MARGAO
After guiding Sporting Clube de Goa to yet another memorable GFA Professional League triumph, head coach Savio Vaz credited the team’s unwavering belief, discipline, and hunger for success as the driving force behind the Flaming Oranje’s title-winning campaign in the 2025-26 season.
In a candid interaction, Vaz reflected on the challenges, pressure, and determination that shaped Sporting’s successful run, while also highlighting the trust placed in him by the club management and the players’ commitment throughout the season.
From the very beginning of the campaign, the Flaming Oranje had only one goal in mind — winning the title. That unwavering focus, according to Vaz, became the foundation of their success.
“It really feels great,” Vaz said while speaking about the triumph. “We had decided before the season that we would play only and only for the title.”
The Sporting Clube de Goa coach credited the players’ self-belief and commitment for helping the team rise above every challenge during the season. He admitted that pressure was inevitable in a title race but stressed the importance of managing it positively.
“If something is important to you, there will always be pressure while trying to achieve it,” Vaz explained. “The pressure will always be there, but we need to find different ways to work around it.”
Vaz has enjoyed a long and successful association with Sporting Clube de Goa. He began his coaching journey with the club during the 2013-14 season and gradually rose through the ranks. Under his guidance, Sporting’s youth teams achieved notable success, including runner-up finishes in the U-16 and U-18 categories, while the U-20 side emerged champions in successive seasons.
He also served as head coach in the Panjim Football League for six years alongside his responsibilities with Sporting Clube de Goa’s junior teams.
In the 2019-20 season, Vaz was promoted to the senior team by the late Peter Vaz, replacing Mathew D’Costa. Since then, he has guided the club to several major achievements, including a joint GPL title in 2020-21, an unbeaten GPL-winning campaign in 2021-22, and another triumphant season in 2025-26.
Vaz also acknowledged the support and trust shown by club owner Nathan Vaz, son of late Peter Vaz, for allowing him complete freedom in handling the team’s technical operations.
“The boss always trusted me and gave me the freedom to work with the team,” Vaz said while expressing gratitude to Nathan Vaz and the entire team management.
The faith placed in Vaz paid rich dividends as Sporting Clube de Goa once again established themselves as one of Goa’s strongest football clubs. His leadership, scouting ability, and focus on nurturing talent played a vital role in the Flaming Oranje’s success.
“We dreamt of something, we worked for it, and we achieved it,” he said. “Now we have more strength and belief to dream bigger and work even harder. There is no better feeling than that.”
