The Hindu : Sport / Football : Dempo takes on Salgaocar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Football

Dempo takes on Salgaocar

Principal Correspondent

FOOTBALL / I-League kicks off today

I-League will retain NFL’s home-away format
Bhutia to play for Mohun Bagan

KOLKATA: The premier club football league of the country will unwrap a new identity that promises to indemnify itself on provisions of “professionalism.”

The intended transformation may be traced in the I-League, which is the name the National Football League (NFL) will be assuming from Saturday, when defending champion Dempo SC meets former champion Salgaocar SC in Fatorda’s Nehru Stadium.

The I-League will look to invest in the optimism surrounding India’s Nehru Cup triumph.

The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) had thus timed the launch of the new tournament hoping the euphoria will help revive the enthusiasm in the club-level football.

The efforts of putting Indian football on the rails of “professionalism” have already consumed more than a decade.

Fresh endeavour

The I-League promises to start a fresh endeavour aimed at revamping the club football system as envisaged by World and continental governing bodies — FIFA and AFC. Despite assuming a new name, the I-League will carry forward much of the erstwhile tournament in both spirit and content.

On the competition front, the I-League will retain the NFL home-away format but there will be a greater reward — Rs. 50 lakh for the winner and Rs. 28 lakh for the runner-up — to fight for.

More foreigners

Trying to enhance the glamour content, the AIFF has also allowed greater inflow of foreign players.

Clubs can now register four foreigners, though only three can play in a match.

Defending champion Dempo will be looking for an encore and it has sufficient reasons to be confident.

With Goa contributing four teams to the league, the highest, Dempo will be leading the charge having regained the local Goa professional league crown.

Also lending to Dempo’s strength is the fact that it has retained most of the players of champion squad while gaining a few more big names in club transfers.

Dreaded attack

Dempo has one of the most dreaded attacks with Chidi Edeh joining Ranti Martins, one of the highest scorers in the last NFL.

It also has Brazilian Roberto Silva in the midfield.

The other teams including Sporting Clube de Goa, Churchill Brothers and Salgaocar have been able to stitch together fairly decent sides that make prediction difficult.

East Bengal, the Federation Cup champion, has a former World Cup campaigner from South Africa, Mukansi, and Brazilian Edmilson Pradal alongside a host of National players.

Mohun Bagan, which lifted the local premier division crown, too boasts of Brazilian Jose Rameirez Barreto and Indian captain Baichung Bhutia in the attack.

Mahindra United, the Federation Cup runner-up, is one of the most professional outfits and will be a force to reckon with.

Air-India will be joining last year’s runner-up JCT Mills and new-comer Viva Kerala as the three dark horses of the tournament.

The teams (in order of last year’s NFL positions):

Dempo SC (Goa), JCT Mills (Punjab), Mahindra United (Maharashtra), Churchill Brothers (Goa), East Bengal (Bengal), Sporting Clube de Goa (Goa), Air-India (Maharashtra), Mohun Bagan (Bengal), Salgaocar SC (Goa, promotee), Viva Kerala (Kerela, promotee).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport