RFDL looks more competitive with many players coming to ISL, says Mumbai City FC assistant coach Clifford Miranda

RFDL 2024-25 has recently kicked off.

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

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.

Rest of India

The Rest of India Zone saw SAI-RC triumph over Football 4 Change Academy at the MFA Ground by 3-2, thanks to goals by Robert Thokcham, Kharibam Pravannanda Meitei, and Pangersunep for the former. Both teams were tied 2-2 at the end of first half, but a 57th minute winner by Pangersunep saw SAI-RC sail through the remaining 30-odd minutes to notch all three points.

At the same venue, Classic FA bagged a comfortable 5-0 victory against Todo United FC, with midfielders Punit Thangjam, Md Arbash, and Ahongshanbram Samson finding the back of the net for the former, gathering the crucial victory for them. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC eased past Senapati FC 3-0 on Thursday to mark a solid start to their RFDL campaign.

Fixtures

Goa

7th DecemberVenue: Duler Stadium8:30 AM | Churchill Brothers FC Goa vs Sesa Football Academy3:45 PM | FC Goa vs Clube de Salgaocar

Rest of India

7th DecemberVenue: MFA Ground9:00 AM | Todo FC vs Football 4 Change11:00 AM | Senapati FC vs Classic FA2:00 PM | SAI RC vs Jamshedpur FC

Mizoram

10th DecemberVenue: Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl10:00 AM | Kulikawn FC vs MYFD, Aizawl12:00 PM | Kanan SC Champhai vs Zemabawk North FC2:00 PM | Aizawl FC vs Greenfield Football Academy

Assam-Meghalaya

12th DecemberVenue: MFA Ground9:00 AM | NorthEast United FC vs Shillong Lajong FC11:30 AM | Rangdajied FC vs Pay For Right FA

Kerala

9th DecemberVenue: Maharajas Ground, Ernakulam7:30 AM | Kerala Blasters FC vs Kerala United FC9:30 AM | Gokulam Kerala FC vs Wayanad United FC3:30 PM | Muthoot FA vs PFC Kerala

Mumbai

9th DecemberVenue: Neville D’souza Ground, Bandra8:00 AM | Kenkre FC vs Reliance Foundation Young Champs10:30 AM | Millat FC vs Mumbai City FC1:00 PM | MH Oranje FC vs MYJ-GMSC

South

9th DecemberVenue: Bangalore Football Stadium7:30 AM | Sreenidi Deccan FC vs Kickstart FC10:30 AM | BIFA vs Chennaiyin FC

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