CHARLES D’SOUZA
MARGAO
Goan football team led by Jessel Carneiro will kick-start their campaign in the final round of the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy on April 8 against Services in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Ahead of the State team’s departure for Punjab, The Goan caught up with Carneiro to learn more about the preparations of the side. “The preparations are done and now we are just ready for playing and giving our best on the ground. We will be playing the National Football Championship and we will have to be at our best to beat the teams we face,” Carneiro said. “We have a mix of youth and experience in the team. It will be a great test for us as a unit,” stated the Dempo footballer.
“We cannot get ahead of ourselves and have to take one match at a time, rather than thinking directly about the final as we have some tough encounters to begin with. Each step is important and the objective will be to ensure that we come out victorious in all our matches,” he added.
The Goa captain said the team has learnt its lessons from the past edition’s debacle and is geared up for a positive start to the championship. “At the preparatory camp, we have looked back at our mistakes and also have tried to develop some new combinations that can help us improve our game. We are confident of our chances of winning but we don’t want to get complacent,” Carneiro said.
Goa, drawn in Group A with Services, Delhi, Odisha and Meghalaya, will need a top-two finish in the group to secure a place in the semifinals.
