Durand Cup 2022: FC Goa vs Indian Air Force - 3 player battles to watch out for

Indian Super League (ISL) side and defending champions FC Goa will take on Armed Forces outfit Indian Air Force in Group A of the 2022 Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday, August 19.

In their opening match, FC Goa lost 1-3 to Mohammedan SC, the team they vanquished in last year's final at the same venue. The young Gaurs took a surprise lead in the 34th minute thanks to a splendid Muhammed Nemil strike, but Mohammedan clawed back and scored three in the second half to move to the top of the table.

FC Goa head coach Deggie Cardozo claimed his youthful and inexperienced team were under no added pressure as defending champions, and have come to Kolkata to be the best version of themselves.

After an excellent first half against local giants Mohammedan, Cardozo will hope his side maintains the same rhythm for the entirety of 90 minutes in the coming matches.

This will be the first match in the competition for the Indian Air Force, considered to be the best among the four armed forces teams participating in the Durand Cup this year. One of the powerhouses from Delhi, Indian Air Force are the league leaders in the ongoing Delhi Premier League season with 19 points from nine games.

However, success has been hard to come by for the capital side in the Durand Cup in recent years. They were eliminated in the group stages in 2021 after heavy defeats to Mohammedan SC and FC Bengaluru United and have won only one of their last 16 matches in Asia's oldest tournament.

The battle between the experienced Indian Air Force squad and the young guns of FC Goa could make for an exciting clash on Friday afternoon. Let's take a look at three key player battles that can make a difference on the pitch.

#3 Phrangki Buam (FCG) vs Arashpreet Singh (IAF)

FC Goa attacking midfielder Phrangki Buam and Indian Air Force centre-back Arashpreet Singh will be involved in a classic youth-versus-experience clash.

The 21-year-old Buam is one of the few senior squad players brought in by FC Goa for the Durand Cup. He didn't have the best of outings against Mohammedan, but possesses plenty of quality.

Arashpreet, now 29, is a regular in the Durand Cup for Indian Air Force and is their most reliable defender. He also has four seasons' worth of I-League experience under his belt for Minerva Punjab and Real Kashmir.

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#2 Lesly Rebello (FCG) vs Vivek Kumar (IAF)

FC Goa skipper Lesly Rebello had a decent outing at centre-back against an incisive Mohammedan attack. The 22-year-old defender also wore the captain's armband for FC Goa Reserves in the Reliance Foundation Developmental League earlier this year.

Indian Air Force will have experienced striker Vivek Kumar to deal with Rebello's tenacity in defense. The 30-year-old has been leading the IAF forward line for many years now in the Delhi Senior Division. In last year's Durand Cup, Kumar scored a brace against Bengaluru United.

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#1 Muhammed Nemil (FCG) vs Shibinraj Kunniyil (IAF)

Muhammed Nemil made his breakthrough at FC Goa in the Durand Cup title win last year, contributing four goals and two assists. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has already opened his account this year in his favorite competition with a stunning long-range goal versus Mohammedan.

Aiming to keep the youngster from finding the net again will be Indian Air Force goalkeeper Shibinraj Kunniyil. The 29-year-old, who will be playing Durand Cup football for the third time with Indian Air Force, was on the books of debutant club Sreenidi Deccan FC for the 2021-22 I-League season. Kunniyil also has prior I-League experience with Churchill Brothers, Gokulam Kerala and Mohun Bagan.

The Gaurs' fast-paced offense, with Nemil at the center of it, could make for a busy day for the Indian Air Force custodian.