Mapuca, Goa : “Old is Gold” was the clarion call by veteran Indian footballers as they rocked the crowd with their rusty skills and enduring spirit in the North Goa versus South Goa ‘Conceicao Cup’ friendly match at the Duler Stadium here recently.
Loud music by ABBA rocked the Stadium amidst the holiday football crazy crowd roaring their cheers from the gallery on the occasion.
While the North Goa team lifted the winner’s cup with Elvis Goes’ brace to win 3-1 against South Goa, the game still highlighted the veterans’ skills where – despite many exciting goal-scoring opportunities lost in vain – the veterans kept pounding their rivals’ goalposts relentlessly.
The first half saw North Goa’s Elvis Goes–now based in Portugal — scoring their first goal in the fifth minute as he shot the ball past the rival’s former India goalkeeper Brahmanand Sankwalkar.
Goes’ second goal was exciting to watch as he slammed a left-footer ball in a curving trajectory into the goal past the helpless goalkeeper.
North Goa’s Claudio Pacheco took the total to three when he shot a lifter well over the head of goalkeeper Sankwalkar into the goal.
The second half of the match witnessed South Goa putting on the pressure with former India captain Roberto Fernandes manning the defence. Pele de Benaulim shot straight at North Goa goalkeeper Bharat Morje, where it rebounded towards Marcus Carvalho who slammed it in to give South Goa their sole goal.
The match also witnessed the semi-full stadium crowd often holding its breath and continuously venting their roars of frustration over the numerous missed goal-scoring opportunities by their favourite teams.
While one South Goa forward braced for a header into the rival goal and instead the ball missed him by inches, a North Goa forward’s missing an easy open goal by shooting instead over the goalpost drew moans and jeering.
The game also had its rare moments when old rivals roughly bumped each other and then lent a lifting hand, only to earn two yellow cards from the stern referee.
Politicians love for football too was evident as Parra MLA Michael Lobo showed up as Chief Guest, while former MLA/Goa Minister and famed footballer Avertano Furtado too graced the occasion.
