Panaji: Dempo SC
and
Sporting Clube de Goa
are shouldering big expectations to bring
Goan football
into the limelight again as they gear up for the
Second Division I-League
.
Five-time
national champions
Dempo start their campaign away against Mumbai outfit
Oranje FC
on Saturday, while
Third Division League
champions Sporting Clube de Goa start afresh against
Sudeva Delhi FC
at
Tilak Maidan
, Vasco, on Sunday.
“The mood is good as always in the team. We are trying our best and our only focus is to qualify for the I-League. We have seen the competition in the Third Division and every team has a chance,” Dempo coach Samir Naik told TOI on Friday.
The league will consist of eight teams and will be held on a home-and-away basis in a double round-robin format. Sporting Clube, Dempo and Sporting Club Bengaluru were the three sides that qualified from the Third Division after the qualifiers.
Now, the top two teams will get promoted to the 2024-25 I-League and the bottom two will be relegated to the 2024-25 I-League Third Division.
“Teams are equally good and no one are favourites. Our president Shrinivas Dempo wants the team to be in the top league of Indian football soon,” said Samir.
Dempo have strengthened their squad with five new signings.
Basanta Singh Moirangthem has joined from Manipur’s KLASA FA, Rahul Paswan from Kolkata’s Diamond Harbour. Then there is goalkeeper Sangramjit Roy Chowdhury from Bhawanipore FC, and Rangdajied United FC duo of Owanijuh Pajuh and Knerkitalang Buam.
“The new signings joined us a week ago, but it's not an excuse. We will give our best,” said Samir.
Meanwhile, Sporting Clube will hope to continue with their winning mentality. They are top of the Goa Professional League and look confident.
Sporting Clube head coach Armando Colaco knows how to approach the challenge.
“My focus is to be in the first five and next year we can try with more players to win it. Because if we are not in the first-five then it will be a daunting task to come up again from the Third Division,” said Armando.
Sporting Clube’s opposition are no pushovers even though they were relegated from last season’s I-League.
FC Bengaluru United, Mumbai Kenkre FC and United SC are the other teams in fray for promotion.
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