The 2023-24 season was marked by some outstanding performances and unprecedented results. It was very well a case of ‘so-near-yet-so-far’ when the SFA Senior Men’s Team missed the coveted Senior Division Trophy by a mere solitary point. But overall the season was replete with outstanding performances and notable firsts that have cemented SFA’s credentials as a formidable force in Goan football, which is poised to make waves at the National level, having earned its well-deserved promotion to I-League 3.
The season gone by was laced with all round success for the senior Men’s & Women’s teams as well as for the U-19 and other age group squads.
One of the major highlights of the season came in November 2023 when SFA clinched the prestigious United Trophy All India Football Tournament, Gandhinglaj securing a commanding 2-0 victory over FC Goa in a fiercely competitive tournament that featured 16 top-tier teams.
This was followed by the superb performance of the Goa State Team in the prestigious Santosh Trophy 2023, five #SFAvengers formed part of the core group – Joshua D’Silva, Clencio Pinto, Shridharnath Gawas, Umang Gaikwad & Daniel Gomes along with Head Coach Charles Dias & Assistant Coach Severino Fernandes. View Photo Gallery The ‘runners-up’ finish at the elite level fuelled the performances in Goa Pro League and the Senior Men’s Team, completely turned around the season from December ’24 onwards to finish as ‘runners-up’ in the Top Tier with an impressive league topping tally of 55 goals, missing out on the title by a mere 1 point. What stood out were the victories while being down to 10 men, the consistent performances in the back-end of the Season, when no less than 4-5 teams were in the fray for the top two spots and even one result going against could have dashed all hopes, but the #SFAvengers went from strength-to-strength and sealed their place in I-League 3.Among their standout players, Joshua D’Silva’s incredible achievement of 24 goals, an all-time Goa Pro League record underlined the Team’s efforts.
Alongside, the SFA U-19 team also celebrated a first-ever runners-up finish in the GFA U-19 Division I League, while the U-17 and U-15 teams both secured third place in their respective GFA leagues.
On the women’s front, SFA’s Senior Women’s Team made an impressive debut in the Vedanta Women’s League (VWL), securing the third place. In line with Sesa Goa’s philosophy of #PoweringWomanPower, the academy has been a long-standing supporter of women’s football, promoting the game through centres at Amona and Bicholim and collaborating with the Goa Football Association to organize the VWL for the past seven seasons.
The successful conduct of the U-15 Youth Cup, the Sesa Vedanta U-15 Tournaments for girls fuelled SFA’ efforts to hone & develop the next gen of Goan football. The academy has focused on building a strong foundation across various age groups, including U-13, U-15, U-17, and U-19 & U-21 teams. This holistic approach ensures that SFA nurtures talent at every level, contributing to the empowerment and success of both men and women in football.
With an achievement laden 2023-24, SFA is poised to make the next big leap, and the best is yet to come.