Sporting Clube de Goa to take on Dempo in I-League tomorrow

Mapusa (Goa): An exciting contest is on the cards when Sporting Clube de Goa take on Dempo SC in their Airtel I-League match here tomorrow.

After losing to Churchill Brothers, Sporting got back to winning ways when they thrashed Salgaocar FC in their last match to move to fourth place with 18 points from 11 games.

They now play against another Goan side who look settled and have done well in the last couple of matches.

Sporting's Rowlling Borges, who has picked four yellow cards, will be out of tomorrow's clash at Duler Stadium, while Mackroy Peixoto, Stephene Barreto and Joseph Pereira, all of whom are recovering from injuries, will also not be playing, as coach Oscar Bruzon do not want to put them at further risk.

"The team is doing well and have kept their eyes set on target to finish among the top five. A win will see us move up the ladder and that is what we are aiming for," stated Sporting coach Bruzon.

"We have performed well against our opponents in the Goa league. But now they (Dempo) have recruited young players from Pailan Arrows who are eager to perform and so we need to put extra effort to overcome their challenge," he said. Dempo, which have 12 points from two wins and six draws from 11 matches, boosted their ranks by recruiting players from Pailan Arrows, an I-League team now disbanded.

Dempo's Assistant coach Maurico Afonso, who is managing affairs in the absence of head coach Arthur Papas, is confident his team will do well despite injuries to players like Peter Carvalho, Simon Colosimo and Samir Naik.

"They have been playing well and eager to win matches," he said.

Dempo's key player Roberto Mendes Silva, better known as Beto, has inner thigh injury but he is likely to play.

"He has jogged today without complaining and is expected to play," Afonso added.