 2023-24 since only one team will get relegated from GPL this season. The last two teams from the Bardez, Ilhas and Salcete zones will be demoted to the Second Division and in the case of Mormugao, only one team will be demoted to the Second Division, according to GFA’s General Secretary, Lector Mascarenhas.
As per the new proposal, the aim is to reduce the number of First Division teams from 23 to 16. It may be recalled that some years ago the proposal to increase the number of teams was agreed to, at the instance of the First Division teams themselves with Curtorim Gymkhana and Candolim SC taking the lead and a special meeting of the First Division clubs held for the purpose. “The new proposal has been unanimously passed by the Executive Committee which endorsed the Competiton Committee’s move,” added Lector.
With no draws released for Ilhas as well as Bardez zones, Sao Miguel de Taleigao President, Anthony Levinio Fernandes (Hambo), a First Division club from Ilhas, sent a mail to GFA stating that the proposal to set up four groups was not acceptable. “I don’t agree to break ithe League into four groups, but I agree to two groups, North and South. I am yet to get a reply from GFA, which has already gone ahead with the Salcete Zone draw. The First Division is one group like the GPL and if any changes ought to have been thought of, these should have been discussed with all the First Division Clubs,” reiterated Levinio.
Levinio pointed out that at the Annual General Body Meeting held at Goa Velha, he had proposed that all decisions of the Executive Committee should be communicated to the affiliated clubs, but that this was not being followed.
Another First Division Club, St Savio SC of Calangute also did not agree with the move to have four groups.
St Savio Club President, John Fernandes said: “With four groups, it will look more like the Third Division event, thus lowering the status of the League. Surprisingly, the meeting of the managers of First Division clubs from Salcete has already been held, thus giving an impression that there are two football club groups in one body, which is neither healthy nor sporting at all, thus creating a split.”
Meanwhile, the GFA has solicited the views of First Division League clubs on the introduction of the CRS with the objective of ensuring digitalization of match records as well as helping clubs register players from home without having to submit documents to the GFA office. Lector stated that the AIFF was of the opinion that all State Leagues should come under the ambit of CRS.
The advantage under the CRS is that the clubs will begin to receive training compensation and solidarity compensation once a player registered under the club, signs a professional contract with a club in future.
“The GFA is ready to organise a workshop for the participating clubs to acquaint them on how to use the system,” added Lector. The clubs then will need perhaps to have an office space or whatever, with at least one staff member or a volunteer to undertake the formalities for registration, as normally many of the clubs work from the homes of their secretaries as it is mostly an amateur affair.
