Both teams to miss Indian players
Margao: Brazilian flair will be on display in all its glory as World Cup winner Roberto Carlos’ Delhi Dynamos lock horns with FC Goa, coached by the legendary Zico, in the second edition of Indian Super League (ISL) football here on Sunday.
Playing at home, FC Goa are seeking to make a positive start at the Nehru Stadium.
After a poor start last year, FC Goa rose gradually to reach the semi-finals where they lost to eventual winners Atletico de Kolkata in a penalty shootout.
Unlike last edition when coach Zico did not have the choice to select the players, this time he has taken personal interest in selecting the players, especially the foreigners.
Leading the FC Goa challenge will be former Brazil captain and 2002 World Cup winner Lucio. The Brazilian won almost everything in the world of football, including a treble at Inter Milan, and is now looking forward to a new challenge in the ISL.
The marquee player for FC Goa will lend solidity at the back and is expected to partner French defender Gregory Arnolin, the lone surviving foreign player from last year’s squad.
Meanwhile, FC Goa and Delhi Dynamos will miss the services of some of their Indian players, who are selected for the two World Cup qualifiers, in Indian Super League match here.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has made it clear that all those players selected for the two World Cup qualifiers against Turkmenistan and Oman should report in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.
Therefore, Narayan Das and Pronay Halder will not be available for FC Goa on Sunday, while Delhi Dynamos will not have Robin Singh, Sehnaj Singh and Francis Fernandes in their line-up.
FC Goa coach Zico, however, does not seem to be too bothered by their absence as he is all set to choose the best XI from the available squad.
“I do not want to be thinking about the players who will miss the game. I have my entire squad available and they can do the job for me in their absence,” said Zico.
Delhi Dynamos coach Roberto Carlos, too, is not worried as he also has players to fill the gap. (PTI)