Inclusion of non-Goan players, partiality flayed Goa drew with Punjab 1-1 in the last quarter-final league match and even tough Services were beaten 0-2 by Railways, they bowed out from 65th Santosh Trophy National football championship in Guwahati, Tuesday. Impressive Railways continued their winning streak and made their way into the last four.
While despite suffering a defeat at the hands of Railways, Services pipped Goa and Punjab on superior goal difference to become the second team to qualify for the semi-finals.
Railways finished top of the Group B table with 9 points, while Services (6-7 goals), Punjab (4-5 goals), and Goa (4-7 goals), finished with two points each in their kitty.
Services will now take on Manipur in the first semi-final on May 26, while Railways will play West Bengal in the second semi-final a day after. The final will be played on May 30. Goa did not have the requisites for qualification in the first place and as such cut a sorry figure in the prestigious event, the symbol of State football supremacy.
Savio Messias, under whose tenure as GFA secretary, Goa won the coveted crown twice and then reached the semi-finals last year, was dejected and demoralised that Goa could not stand up to its name and fame as the State ranks as numero uno State in football in India.
Savio blasted the selectors for showing lack of vision. “It’s for the first time that three non-Goan players have found place in the Goa team while Goans playing in other States have been ignored,” thundered Savio.
To buttress his point, Savio pointed out that international Branco Cardoso, a member of Goa’s victorious team in 2009-10 and a regular member the next year, who is now registered with Chirag United, was not invited by Goa selectors and instead found a place in the State Bengal team having scored three goals in two matches so far and took Bengal into the semi-finals.
“The Sporting Clube de Goa as well as Vasco Clube players could have been accommodated. It has been admitted that the team lacked experience as players were drawn mostly from First Division teams and as such Professional League players could have been roped in a bit later, especially from the two clubs which had finished their Second Division I-league engagements. Such a provision was made in the past and players like Climax Lawrence, Mahesh Gawli and John Dias, to name a few, who were doing National duty or playing in AFC Cup were called in after their duties to bolster the Goa team,” reasoned out Savio.
Several others also criticised the selection criteria and accused that an official of the present Goa team had selected a number of players (mostly defenders) that were signed from another club for the new season for the club which the official is contracted for. “This smacks of utter partiality with someone misusing the position to snatch players for a well settled team to finally enhance one own’s position,” they alleged.
Several others did not hide the fact that the selection of Goa Under-13 team for the National festival this year was also influenced by a GFA official from Salcete, who had his son injected into the team which saw many Bardez fans crying foul.
And finally, there were those few who questioned the presence in Guwahati of Benjamin Silva, vice-chairman of GFA referees committee and ex-FIFA referee, against whom a complaint of alleged manipulation of birth certificate had been levelled.
There were rumours that Benjamin was acting as assistant coach, but Schubert Furtado promptly denied it as false, even as he admitted that Benjamin was helping the squad when the coaching camp was in progress in Margao. - Heraldo
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