23 Goans in ISL domestic draft

PANAJI: Goan footballers eager to find a place in the Indian Super League (ISL) queued up at a city hospital early on Wednesday morning to get their medicals done and ink a deal for inclusion in the domestic player draft later this month.

The ISL has allowed all franchises to retain just two of their existing players while all other domestic signings should mandatorily come through the domestic player draft to be held on July 23. A lot of Goan players appeared eager to get picked up by the franchises and were determined to pass the medical test, without which they cannot sign contracts for inclusion in the draft.

“There were more than 30 players who showed up for the medicals on Wednesday. There were outstation players too,” said one Goan player.

According to another source, 23 Goan players were present at the city hospital and it included some big names like Romeo Fernandes,

Lenny Rodrigues

, Adil Khan,

Francis Fernandes

and Aizawl FC’s I-League winning goalkeeper Alibno Gomes.

Interestingly, there were players from Sporting Clube de Goa too. It is understood that at least three players – Subhashish Bose, Seriton Fernandes and Joyner Lourenco – will be allowed to leave the club after agreeing to a transfer fee. While Seriton and Joyner were present for the medicals on Wednesday, Subhashish – who was loaned to Mohun Bagan last season – will go through the tests in Kolkata later this week.

There were outstation players too. There was Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters defender Rino Anto, striker Mohammad Rafi, Izumi Arata and D Ravanan. Others like Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Darren Caldeira and Gouramangi Singh, who are all undergoing a coaching course for their AFC B Licence in Goa, thought it best to finish their medicals here itself.

Cajetan Fernandes’s name was included among the players expected for the medicals but the former Sporting Clube midfielder did not show up.

Meanwhile, from among the local players, former India midfielder Lenny Rodrigues is expected to be the best paid Goan player at the domestic draft with a contract worth Rs 60 lakh. Romeo Fernandes will be priced at Rs 50 lakh while Albino, who has made a name for himself with Aizawl FC last season, is expected to be among the early picks at Rs 50 lakh.

FC Goa are understood to have shown interest in the likes of Pratesh Shirodkar, Keenan Almeida and Mohamed Ali.

Goa players in the domestic draft

Goan players in ISL domestic player draft: Beevan D’Mello, Romeo Fernandes, Francis Fernandes, Lenny Rodrigues, Mohamed Ali, Augustin Fernandes, Joyner Lourenco,

Bruno Colaco

, Ponif Vaz, Alber Gonsalves, Jovel Martins, Adil Khan, Seriton Fernandes, Fulgancio Cardozo,

Anthony D’Souza

, Denzil Franco,

Rowilson Rodrigues

, Keenan Almeida, Albino Gomes, Sahil Tavora, Jaison Vales, Godwin Franco and Prathesh Shirodkar.
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