FC Goa cannot miss the bus to the semi finals

“Man and I are sweethearts

He craves me and I long for him,

But alas! Between us has appeared

A rival who brings us misery.

She is cruel and demanding,

Possessing empty lure.” Kahlil Gibran in Song of Fortune

FC Goa did not need fortune to win against Delhi Dynamos. They were fortunate not to have lost by a more humiliating margin. At the end of the day , the best team won and the thousands that gathered to see their teams fortune change for the better, the story was the same – the best is yet to come.

One win, one draw and five defeats. This is not statistics but the story of FC Goa in ISL 3 and nothing could have been worse. At the Nehru stadium yesterday evening when India was lighting itself to fireworks, Delhi left Goa dumb with its blasts. When the first blast happened, the writing was imminent. On the second blast, the stadium started emptying. Enough is enough.

FC Goa coach Zico opted to start with Luciano Sobrosa- who was played for the first time – along with Sanjay Balmuchu and Raju Gaikwad. Gregory, Dumas and Lucio sat on the benches. Richarlyson and Mandar who were expected to bolster the attack played deep behind their lines leaving strikers Rafael and Cesar with little to do upfront.

Infact, the first half belonged to neither. In the forty five minutes, Mandar  had a good strike of his hit the horizontal and Subhasish had to dive to thwart a Gazde strike. That was it as the twenty two on the pitch appeared to look to the skies.

FC Goa had two attempts at the Delhi goal during the first half. Goalkeeper Toblas came to his teams rescue in the fourth minute and the horizontal denied Mandar the opportunity to register his name amongst the scorers of this season. The first half excitement for the FC Goa fans lingered on these two chances.

Delhi Dynamo coach Zambrotta made two changes in the second half- Kean Lewis and Marcelo Pereira . This was enough for the dynamo from Delhi to ignite.

Two goals in four minutes and the crowds realised that this could perhaps be FC Goa’s worst run in the Indian Super League.

Kean and Marcelo added steam to the Delhi attack . both changes flanks initially and it was during one of these changes that Marcelo found the back of the nets. He ran deep into the FC Goa box and when he appeared to be narrowing the angle for himself , let go a shot that flew past FC Goa goalkeeper Subhasish  into the side netting for what would eventually be the beginning of a damp start to the first half of ISL.

The second goal was equally classy. There was nothing anyone from FC Goa could do about it. Delhi Dynamo had three chances- the third one came their way during extra time but not utilised- and they scored two.

FC Goa did not have chances because they could create none.  All they did during the ninety minutes was run through the flanks to cross to the centre to be cleared by the Delhi defenders. In the end it looked routine.

At the end of the day , Zico must have been an unhappy man. No one is in football to lose. However, when one is thrown in with the ball and few players to choose from, one waits for the roll of the ball. This is luck . Yesterday  even with luck , the result  would not have gone FC Goa’s way because Zico did not have men who could make or could bring change.

The battle for FC Goa is now and it has to be so till the end.

FC Goa play;FC Pune scamper with 3 points

FC Goa came, they played and they let FC Pune City conquer their first points of Indian Super league (ISL) 3. It was not travesty of justice but a misdemeanour in a game that could have rightfully belonged to brand Goa.

FC Goa started well and kept playing with fluent rhythm until their former Brazilian stepped in with the Samba beat. His shot – the first by a FC Pune player- hot the pole and the rebound  coolly slotted in by Arata Izumi.

Kattimani was not to be blamed. However, he would have won applauds had he reacted to the ball after it hitting the pole. It would have been a saved that would have wiped the blemish of the first match.

FC Goa , however , came back into the game through a first time clearance by Kattimani outside his own box. His long shot travelled to Rafael who after out pacing Pune keeper Bete scored the equaliser and brought back life into the fans that revisited Fatorda after a long, long time.

FC Goa’s first home game belonged to them and greatly to FC Pune City’s goalkeeper Apoula Bete. The Cameroonian was at his best making the tries from the boys from Goa look so simple. Good goalkeeping is knowing when to be where and what to do when.

Defenders Fulganco Cardozo and Sanjay Balmuch , who played as withdrawn defender in the first half, did themselves proud. So did Mandar Rao Dessai - until he was substituted after sustaining an injury. The three played with extra zest bringing a balance that gave Spanish Joffre plenty of space to explore through the sides and the middle.

If Bete carried the day for FC Pune City , Joffre looked to be Goa’s  Christmas star.  He was seen everywhere , at times taking two Pune players simultaneously, taking and making space and falling back to help the defenders. That he played hard is a fact that can be hardly overlooked by any.

