PANAJI
Goa's men's football team failed to progress from the group stage at the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand, after registering two losses and one win. The team embarrassingly finished bottom of their group, disappointing fans and officials alike.
In an interview with 'The Goan', Jonathan Desouza, the vice-president of the Goa Football Association, shared insights into the team’s performance and future plans. He acknowledged the setback, saying, “It’s disappointing, but the problem is we need to focus on youth development.”
Desouza emphasised the importance of grassroots football for future success. “We’ve already made it compulsory for all Pro League teams to have under-13 and under-15 teams. From next season, under-17 teams will also be mandatory,” he explained. “Earlier, teams were only required to have under-20 teams, but that’s too late to begin developing talent.”
The GFA's strategy aims to develop players from a younger age. Desouza added, “We’ve scrapped the under-20 requirement and are now focusing on under-13, under-15, and soon under-17 and under-19 teams.”
He believes that this will create a strong pipeline of talent and provide a larger pool of players for the state and national teams. He also acknowledged the challenge of retaining top talent, with many players moving to teams in mega tournaments.
Desouza said, “We’re building a bigger pool of players, and this is the only way to improve performance in the long run. It’s a long road, but we have to start from scratch and stay committed.”
