Dempo play Calangute in AWES Cup opener on 1st September in Goa

 

Dempo Sports Club have been drawn to meet local favorites Calangute Association in the opening match of the AWES Cup, a season-opening all-India football tournament, at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on September 1. All matches will kickoff at 4pm and the Final will be held on September 17.

 

Dempo are among the four seeded teams in the tournament, based on their performance last season in the Goa Professional League where they finished third, behind champions Salgaocar FC and runners-up Sporting Clube de Goa. Fourth-placed FC Bardez is the other seeded team who were all drawn in the same pot while the draw was being carried out in the presence of participating team managers at Dempo House in Panjim on Monday.

 

All outstation teams were placed in the second pot, while the remainder of the teams were placed in the third pot. A group consists one team from each of the pots.

 

 

Dempo, placed in Group A, will kick-off their campaign with a tough encounter against Calangute Association on an opening day. Calangute, known to enjoy plenty of crowd support at Duler, will be no pushovers and will look for a positive start with Mumbai-based ONGC being the other team in the group.

 

Goa Professional League champions Salgaocar FC will face FC Goa’s developmental squad in their opening game on Saturday, September 2. With Viva Chennai the other team in the group, both teams will look forward to an encouraging result.

 

Only the group winners qualify for the knock-out semi-finals.

 

“The tournament will see some mouth-watering clashes, starting with the opening game between Dempo SC and Calangute Association. Both teams are known to draw good crowd support at Duler and we expect the supporters to show up in big numbers for the tournament,” said AWES secretary Jonathan de Souza.

 

GROUPS: Group A: Dempo SC, ONGC, Calangute Asociation; Group B: Salgaocar FC, Viva Chennai, FC Goa; Group C: FC Bardez, FC Pune City, Dempo Juniors; Group D: Sporting Clube de Goa, Gokulam FC Vasco SC.

FIXTURES

 

September 1: Dempo SC vs Calangute Association

September 2: Salgaocar vs FC Goa

September 3: FC Bardez vs Dempo Juniors

September 4: Sporting Clube vs Vasco SC

September 5: ONGC vs Calangute Association

September 6: FC Goa vs Viva Chennai

September 7: Dempo Juniors vs FC Pune City

September 8: Vasco SC vs Gokulam FC

September 9: ONGC vs Dempo SC

September 10: Viva Chennai vs Salgaocar FC

September 11: FC Pune City vs FC Bardez

September 12: Gokulam FC vs Sporting Clube

September 13: Rest Day

September 14: Semifinal (Winner Group A vs C)

September 15: Semifinal (Winner Group B vs D)

September16: Rest Day

September 17: Final

 

All matches at Duler Stadium Mapusa at 4pm.