Goa has been India’s power house for the past few years and the clubs located in the tiny union territory are capable of beating any team in the country. The two footballing giants in Goa, Dempo SC and Salgoacar FC have joined hands together for the welfare of the UT along with Videocon’s Venugopal Dhoot and Indian Cricket Vice –Captain Virat Kohli run the UT’s Indian Super League side FC Goa.
This affiliation will be seen on the pitch, as all of the team’s 14 domestic players are from Dempo SC. The club pulled off a coup by announcing Brazilian legend Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, as their manager. He will be assisted by Dempo SC and former India under-23 coach, the Australian Arthur Papas. Arsenal and French Superstar Robert Pires will be the team’s marquee signing.
FC Goa Squad:
Goal Keepers:
Jan Seda
Laxmikant Kattimani
Defenders:
Andre Santos
Debabrata Roy
Gregory Arnolin
Narayan Das
Prabir Das
Rowilson Rodriguez
Youness Bengelloum
Zohib Amiri
Midfielder:
Alwyn George
Bruno Pinheiro
Clifford Miranda
Edgar Marcelino
Mandar Desai
Peter Carvalho
Pronay Halder
Romeo Fernandes
Sheikh Raja
Robert Pires
Forwards:
Gabriel Fernandez
Holicharan Narzary
Miguel Herlein
Miroslav Slepicka
Tolgay Ozbey
FC Goa are one of the favourites for the tournament alongside Chennaiyin FC and Atletico de Kolkata. Goa have a very good Indian contingent which will be the X-Factor for them among the other teams in the tournament. They have as many as 14 players from Dempo SC and their experience playing in Goan conditions will help the foreigners to gel in quickly. They have the biggest catch of the tournament in Brazilian Andre Santos, who was playing for Arsenal a year back and is in middle of his 20’s. The team will be held together by Pires, who is expected to take the team all the way to the title.
FC Goa Schedule:
15 October- Chennaiyin FC (H)
19 October- NE United FC (A)
23 October- Atletico de Kolkata (H)
26 October- FC Pune City (A)
1 November- Delhi Dynamos (H)
6 November- Kerala Blasters (A)
9 November- Mumbai City (H)
13 November- Delhi Dynamos (A)
17 November- Mumbai City (A)
22 November- FC Pune City (H)
26 November- Kerala Blasters (H)
1 December- NE United FC (H)
5 December- Chennaiyin FC (A)
10 December- Atletico de Kolkata (A)
Goa’s main footballing stadium, the famous Fatorda Stadium, which Dempo SC shares with Goa’s other football clubs, will play host to FC Goa’s matches, as well.