Panaji (Goa), September 16: Khalid Jamil’s Jamshedpur FC is set to take on Manolo Marquez’s FC Goa in their season opener at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Playing away from home, Jamshedpur FC will be eager to make a strong start to the league against a formidable FC Goa.
The team has been preparing under AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year Khalid Jamil for the past six weeks, participating in the Durand Cup and several friendly matches.
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“We had ample time for pre-season preparation, playing in the Durand Cup and multiple practice matches. With the arrival of all our foreign players a few weeks ago, everyone got a chance to play and is raring to go. ISL is a tough league and is evident from the exciting opening matches in the past few days. We have our task cut out against a proven opponent,” said Jamil.
Historically, FC Goa holds the upper hand in head-to-head encounters, with eight wins against Jamshedpur’s four in the ISL. However, Jamil emphasized that past results are irrelevant, and his focus is on a fresh start with a well-balanced squad of senior and junior players.
“We are not dwelling on past results. This is a new beginning. Goa is a strong side, but we need to be at our best and start fresh. We’ve got a good mix of senior and junior players, and our foreign signings bring valuable experience, which is a huge asset for us,” he added.
One of the key foreign additions to the squad is Spanish midfielder Javier Hernandez. With five ISL seasons under his belt, Hernandez brings immense experience, having scored 21 goals and provided 17 assists. He was instrumental in securing titles such as the 2019-20 ISL championship with Mohun Bagan SG and the 2022 Durand Cup as well as the runner-up campaign that season with Bengaluru FC.
Other notable signings include winger Sreekuttan from Gokulam Kerala FC, goalkeeper Albino Gomes from Sreenidhi Deccan, midfielder Sourav Das from Chennaiyin FC, and winger Aniket Jadhav from Odisha FC.
Speaking about the upcoming match, Jamil stressed its importance: “We cannot take things lightly. It’s crucial for us to start positively. We’re facing a strong opponent with quality Indian and foreign players, and their coach has a lot of experience. We need to be at our best to secure a win in this away fixture.”
FC Goa have also had a strong pre-season and are fresh off their victory in the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy final against Odisha FC. The match kicks off at 7:30 PM on September 17 and will be broadcast live on Sports18 Channel and JioCinema OTT.
By Prem Kumar Srivastava & Jaswinder Singh
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