No one knew which foot Bento andrew would use

Two decades or more back, Salgaocar Sports club were playing Cheema Okerie led Mohun Bagan in the semi-finals of the Rovers Cup at the Cooperage in Mumbai. During normal time, Salgaocar let their two goal lead slip. They surrendered their two goal lead in the tie-breaker too and succumbed to Mohun Bagan in the sudden death. The man who squandered their chance in the sudden death was Bento (Endro) Andrew “ I never took a penalty again ,” says Bento .

Bento may have missed the penalty but in football circles of the seventies and eighties he is remembered as the maverick striker who provided intelligent assists to his other colleagues. In those days , being able to shoot with both legs was rare and Bento used this ability not only to penetrate from the left but position the ball on his right so that he could finish with ease.

“ I was advised by Brahmanand during those days to cut in from the left  and shoot with the right or left leg. This tactic fooled many defenders in those days and helped me play as a withdrawn striker for the team,” says Bento.

Salgaocar SC, in those days, had a strike force that consisted of bento, Antonio Joao and Digambar Kamat. From the three, Bento did the feeding to Antonio and Digambar. “Antonio was a bull in those days. He had the speed, the body and a shot that silenced the best. He was Goa’s answer to Bernad Pereira ,” recollects Bento.

Hailing from San Jose de Areal, Bento has been part and parcel of Salgaocar Sports Club since 1974. Prior to that he played to Sao Jose de areal in GFA”s first Division and was part of the Government Multipurpose school team and Guardian Angel High School. Like many players of his age, Bento has no record of the goals he has scored but is remembered to be one of the main goal scoring machines of his team.

“We as players did not change clubs easily in those days and that is why the bonding was good. If I had the ball, Digambar or Antonio Joao knew what I would do next and same was the case if they had the ball. Such was our understanding,” says Bento Andrew.

Bento Andrew represented Goa in nine senior national and played for India in 1983. “The competition was so hard in those days that just getting selected for Goa was a great honour. We had to fight for our place. It is no more the same today,” says Bento.

Andrew was one of those players courted by most clubs in India during his playing days. From Calcutta to Mumbai, they all came knocking, enticing him with offers. “ My parents passed away early. I had a sister who was in the eight standard and I had to look after her. I had a brother too. Going to other clubs was out of the question,” says Bento .

At over six foot Bento stood out because few were able to tell with which leg Bento would have a strike at goal. Many times, he would surprise all by putting his colleague in line of goal instead of having a go himself. Such was his ability to fox opponents.

“ The emphasis during my days was discipline and hard work. I used to practise juggling, ball control and shooting in the ground near my home after team practise. I used to be playing with the ball all the time. The idea was to be able to master the ball,” says Bento.

“We used to practise twice daily and literally play right through the year. It was only in June and July that we had a break due to the monsoons. In August practises used to start and then we were playing all over the country. Apart from the Goa League, the Bandodkar Trophy and Police Cup and Taca Goa we used to participate in tournaments all over India,” reminiscences Bento.