BY IRINEU GONSALVES

IT IS BOTH a privilege and pleasure to write about the great men of football – who are held in high esteem for their immense contribution to the game and development of the game they so dearly love.  This piece is a recollection of some famous goalkeepers who wore the number 1 jersey for their respective clubs, state and the country.

Each generation brought about great goalkeepers.  Gyula Grosics (Hungary), Lev Yashin (USSR), Gordon Banks (England), Dino Zoff (Italy), Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland) Thomas Ravelli (Sweden) have been rated as six best all time great goalkeepers.  Gyula Grosics played for Hungary in the 1954, 1958, 1962 World Cups.  Lev Yashin who saved over 150 penalties in his career played in three World Cups 1958, 1962, and 1966.  Gordon Banks was nicknamed ‘Banks of England’.  This was no idle acclaim.  When he saved Pele’s header in 1970 World Cup match against Brazil, his save was hailed as the greatest save the world ever saw.  Banks tragically lost the sight of an eye in a car crash.  But he continued to play in the USA.  Dino Zoff remained unbeaten for over 1,000 minutes of football.  He played for Italy in the 1974, 1978, 1982 World Cups.  Pat Jennings kept goal for Northern Ireland for many years and retired in 1986 after the World Cup at the age of 40.

Many good goalkeepers who came after them performed creditably.  Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay) was far and away Paraguay’s most famous player.  He was famous for taking his team’s penalties.  And like Peter Schmeichel he was coming forward for last ditch attacks and many a time those attacks culminated into goals.  Who can ever forget the stylish goalkeeping of Peter Shilton (England), daring dives of Romania’s shaven-headed Bogdan Stelea and Spain’s most capped player Zubizarreta’s consistency?  David Seaman, Rio Garcia, Jorge Campos, Jim Leighton, Michael Konsel, Andreas Kopke, Gilmar, Brad Friedel are some of the famous contemporary goalkeepers.

GOA’s famous goalkeepers

Benzinho Fernandes: Arguably, Benzinho was the most outstanding goalkeeper in the early 60s.  Beginning his career with the Railways, he went on to represent Goa on its debut in the 1963/64 Nationals at Madras.  He also played in the Nationals at Guwahati and Hyderabad.  The opponents used to fear him during corner kicks.

Vivian Furtado:  Stockily built, he came into prominence when he played for Vasco Sports Club in the period 1964-67.  It was widely believed that in 1966 when Vasco lost to Mohun Bagan in the Rovers Cup final, if Vivian had not been injured the outcome of the final would have been different.  Vivian represented Goa in the Nationals in 1964 (Guwahati) and 1965 (Quilon).

Avinder Singh:  Vasco Sports Club won a number of tournaments in the good old years largely due to superb goalkeeping by Avinder.  Safe hands that were exceptionally good at dealing with crosses made this strongly built goalkeeper an even better keeper.  He was also an intimidating prospect for any striker.  He covered the angles well and was very safe against corner kicks.  He played for Vasco Club from 1968 to 1972.  He also made a fine showing for Goa in the Nationals at Cuttack (1968) Nowgong (1969) Madras (1970).

Subhash Sinari:  Think of an acrobatic goalkeeper and Sinari’s name will easily figure atop all other goalkeepers Goa has produced.  He began his career with Salgaocars and remained with them for quite a long time.  Recently, he was in the news, though for wrong reasons, narrating the humiliation meted out to him by his employers.  He represented Goa in the Nationals at Quilon, Hyderabad, Nowgong and Madras.

E.N.Sudhir:  Sudhir joined Vasco from Spirited Youth Cannanore in 1972, the year Goa hosted the Nationals.  The same year he played for India in the Asian Youth Championship.  Those who watched Goa’s encounters against Karnataka and Bengal at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Stadium, Margao still remember the superlative saves that Sudhir brought about.

Brahmanand Shankhwalkar:  The first ever Goan to be awarded the country’s highest sports award – The Arjuna Award.  He had the most glamorous playing career in the country spanning two–and–half decades.  Brahmanand represented Goa in 17 editions and played in the Senior Division League for 25 years.  He has the distinction of leading Goa at the 1983 Nationals where it emerged Joint winners with Bengal and was again the captain when Goa won outright in 1984.  His agility and extraordinary reflexes made him an excellent shot-stopper.

Teotonio D’Silva:  Was a gutsy goalkeeper who had a safe pair of hands.  In the Bandodkar Gold Trophy held at Vasco in 1977 he sustained a serious head injury when he dived at the feet of Sebastian Cunha who was poised to have a crack at the goal.

Eugenio Cardoso: Eugenio is one of the stylish goal-keepers Goa has produced.  He was a force behind Dempo’s victories during the 1979-86 season.  So much so that when Dempo lifted the Stafford Cup at Bangalore, he did not concede a single goal.  Temperament was his strongest asset.  He represented Goa in the Nationals in 1972 and 1979.

Chandrakant Naik:  He always played second fiddle to Brahmanand but when he got the opportunity to keep the goal he grabbed it with both hands.  He represented India in the pre-Olympics series and on the West Indies tour in 1983 and also in 1987 Nehru Gold Cup at Calicut.

Remedios Fernandes: He was a regular keeper for Sesa Goa for several years and represented Goa at the 1972 and 1974 Nationals.

Irineu Gomes (Pandu): He was a member of the Goa squad for the Kozhikode Nationals in 1975.  He was famous for high dare-devil exploits.  Pandu had a unique style different from others.

Caetano Fernandes: Caetano was in the Goa team for the 1980 National at Cuttack and 1983 at Calcutta.

Marcus Pacheco: Marcus’s playing career started with MPT Sports Council and ended with the same team.  He also represented Goa in the Nationals. (He is now one of the leading coaches in Goa).

Alexinho Fernandes: Alexinho came into prominence while playing for MPT but was (the cynosure of all eyes while playing for Vasco.  He represented Goa in the 1977 and 1978 Nationals.  Goalkeepers whose name deserve a special mention are Peter Colaco known as Pompeu, Eustaquio Pereira (Dempo), Basilio Soares, Fanchu Barreto (MCC), Gopi Naik, Gabriel Fernandes, Diago.  Quite a few may have escaped my scrutiny. Next week will feature the players who wore No.10 for Goa’s famed clubs.

Back