Once upon a time, Goa was seen as the heartbeat of Indian football, producing a galaxy of top-class players, some of whom went on to represent the country in international matches. Today, the scene is starkly different as the state is confronting a battle of survival in football. The passion remains in village football, perhaps not at that scale, but sadly, the system surrounding the sport is losing steam. The consistently poor turnout at the recent ISL matches at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, tells the story.
Two recent football developments are pictures of contrast in Goa. First, trainee Indian coaches are undergoing training under the watchful eyes of Premier League experts at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, raising new hopes. Second, the worrying picture of an empty stadium for another ISL match at Fatorda. The common thread that binds both these events together is the urgent need for the revival of football.
Former player and coach Shekhar Kerkar has been blunt about where things have gone wrong. In his view, Goa’s football decline is not because of a lack of talent or interest, but because the foundations have weakened over time. Policies have been discussed endlessly, but implementation has lagged. The result is a broken development pipeline. Kerkar has a point. Football cannot survive on nostalgia. We saw it during the early days of ISL, which provided entertainment of a different kind, taking the focus away from football.
Goa once produced a steady stream of national-level players because local clubs, coaches, villages and even schools worked together to identify and shape talent from a young age. That system no longer functions with the same intensity. Without a strong grassroots structure, the state risks losing not only its competitive edge but also its footballing identity. An element that has been out of focus has been quality coaching.
Modern football demands trained coaches who understand player development, sports science and youth management. Programmes backed by organisations such as the Premier League have shown what professional grassroots training can achieve. Better coaching standards create better players, healthier environments for children and a stronger football culture overall. But isolated programmes alone will not solve the problem unless they become part of a larger, long-term plan.
At the same time, the empty stands at Fatorda reveal another side of the crisis. A stadium that once erupted with colour and energy now often feels subdued. Even a sharp cut in the entry fee has not helped. That decline is a setback. Football thrives on atmosphere and audience. In the 90s, league matches between Dempo Sports Club, Salgaocar SC and others used to draw packed crowds, and it was more in tune with footballing tradition.
The pandemic certainly disrupted live sports, but it cannot fully explain the continued drop in attendance years later. The deeper issue appears to be disengagement. Fans today have countless entertainment choices competing for their attention. If clubs and organisers fail to maintain excitement or innovate, loyalty naturally weakens. Concerns over inconsistent quality, poor marketing and limited outreach have only widened the gap between the league and supporters.
Goa’s football revival will require action on both fronts. Grassroots football must become a priority again through serious investment in schools, academies and coach development. At the same time, clubs and league organisers need to rebuild the emotional bond with supporters by improving fan engagement. There is no quick fix for a problem that has piled up over the years. But if Goa wants to reclaim its place as Indian football’s strongest nursery of talent, the state must stop relying on memories of past glory and start rebuilding the system that once made that glory possible.
