Salgaocar FC high on confidence ahead of Durand Cup opener

Having started the season strongly with seven wins and two draws in the Goa Professional League, Salgaocar FC is riding high o n confidence ahead of their Group A opener against Indian Navy in the Durand Cup here tomorrow.
The Durand Cup got underway today with 12 teams with the finals slated for November 8. The third team in the group is another Goan outfit, Tuff Laxmi Prasad SC, who secured a spot in the final round after having emerged through the qualifiers.
The nine rounds of the Goa Pro League played thus far would have given Sagaocar an opportunity to try out various combinations given the fact that the club has made a few signings at the start of the season.

Salgaocar FC first annexed the Durand Cup in 1999, beating Kolkata giants East Bengal via a penalty shoot-out and in the process became the first Goan side to win the coveted trophy.
They went on to repeat the feat in 2003, beating the very same opponents in much the same fashion.
Coach Derrick Pereira knows very well what it takes to win the Durand Cup, having won the tournament twice, once with the all-conquering Salgaocar squad of 1999 under Shabbir Ali, and then guiding Mahindra United to the Durand Cup triumph in 2007-08 as coach.
"It is always good to have a few wins under your belt at the start of the season. However, the first phase of the Goa Pro League is now a thing of the past and we are focussed solely on the Durand Cup. We need to start afresh," cautioned Pereira.

"The team spirit, camaraderie and confidence amongst the players is at an all-time high," he added.