Jan 2: Neither Air-India (Mumbai) nor Dempo (Goa) will allow an injury apiece affect the upbeat mood in their camps ahead of their Phillips National Football League (NFL) clash tomorrow at the Cooperage.Dempo's Brazilian mid-fielder Anderson Rebeiro will miss the match after sustaining an ankle injury while training.
Bimal Ghosh, Air-India's coach, will have to do without star wing-back Henry Picardo whose injury problems were aggravated by a thigh muscle pull.
The battle may boil down to the accuracy of shock strikers on either side of the pitch and both coaches are enthusiastic.
Dempo's Francis Silveira displayed his touch once again against Mahindras, scoring the only goal of the match.
Ghosh reposes immense faith in Anthony Fernandes who struck the match-winner against Mohun Bagan in a sensational start for the airmen.
The genial Brazilian Francisco Gonsalves, guiding the Goans, believes Silveira will be called upon to do no more and no less than his job.
``Silveria has to score when the
opportunity arises. That is what he trains for,'' Gonsalves said in Portuguese, interpreted by former Dempo wing-back and current manager Custodio Almeida.
Gonsalves is aware that Air-India will come out to play, adrenaline flowing. After all, with two wins under their belt, and playing under familiar conditions, Air-India will take some stopping.
But the Brazilian and assistant coach-cum-trainer Louis Andre feel it will be ``no problem'' while taking on Air-India in their quest to secure three more points tomorrow.
Gonsalves is also not unduly perturbed by the injury to Rebeiro and will pull in a player to take his place a little before the match.
Gonsalves will have Nigerian Christopher Ihegborow to steady the defence, Brazilians -- Joao Soares, Marcelo Antonio -- and Shanta Kumar doing mid-field duties but the Brazilian must expect a lot from his strikers. Silveira and Gautam Ghosh proved menacing against Mahindras and the Air-India defence -- international Jeevan Moras at the helm -- could have a
task on hand.
In attack, Ghosh will pin hopes on Anthony Fernandes to alleviate the team's malady that showed up so depressingly in the NFL last season. The failure to find the net often enough cost dear but the Rs 50,000 incentive for winning matches this year accrued from two splendid strikes. Substitute PJ Jose's spectacular match-winner floored Salgaocar and secured the airmen's second-successive win on Monday after Anthony Fernandes felled Mohun Bagan with a snap strike.
With the tireless Khenthang Paite supplementing international Godfrey Pereira's scheming, the prospects of scoring opportunities look bright for the Mumbai Super Division champions.
A win for A-I tomorrow will avenge defeat at home in the second phase of the League last season.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
