SFA contemplates starting Senior Academy soon

Panaji, Apr 7 (UNI) Sesa Football Academy (SFA) is looking forward to extend its base with a senior academy at Sirsai in North Goa, for its senior team of 25 players in the age group of 20 to 22 years, who will play in the professional league from the next season.

Speaking to media persons at the Academy at Sanquelim, Sesa Goa Managing Director P K Mukherjee today said as the team has qualified for the professional league, Sesa Club has retained 13 players out of the 17 who passed out from Sesa Football Academy and additional 12 players from Goa or other states will be recruited soon but care will be taken that no foreign players will be in the team.

''We don't have any high expectations from the team in the professional league as they have to play with more experienced players but the players have full confidence to display better performance with top teams in the league,'' Mr Mukherjee said.

Arjuna Awardee footballer Brahmanand Salgaoncar, who was also present, said, ''The series of exhibition matches will also be played between Sesa Club senior teams and Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur, as an exposure for the team before the commencement of the professional league.'' Mr P K Mukherjee said, ''The Sesa Academy senior will be in addition to the existing junior Academy at Virdi. Additional staff, including coaches, will be appointed at Sirsai Academy to maintain its senior professional team.

The 13 players, who passed out from SFA and have been retained for SFA Professionals, are: John Rodriguies, Selwin Ferandes, Inacio, Jason D Mello, Marc Fernandes, Augostinho Fernandes, Sydrop Alfonco, Gabriel Fernandes, LLias d' Souza, Allan Nazareth, Pratesh Shirodkar, Agnelo Monteiro and Josley Miranda.

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