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Defending champions FC Goa have deputized a rather young squad for the upcoming Durand Cup. But Deggie Cardozo, who is in charge of the Gaurs, underlined on Thursday that the Goan club will not only participate in the tournament to garner exposure but also to win.
In addition to the four first-team players – Hrithik Tiwari, Muhammed Nemil, Phrangki Buam, and Ayush Dev Chhetri – FC Goa's squad for the 2022 edition of the competition will primarily have players who participated in the Reliance Foundation Development League. Cardozo shouldered the responsibility of coaching the youngsters in the RFDL earlier in the year and will reprise a similar role in the Durand Cup.
The Development Team head coach, in a press conference on August 11, underlined that he's inclined to try and establish a winning mentality in the minds of young players.
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Although unlike most teams, FC Goa will not be traveling with their senior squad, which hasn't deminised their hopes of defending the title.
"Every team performing in any tournament wants to win and it's the same for us. It's the kind of mentality we need to have and that's what we are putting into the players' minds. We are going there to perform and not just participate. It's about winning and then also about development," Deggie Cardozo stated in response to a Sportskeeda query.
With FC Goa entering the tournament as the defending champions, there will be added pressure on Cardozo to live up to the expectations.
"I don't think there will be any added pressure on me because I already learned about how the Durand Cup is when I was with Atletico de Kolkata.
"We're ready. We are the defending champions and we need to get the trophy back to FC Goa. Our preparations have been good, the team is in good shape and the players are now just eager to reach Kolkata and perform," the 35-year-old coach averred.
"Think everyone has an equal role in the team" - FC Goa's Muhammed Nemil on added responsibility as a senior player in the Durand Cup squad
Muhammed Nemil was the breakout star of last season's Durand Cup, scoring four goals in six appearances. He has since gone onto play in the Indian Super League, making his debut and then becoming a mainstay in Goa's ISL setup. In the current squad for the Durand Cup, Nemil is now one of the most senior players.
When asked how he has been handling the added responsibility of being a senior player in the squad, Nemil stated:
"I don't feel any such responsibility in the squad because we have so many good young talents in the team. I think everyone has an equal role in the team. We're going to try real hard to get the trophy back home."
The defending champions will kick off their 2022 Durand Cup campaign against last season's runner-up Mohammedan SC at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on August 16.
