Mohammedan vs Goa (Durand Cup 2022): Preview and Prediction
Goa and Mohammedan will lock horns with each other in a repeat of the final of the previous edition of the Durand Cup to set the ball rolling for the 131st edition of India’s oldest football tournament. The match will kick off at 07:00 PM IST at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Defending champions Goa are clubbed with runners-up Mohammedan alongside Indian Air Force, Jamshedpur, and Bengaluru in Group A of the 2022 Durand Cup. The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament.
As a club that is targeting to participate in ISL the next season, the tournament will be a good indication for Mohammedan to gauge their level of competitiveness. As far as Goa is concerned, Durand Cup 2022 will serve as a good platform for youngsters to prove their mettle.
Current Form
Mohammedan engaged themselves in two pre-season friendlies against ISL sides to prepare for Durand Cup 2022. In the first encounter against ATK Mohun Bagan on August 6, the Black Panthers had the lead at half-time courtesy of a penalty goal from Abhishek Halder but succumbed to the pressure to end up on the losing side by a margin of 2-1.
In the second pre-season friendly on 10th August, Ousmane N’Diaye and Pritam Singh found their names on the scoresheet as Mohammedan beat Chennaiyin 2-1. Goa enters the Durand Cup 2022 on the back of no pre-season preparations as the team members indulged themselves in closed doors preparations.
Head to Head Record
This will be the second encounter between the two sides with the previous one being held at the same venue in the final of the 2021 Durand Cup. The match went into extra time after the two sides couldn’t be separated in 90 minutes. Goa captain Edu Bedia struck late in the extra time to hand the Gaurs a 1-0 win over Mohammedan.
Team News
Mohammedan will be eager to start their Durand Cup 2022 on a winning note
Goa’s 26-member squad for the Durand Cup 2022 comprises only four first team members in the form of Muhammad Nemil, Ayush Chhetri, Phrangki Buam, and Hrithik Tiwari. The rest 22 teammates comprise players from the developmental squad and not a single foreign player has been included in the team.
Moreover, the Gaurs will be led by Deggie Cardozo as opposed to head coach Carlos Pena who is yet to arrive in India. Defender Lesly Rebello will don the captain’s armband while Sheikh Faiaz will do the same for Mohammedan.
Mohammedan look well-drilled ahead of Durand Cup 2022 with two pre-season friendly matches. They have figured out their tactics and playing style and it remains to be seen how they fare against an ISL side.
Predicted Starting XIs
Goa’s 26-member Durand Cup 2022 squad
Mohammedan (4-3-3): Sankar Roy; Abhishek Ambekar, Ousmane N’Diaye, Sairuat Kima, Safiul Rahaman; Abhishek Halder, Milan Singh, Nuriddin Davronov; Kean Lewis, Sheikh Faiaz, Marcus Joseph
Goa (4-4-2): Hrithik Tiwari; Lesly Rebello, Aditya Salgaonkar, Mallikjan Kalegar, Salman Faris; Anthony Fernandes, Ayush Chhetri, Muhammed Nemil, Shannon Viegas; Salgeo Dias, Jordan Borges
Prediction
Although Goa holds a head-to-head advantage over Mohammedan, they enter the match as underdogs. The Gaurs have had no pre-season practice matches and will take the field with an inexperienced side and no foreign players. Mohammedan, on the other hand, comes into the contest with a full-strength side and a victory over Chennaiyin. We predict Mohammedan to win the encounter by a margin of 3-0.