Churchill Bros take on Salgaocar FC in I-League opener

Defending champions Churchill Brothers would look to start their campaign on a winning note when they take on Salgaocar FC in the lung opener of the I-League here tomorrow.
The defending champions hope to retain their crown despite seeing a lot of their star players leave at the end of the last campaign.
Churchill Brothers coach Sukhwinder Singh, who has taken over from Subhash Bhowmick, believes his side were well prepared to defend the title.
The former JCT coach was happy the way his team played in the Goa Professional League (GPL). They are the only undefeated team so far in the league and lead the table.

Churchill are a mixture of experience and youth and has the ability to score from set-pieces. Young blood Richard Costa, Alesh Sawant, Elvis Barreto and Jaison Vales have been outstanding performers in the local league.
Among the foreigners, Portuguese Hugo Machado is the right find to replace Roberto Silva, who has moved to Dempo. He, along with Henri Antchouet, can give tough time to rival defenders.

Nigerian Hammed Adesope, along with D Ravanan and Denzil Franco, looked solid in the defence. Others like Lenny Rodrigues, Bikramjit Singh and Sukhwinder Singh will provide the required support.
"Our task is cut out and we are working hard with the players to reach the peak. We have some strategies and are currently working on the same," Churchill Technical Director Sukhwinder Singh said.

Salgaocar, who did not get a good start in the last season of the I-League, would look to put up a spirited show under their new coach Derrick Pereira. They started well in the GPL but somehow could not maintain consistency and have slipped to fourth position.
"We are at a stage where we are building up the team, so I don't want to put too much significance on one player. The youngsters are showing a lot of promise and I hope they combine well along with the foreigners," Salgaocar coach Derrick Pereira said.
"But yes, Francis Fernandes will be one player who will be key for us this season," he said, adding "our target is to perform well and finish among the top.