Staff Reporter
Panaji
As would be expected, the Goa State Team’s recent poor showing in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy has sparked the customary outpouring of opinions and judgements from the many Goan football supporters.
The social media is still buzzing with many questioning the standards of the sport in the state. The fans in Goa are not happy with the outcome.
Although winning the Santosh Trophy no longer has the same prestige as it once did, the majority of football fans still view a strong showing there as the barometer of football excellence in the State. Former secretary of both — All India Football Federation and Goa Football Association Alberto Colaco has pointed out a few aspects the association would need to keep a check on.
In the present format the AIFF does not allow players participating in the ISL and I-league to play for their state in the Santosh trophy.
“Goa has over fifty players playing in these two leagues. They have been deprived of an opportunity to represent Goa. Similar is the case with States like West Bengal, Manipur, Kerala and Mizoram. These states have also failed to qualify for the semifinals in the ongoing Santosh Trophy. But instead of grudging the changes in the regulations governing the eligibility of players to represent the State, this can be used to our advantage. One could give upcoming talented youngsters a chance to play for the State,” stated Colaco.
“The hype around the tournament puts a lot of pressure on the Association and the coaches and they prefer to rely on the old war horses, who, it must be said have served the state, their clubs and even sometimes the National team with distinction in the past. With their best years behind them, they are not able to perform at the required level, especially when they have to play 5 matches in 10 days,” explained Colaco.
“It is obvious from the results in the last few years that besides not winning the tournament, we have failed to produce players who will graduate to the bigger clubs and then gain and hold a regular place in the National Team. It is unfortunate that with the exception of Liston Colaco and Brendon Fernandes no other Goan player has a regular place in the National Team,” added Colaco.
Not being able to field the best players in the State, in the team playing in the Santosh Trophy is not a new situation.
“When the National Football League started, the Santosh Trophy was slotted between the NFL qualifying and final rounds. Dempo, Salgaocar and Churchill having qualified for the final rounds of the NFL, were reluctant to release their players for the Santosh Trophy preparatory camp and the final team,” Colaco highlighted.
“Having foreseen that this situation may arise, the Goa Football Association decided to select around 30 young players from the remaining teams and conduct practice sessions for them every Sunday. This decision paid off and for the Santosh trophy in 1997, GFA selected a team consisting predominantly of the players taking part in this program. This so-called second-string team performed exceedingly well and lost to a full Bengal side by a solitary goal in the finals. Many upcoming players came from this program and they formed the core of the Goa State and club teams in the late 90’s and the early part of the 21st Century,” he revealed.
“Nothing can be achieved overnight,” stated Colaco who added that the state league should be more competitive.
“It is most important to have very competitive leagues, both at the top and the youth level with players getting an opportunity to play a sufficient number of matches. It is an undeniable fact that the standard of the pro league has gone down and at the youth level the number of matches played is grossly inadequate,” he added.
Colaco also suggested that the association should work together with other football bodies. “It is the responsibility of GFA to bring the GFDC, the big and the small stakeholders together to draw a common football development programme for Goa. Unfortunately, sometimes it appears that these entities work at cross purposes. Specially at the youth level it is more important to produce quality players than to win competitions. A special committee, with clear terms of reference has to be constituted and entrusted with this task,”
“Those chosen to lead this very important assignment must recognize that they are fortunate to be assigned with this enormous responsibility and to always remember that in their hands lies the destiny of our budding football players and Goan football,” Colaco concluded.