Panaji: A 20-member strong Salgaocar Football Club squad has left for Cochin with an aim of putting up a better show in the Federation Cup when they begin their campaign against Shillong Lajong on January 15.
Salgaocar are placed along with Shillong Lajong, Mohun Bagan and Mumbai FC.
Coach Derrick Pereira is confident of his team displaying some fine football after his team dished out some good performances resulting in emphatic wins in the couple of friendlies played last week against the Goa-India team for the Lusofonia Games.
Derrick has made a couple of re-enforcements to the squad with Mumbai Tiger FC's forward Bikash Jairu, the top goal scorer at the 2013 edition of the Durand Cup with seven goals, having been signed on loan to enable the greens find the back of the net more consistently.
Bikash coincidentally netted four goals in Mumbai Tiger's 6-2 rout of Sikkim United in the same tournament. Freiman Peixoto, who was also signed on loan late in December and made his debut against Bengaluru FC in the last game of the I-League prior to the breather, has also been included in the 20-member squad.
The team will rely on their strength in midfield, particularly Indian internationals Francis Fernandes, Rocus Lamare and the versatile Gilbert Oliveira to dominate possession and create openings for their sharp shooter, Darryl Duffy.
Matthew Foschini adds solidity to the back manned by the resolute Chika Wali with the ever reliable Karanjit Singh in goal. Their campaigner opener against Shillong Lajong will be followed by a match against Mumbai FC on the 18th January, while they will wrap up their league engagements against Mohun Bagan on Jan 21 with all their matches scheduled to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Cochin.
