FC Goa kicked off their 2nd Bhausaheb Bandodkar Trophy 2024 campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Sporting Clube de Goa at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday. The match, played in relentless rain, saw the Gaurs dominate their Goan rivals with a brace from Spanish midfielder Borja Herrera and late strikes by Armando Sadiku and Boris Singh. This was also the FC Goa first-team’s first competitive game of the 2024-25 season, but head coach Manolo Marquez did not shy away from testing his options.
Goalkeeper Bob Jackson, defenders Muhammad Hammad and Sanatomba Singh, midfielder Dejan Drazic and striker Alan Saji all made their debuts and first starts, while youngsters Muhammed Nemil, Ayush Chhetri and Brison Fernandes also featured in the Spaniard’s starting XI.
And despite the torrential downpour adding an extra layer of difficulty to the clash, the Men in Orange remained undeterred and controlled the proceedings for a greater part of the 90 minutes. At half-time, both teams returned to the dugout with the scoresheet deadlocked at 0-0, but most of the game till then was played in Sporting’s half.
In the 55th minute, Marquez’s boys finally opened the scoring. Drazic was brought down in the box by a clumsy foul from an opposition defender, earning the home side a penalty. Borja Herrera confidently stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, powering his shot into the top-right corner of the net.
Just six minutes later, the midfield doubled FC Goa’s lead with a stunning long-range effort. The move began with Ayush Chhetri, who made a crucial interception in midfield before passing the ball to Borja.
The 31-year-old then found Drazic, who played a perfectly weighted forward ball back to his teammate. With plenty of space to shoot, Borja unleashed a thunderous strike from over 25 yards out, sending the ball once again into the top-right corner. Later in the second half, Armando Sadiku came off the bench to make his debut as well for the Gaurs. The Albanian’s first appearance for the Goan outfit turned out to be a memorable one, with him finding the back of the net with a fine effort from just outside the opposition box in the 82nd minute.
Just seven minutes after, substitute Boris Singh capitalised on an inch-perfect pass from Brison to score his team’s fourth and final goal of the night.
At the other end, Sporting Clube de Goa created chances sporadically, but struggled to break down the FC Goa defence in general. The likes of Odei Onaindia and Nim Dorjee continued right from where they left off last season, putting in solid shifts at the back, and they were supported ably by Bob, Hammad and Sanatomba. Next up for the Men in Orange, at the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Trophy will be a challenge against A-League Men side Brisbane Roar. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, with kick-off at 7:00 PM IST at the same venue.
