Derrick Pereira: We missed the services of some key players

Mumbai, 16 February 2022: A full-strength FC Goa side breezed past Chennaiyin FC last week, but afterwards lost some important players to COVID-19 and injuries before going down 2-0 to ATK Mohun Bagan on Tuesday.

Head coach Derrick Pereira believes that the virus played a prominent role in hampering their plans for the rest of the season.

“This is not an excuse - it’s true that we had some COVID-19 positive cases in our camp in the past few days. We couldn’t train yesterday either, because of certain reasons. We missed the services of some key players in the midfield,” he explained after the final whistle.

The tactician, however, was also quick to admit that there were a few things which his team could have done better against Juan Ferrando and Co.

“The midfield department did not do as well as expected. We lost the ball a number of times, and I think that hampered our performance. The early goal in the first half, and the miss-pass in the second half that led to their second goal, put a lot of pressure on us,” he opined.

Focus on youth development and future

FC Goa have always been on the good books of fans when it comes to player development. In fact, it was Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco - two former Gaurs - who troubled them the most on Tuesday, with Manvir also scoring both the goals in the clash.

“It’s a process and it’s always there. We still have hopes of qualifying for the playoffs and we will work as hard as we can to improve our position on the points table. Along with that, we will be working on the team’s future also,” Pereira said.

“The youngsters who deserve more opportunities will definitely get them. That said, we also can’t simply push them into the deep side of the pool. We surely have some very talented boys with us, and they have to be gradually integrated into the first team. Giving them chances at the appropriate time is important.

“It’s always nice to see Liston, Manvir and others perform well, not only at the club level but also at the national level. We’re proud of their development and will continue to help more players like this,” the 59-year-old signed off.

FC Goa will return to action on Saturday, February 19, when they lock horns with table-toppers Hyderabad FC. 

About FC Goa

FC Goa is a professional football club based out of Goa that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL) and is the current holder of the Super Cup.  Nicknamed the Gaurs, FC Goa has been one of the most consistently successful teams in the ISL - reaching 4 semi-finals and 2 finals in 7 seasons.

In Season 2019/20, the club won the Hero ISL League Winners Shield, by finishing top of the table in the league stages and became the first-ever club from India to play in the group stages of the AFC Champions League in April 2021. 

Co-owned by Mr Jaydev Mody, Mr Akshay Tandon and Mr Virat Kohli, FC Goa is one of the few Indian Clubs to have a complete youth development ecosystem. Its U14, U16, U18 and Developmental Teams compete at the highest levels in Goa and India. The system has produced recognizable talents like Liston Colaco, Saviour Gama, Princeton Rebello and many more.