Santosh Trophy: Goa count on Armando’s Midas touch

Panaji: The National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy has evaded Goa since 2009. Last year that void appeared to have ended when Goa made it to the final at Bambolim but Manvir Singh – now incidentally with FC Goa – broke Goa’s hearts with an extra time winner.
Manvir’s goal helped archrivals Bengal win the trophy for a record 32nd time while Goa are still looking for their sixth title.

If there is someone in Goa who knows how to win football trophies it must be Armando Colaco. The former Dempo Sports Club coach won almost everything with Dempo and helped the club emerge as the most successful club of the last decade. Can he now extend his Midas touch to Santosh Trophy?

“The first target is to qualify. You don’t know how your opponents will play. The complacency, casualness creeps into the players, so I have told them to take care,” said Colaco at the end of the team’s last training session at Rosary ground, Navelim, on Friday.

For the second successive year, the Goa Football Association has managed to put together a strong squad. Many leading names will be missing but the abundance of talent means, Goa will remain a force to reckon with.

Leading the pack is Victorino Fernandes. The Sporting Clube de Goa striker has been named captain and he will be assisted by Dempo defender Mathew Gonsalves.

The 20-member team handpicked by one of India’s most successful coach will leave for Ahmedabad early on Saturday. Goa’s quest to bring the Santosh Trophy home will begin against Rajasthan on Wednesday. They will play Gujarat in the second match on Friday.

The preparations have been sweet and sour. Out of four friendlies, Goa won two against Sesa FA and FC Bardez and were held by Guardian Angel but were stunned by Dempo SC 6-1.

“Practice matches are only to work out combinations. Individually we are great but gelling is very important in the team,” said Armando, who will have to blend the young talents like Kingslee Fernandes, Mackroy Peixote and Nestor Dias with the experience of Mathew and midfielder Peter Carvalho.

Only six players from last season’s team made it to the initial list of 41 probables. Only four have made it to the final squad. If last season, it was Liston Colaco who got most of the goals for Goa, this time around much will depend on Sporting forward Victorino. He will need support upfront from Marcus Mascarenhas and Beevan D’Mello.

Team: Victorino Fernandes (captain), Mathew Gonsalves (vice-captain), Ozen Silva, Melroy Fernandes, Agnelo Gomes, Nickson Castanha, Shallum Pires, Peter Carvalho, Jessel Carneiro, Mackroy Peixote, Kingslee Fernandes, Nestor Dias, Kapil Hoble, Beevan D’Mello, Velito D’Cruz, Joaquim Carvalho, Clinton Niasso, Marcus Mascarenhas, Clive Miranda, Joaquim Abranches; Armando Colaco (coach), Mateus Costa (assistant coach), Richard Sanchez (goalkeeper’s coach), Schubert Furtado (manager), Andre Menezes (kit incharge).