PANAJI
Mumbai City FC assistant coach Clifford Miranda lauded the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) as an important initiative to provide competitive playing time to young Indian players.
Speaking after the Islanders' narrow 2-1 defeat to MH Oranje FC during the Regional Qualifiers at the Neville D’Souza Ground in Bandra, Miranda emphasized the league's growing competitiveness in its fourth season.
He heralded it as critical in the progression of the players into the first-team and encouraged the current crop of upcoming footballers to take inspiration from their peers who moved up the ladder from the RFDL to represent their respective first-teams in the Indian Super League (ISL).
“RFDL looks more competitive than ever before. That’s what players at this age require. The more matches they play, the better it is for them and for the club. Players from here can move to the first-team. It’s good for players who don’t get first-team match time that they come to this level, play teams in their age group, get some valuable experience, and then come back to the first-team. As far as Indian football is concerned, it’s very important, because from here on the future players are going to come,” Miranda said.
He also highlighted the need for expanded match opportunities within the league, which he believes will further strengthen the pipeline for Indian football talent.
He added, “At this level, and the levels below, more matches and game time are important. I hope that the league format gets bigger in the future so that there is more match time for the players. A lot of players have come up in the ISL first-teams from the RFDL. It’s just the beginning for these players. They will become big names. I would tell the players to take references from the ones who have already played in the first team.”
The Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) and MYJ GMSC match delivered a 1-1 draw whereas Millat FC overcame Kenkre FC by 1-0 in the other two matches of the Mumbai Region.
Goa qualifiers
The Regional Qualifiers in the Goa Region saw Dempo SC top the rankings after garnering victories by bagging wins by 3-1 and 2-0 against FC Goa and Sesa Football Academy.
League leaders Dempo SC have notched two victories and a draw in three matches followed by FC Goa in the second position with two wins and a loss. Churchill Brothers FC Goa and Clube de Salgaocar have secured a victory each so far, whereas, Sesa Football Academy, and Sporting Clube de Goa are yet to grab a win but have all added a point thus far thanks to a draw each to their name.
