FC Goa, Mohammedan Sporting hunt for first win in ISL

Panaji: There were not too many positives for FC Goa in their opener against Inter Kashi last week, but the point they secured in the end should have pleased coach Manolo Marquez.

“Maybe people don’t like it, but for me, it’s important to remove zero from the points column as soon as possible,” Manolo said ahead of his team’s clash against Mohammedan Sporting Club. “The result was fair. I am sure that my team will be very competitive.”


The top tier Indian Super League (ISL) this season is a truncated one, with just 13 games, to be played on a home and away basis. Teams aspiring to be at the top know they cannot afford slipups. It’ something Manolo too will be aware and will be keen that his side remains within touching distance of the leaders, with a win against Mohammedan Sporting at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Friday.

Mohammedan are also without a win, having lost the opener 1-0 against Jamshedpur FC.

“They played against a team that had six (registered) foreigners yet lost narrowly. Obviously it will be a difficult game. They are playing without too much pressure, and this can be more dangerous. We know that they will play with a lot of intensity. We need to be equal in this aspect. Maybe we have more quality, but we need to show this quality. If we want to win the game, we need to show it on the pitch,” said Manolo.

Mohammedan fielded an all-Indian side in their first match and showed defensive discipline. However, they lacked sharpness in the final third, a problem they hope to rectify when playing at home for the first time.

“We are a young and inexperienced side, and lacking a quality striker,” said coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo. “We believe in these young players, and I am certain they are going to put in their best (against Goa). We have to create more chances; the improvement needs to happen in the final third. We will play better attacking football.”

Wadoo candid about the squad's limitations and the tactical adjustments required. “FC Goa are a quality side. They are going to come hard against us.”

The fixture brings together a clash of styles: Wadoo’s disciplined, defensive block against Manolo’s expansive, possession-based football. With the Black and White Brigade desperate to avoid back-to-back defeats and Goa keen to assert their credentials, the Kishore Bharati Krirangan is set for an interesting encounter.