Durand Cup 2023: FC Goa lock horns with Shillong Lajong

FC Goa are the former champions of the Durand Cup.

Indian Super League (ISL) side and former Champions FC Goa kick-off their 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup campaign against once-defeated Shillong Lajong in Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium on Tuesday afternoon. So do the Red Miners of Jamshedpur FC on the same evening in Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) against Mumbai City FC, fresh after a 3-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting in their opening game on Saturday.

The Group D game in Guwahati begins 3.00pm Indian Standard Time (IST) while the second Group B game in Kolkata kicks-off at 6.00pm IST.

Gaurs will be wary of a resurgent Shillong

Although the 25-member squad announced by the Gaurs under Head Coach Manolo Marquez has enough firepower to dislodge the best in India on their day, they will still be wary of a Shillong side who will be desperate to avoid an early exit and who in their opening game defeat to NorthEast United FC, did show signs late in the game of their famous pluck and never-give-up attitude.

“We want to win the Durand Cup and start our league campaign on a strong note. Playing as many games as possible, qualifying for the semi-finals or the finals and so on will benefit us greatly,” Manolo, the master-tactician explained ahead of the match.

Besides Moroccan Noah Sadaoui, the Gaurs will also have exciting young Indian attacking talent like Muhammed Nemil and Devendra Murgaokar to watch out for-two names who have pleasant memories of this tournament.

Lajong on the other hand will hope that the kind of intensity that crept into their game againt the Highlanders after the introduction of players like Phrangki Buam, can be maintained from the beginning if they hope to get anything out of the match.

All 43 games of the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup are being telecast LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 2 channels as well as livestreamed on SonyLIV.

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