FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC will begin their Durand Cup 2023 campaigns as Mumbai City FC will look to make it two wins out of two as three Indian Super League (ISL) teams will be in action on Tuesday. 

The Gaurs who are now under the management of Manolo Marquez will play their first competitive match of the season when they take on Shillong Lajong in Guwahati. Jamshedpur FC who have fielded their reserve team will take on Mumbai City FC who beat Mohammedan Sporting in their first match of the group. 

Revamped FC Goa look to hit the ground running

FC Goa have transformed their squad in the summer and will hope to see their new recruits make a big impact. 

Brandon Fernandes will captain a 25-man FC Goa squad for their Durand Cup 2023 campaign, which is slated to kickoff in Guwahati, Assam on August 8. The squad includes nine homegrown players, including Rayan Menezes who was recently promoted to the Gaurs’ First team from their Developmental side.

Led by head coach Manolo Marquez, the Men in Orange have been drawn in Group D in the Durand Cup, alongside fellow-Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC. Shillong Lajong FC and Downtown Heroes FC are the two other teams that complete the group.

The Durand Cup will mark the start of Noah Sadaoui’s second year at the FC Goa, after he racked up 11 goals and nine assists in just 23 appearances last season. New signings Carlos Martinez, Victor Rodriguez, Paulo Retre and Odei Onaindia accompany the Moroccan international in the foreign contingent. 

Other new signings Rowllin Borges, Udanta Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Boris Singh and Raynier Fernandes are also part of the squad travelling to Guwahati.

Lajong will be upbeat after securing their return to the I-League and will look to make a mark on the Indian football stage once again. A team renowned for upsetting big teams in the I-League, will relist the opportunity to go up against a star-studded FC Goa side. 

Jamshedpur FC’s youngsters face litmus test against Islanders

Mumbai City FC seemed to have picked up from where they had left off last season registering a 3-1 win in their opening Durand Cup match and Jamshedpur FC will have their work cut out against Des Buckingham’s team who have gone full strength in the Durand Cup. 

Lallianzuala Chhangte and Jorge Pererya Diaz both got on the scoresheet and will be looking to display similar kind of form that they showed last season. Greg Stewart too added an assist to his kitty and the Islanders seemed that they had never been on a break. 

For Jamshedpur FC, all eyes will be on their youngsters who will use the Durand Cup as a platform to catch the eye of the new senior head coach Scott Cooper. The Englishman who is leading the pre-season preparation will take notice of the team’s performances in the Durand Cup and look for players he can include in the team for the ISL. 

Mumbai City FC who will start as the favourities will look to  take a giant stride towards the quarter-finals but Jamshedpur FC’s young guns will have all the motivation to make a name for themselves by causing a big upset.