Coach Zico substituted Fulganco with Romeo in the second half.  Romeo had two clean chances to take the tie away from the lads from Pune. The first time, Pune goalkeeper Bete was the bête noire. The second time, Romeo blasted away an opportunity. He should have kept the ball low instead of wasting it by ballooning it over.

FC Pune goalkeeper Bete was confidence personified; Goa’s Kattimani appeared to be making amends to his first match faux pas. He was not confidence personified nor was he a laggard. The two goals he let in were goals that could be let in by many or even the best. This time, there were no errors of judgement. However, it was evident, his wounds were healing.

Except for the two blemishes, the ninety minutes were FC Goa’s and their fans. There was a lot of good football played by FC Goa but it would have been better had there been goals. In football goals transcend into wins and wins into points.

Two losses is not the end of the road. Through the two years in ISL, FC Goa has proved to be a slow starter. Zico has kept his fireworks for the end. The road could be similar this time too.

Simple truths cannot be fudged by dishonest people

Goa Football Association (GFA) president Elvis Gomes in his Presidents report printed in the Association’s Annual Report of 2016 writes: “The said FD (Fixed Deposit) of Rs 48,47,017 was encashed on 28^th April 2014 when I was not the President.” The statement is to deny The Navhind Times Report where  it is mentioned that Fixed Deposits totalling over Rs forty eight lakhs were encashed  as mentioned in the GFA Annual Report of 2015.

After the AGM, GFA issued a press note which claimed: “ The President produced records to tear apart malicious reports in a section of the media which had tried to insinuate that fixed deposits to the tune of Rs 48 lakhs were broken to run the affairs of the GFA. It was clarified that the said amount was withdrawn during the tenure of the previous president and for official purpose.

Many of the GFA members present for the AGM specifically told this paper that “no proof, in the form of bank statements, were shown to the members during the AGM, corroborating Elvis’s statement.”

The Navhind Times is in possession of the GFA  Annual Reports from 2014 to 2016.

The annual Report of 2014 has Shrinivas Dempo as president. In it the annual Report  says that fixed Deposit from Axis Bank (Account No 165457) totalling Rs 3713715 was encashed in the previous year and nil amount in 2014.

The Annual Report of 2015 has Elvis Gomes as president. He took charge in June 2014. In it the Annual Report says that Rs 4876,017  from a Fixed Deposit in  Axis Bank Account No 170635 was encashed in 2015 and in the bracket of ‘previous year’ “nil” is mentioned.

The 2016 Annual report which has Elvis Gomes as presi dent states that Rs 4,876,017 has been encashed from the Fixed Deposit in Axis bank Account no 170635 and that Rs 771,679 has been encashed from PNB 205.

Page 94 of the Annual Report has the following details of Fixed Deposits:

The Balance with Central Bank of India , Margao Branch is Rs 1,45,208.72  with IDBI bank Margao is Rs 3,017,079.95 and Bank of India (Bandodkar Gold Trophy ) Rs 62,445.30. The total Fixed Deposits amount to Rs 3224733.97.

Based on the three Annual Reports, the following is the breakdown of the interest earned by GFA on the Fixed Deposits:

The Annual Report of 2014: Rs 808,562.61;

The Annual Report of 2015: Rs 440,737.56:

The annual Report of 2016: Rs 370,656.00.

In the Notes to Accounts in the Annual Report the following observations have been made: “ During the course of audit we have come across payments for hire of bus, security charges ,accommodation charges and ambulance charges which are reported to have been paid by account payee cheques however no official receipts are obtained, accounting is done on basis of bills submitted by the respective parties. The Association has not invited any tenders for giving contract to transporters. In case of Transport Expenses Self Made Vouchers Should Bear Vehicle No, Distance in Km etc which is not found on some vouchers.”

“The Association is having various sub-committees such as Finance Committee,Media Marketing Advisory Committee,Women committee etc..minute books are to be maintained for recording the deliberations of the committee.” says the Audit Report.

Transports is generally provided for all GFA activities by executive member Anthony Pango.

In his Presidents Report Elvis Gomes says the following about the government: “On March 26,2012 football was declared as the “official Sport” of Goa by the Government of Goa. The declaration of football as the official sport has proved meaningless to Goa football Association. We have been charged exhorbitant sums of money to use the Fatorda stadium , Tilak maidan……Meetings held with the authorities where delegations of affected clubs were taken have no effect.If Goan players and Goan children ,are not able to use the facilities which are developed in their own state, I do not see how Official Sports status can benefit Goa and its football. Truth is sometimes hard to digest and bitter to swallow.”