Sporting Clube de Goa aim for top spot in I-League

With the finishing line in sight, Sporting Clube de Goa aim to move to the top of the table when they take on Mohammedan Sporting Club in the I-league at the Saltlake Stadium in Kolkata on Friday. The kickoff is at 4pm and is being televised live on Ten Action.

Sporting Goa are currently comfortably perched in second place of the table with 28 points from 15 games, while leaders Bengaluru FC who don’t take the field until 25 hours later, are on 31 points having played a game extra.

A 2-0 victory would be enough to see Sporting Goa occupy the top spot, but standing in their way is the challenge of Mohammedan Sporting, who incidentally is the only team to have beaten Sporting Goa at home this season.

In that ill-fated 3-1 victory it was the current I-League top goalscorer, Josimar da Silva Martins (9 goals) who grabbed a brace and will be the danger man for Mohammedan Sporting at home.

Sporting Goa’s Boima Jerry Karpeh is seeking his 23rd goal of the season in all competitions and will spearhead the attack. He could be joined by Victorino Fernandes who has recently been recalled to the India squad for next week’s Bangladesh friendly.

The game could also see the long awaited debut of Sporting Goa’s new signing, Nigerian midfielder Martins Ekwueme alongside fellow countryman Ogba Kalu. Meanwhile the Flaming Oranje is without Mackroy Peixote, Stephene Barretto and Jovel Martins who are all suffering from ankle injuries.

Mohammedan Sporting, who won the IFA Shield recently to add to the Durand Cup won earlier in the season, is currently placed second from bottom with 13 points from fifteen matches and will be desperately looking to avoid their fifth straight defeat in a row.

Sporting Goa has not been beaten in the I-League in the last five games and had the pleasure of sitting out the last round, which has given the team precious time to recover, refresh and rekindle the magic.

“We aim to come back to Goa with the three points,” summed up Sporting Goa Coach Oscar Bruzon.