Vasco gear up for Sunday floodlit match, Fr Valentine to lead Goa XI against South Koreans

TEAM HERALD

sports@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: Fr.Valentine Alvares, a formidable striker of the Diocesan Priests Team is all excited as he leads the 20- strong Archbishop Goa XI in an exhibition football match against the visiting South Korean team, Hallelujah Football Club at Tilak Maidan, Vasco on January 22 at 6 p.m.

Fr. Alvares, assistant parish priest of Sancoale Church is an excellent striker, stated Elvis Gomes, senior GFA vice- president.

Cuncolim-born Elvis, whose organisational capabilities have earned the admiration of football fans and others at large, and whose commitment for football is a passion, as has been demonstrated in the past decade, disclosed, “We have drawn a good combination from the available pool of players and are confident of a good show against the highly-rated visitors. “The GFA has offered all its support to the organisers in the conduct of the match. In fact our Executive Committee members Savio Messias and Lawrence Gomes are personally supervising the arrangements along with the others, with Fr Jose Antonio Costa working overtime to see that there is a full house on Sunday.”

“The match will be played under floodlights on mounted towers for the first time in the history of the Port Town. The excitement is running high. The Goa team has been drawn from the Professional League Clubs of Goa,” remarked Elvis.

The other players who will take the field in Vasco against the highly-rated visiting Koreans are Macles Moraes (Salgaocar), Siddhesh Morje (Goa Velha), Milagres Gonsalves, Keenan Almeida, Rosario Mendes (all Salgaocar), Fulgencio Cardoz, Gabriel Fernandes, Pedro Gonsalves (all Sporting Clube de Goa), John Dias, Jessel Carneiro, Domnic Noronha (all Dempos), Perryson Rebello, Mariano Fernandes,Valente Silva, Valzino Fernandes, Agnelo Gomes, Ashley Araujo (all Margao Sports Club), Saprem Diukar, Wellington Fernandes, Basilio Rego (all Goa Velha).

The match has evoked tremendous interest from fans with tickets sale picking up.

Elvis stated that the work on the installation of mounted floodlights has already commenced and is expected to be completed by Saturday.

Fr. Jose Antonio Costa informed that both teams will be led to the ground from St Andrew’s Church in a ceremonial procession to the accompaniment of a brass band and escorted by 150 strong Altar Boys, Parish Council members, and other groups in the Church.

The atmosphere inside the stadium will reverberate to the sounds of the “Faith” band. Many members of the clergy, nuns and groups of families are expected to attend the event. Fr Costa was optimistic of a full house of 10,000 fans filling the stadium for the first time in Vasco.