Team Goemkarponn
Raia: Calangute Association stormed into the semifinals of the 52nd Custodio Memorial Football Tournament with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Sao Jose de Areal in a quarterfinal clash held at the Raia Panchayat Ground. The tournament is being organized by the Raia Sporting Association.
Sao Jose de Areal started the match on an aggressive note, nearly taking the lead in the 4th minute when Mohammad Mansori’s long-range strike narrowly missed the target. Calangute’s Sahil Shaikh came close to opening the scoring in the 6th minute, but his effort sailed just wide.
The breakthrough came in the 10th minute, with Stalen Oliveira putting Sao Jose de Areal ahead with a fine diagonal shot. Calangute almost pulled one back in the 24th minute, but Richard Cardoso’s attempt was cleared off the line by Bersel Viegas. The Areal side then doubled their lead in the 29th minute through Ashnoy Gomes, who finished confidently to make it 2-0 at halftime.
However, the second half saw a resurgent Calangute Association take control of the match. They reduced the deficit in the 42nd minute through Ashwyn D’Souza, and just four minutes later, Fasel D’Souza netted the equalizer, setting up a tense finish.
Sao Jose de Areal almost regained the lead when Ashnoy Gomes unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, but Calangute’s goalkeeper did well to punch it away for a corner.
The decisive moment came in the dying seconds of the match, as Domnic Fernandes produced a stunning 30-yard strike that crashed into the net, sealing a memorable comeback and a place in the semifinals for Calangute Association.
Peter Ferrao, former President of Raia Sporting Club, was the chief guest and presented the Man of the Match award to Domnic Fernandes of Calangute Association for his match-winning performance.
