The club was built on the lines of Portuguese club Sporting CP and adopted a similar club crest.[14] The club Cidade de Goa (translated, City of Goa, the original name for Panaji)[15] was purchased by Sporting's owner late Mr Peter Vaz aded wife current President Mrs Natalina Vaz and renamed Sporting Clube de Goa in 1999.[16] Sporting Clube de Goa won its first Goa Football League in 2006.[17][18] Since then it has clinched the title in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
The club as a professional football club, came into existence in 1999,[24] when the residents of Panjim decided the launch of a football club after "Cidade dé Goa" (a local club) disbanded its football team. Thus, after Vasco Sports Club, Sporting became the second club of public shareholding in Goa.[25] The club, built on the lines of Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal, has made rapid strides in the national circuit.[25] Sporting shot to prominence with an impressive performance in the 2001–02 Federation Cup, the team made it to the last four after victories over stronger teams like East Bengal FC and Indian Bank Recreational Club.[25]
After winning the 2002–03 National Football League II,[26] Sporting made its debut in the 2003–04 season of National Football League. In 2004–05 NFL season, they were on the verge of winning their first league championship but lost out on the last day when Dempo pipped them to the title.[27] Their season was marred by a horrific bus accident that ruled out 4 key players for the whole season while several others were injured. However, led by Nigerian import Dudu Omagbemi, they managed to complete their matches in a very short period after being given a few weeks off so that their players could recover, and heroically came second ahead of traditional powerhouses East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar and Mahindra United.[28] Sporting entered into the finals of 2005 Federation Cup, but finished as the runner-up.[29]
In 2005, Sporting missed the Durand Cup title by a whisker when the Army XI produced an upset to win.[30][31] In the 2006 edition of Federation Cup, they reached the finals once again, but lost in penalty shoot-out to Mohun Bagan AC.[28][32][33] They achieved third place in the 2008–09 I-League.[34]
Later years: 2010–present
Sporting Goa players (in orange) in action against Prayag United in an I-League match at Duler Stadium in 2013Nigerian striker Odafa Onyeka Okolie receiving the home kit from club president Peter Vaz in June 2015
Sporting Goa players (in blue) in action against Churchill Brothers during a local match at Duler Stadium in 2023
In the 2020–21 Goa Professional League,[nb 1] Sporting Clube de Goa emerged champions after recording a comprehensive 9–0 win over Guardian Angel in the final league match at Chowgule ground, but was not selected for I-League Second Division.[39] Their futsal section won the GFA State Futsal Championship, earning a place in AIFF Futsal Club Championship. In the 2021–22 season, Sporting Goa finished as runners-up, finishing behind Dempo.[40] In August 2022, legendary Goan manager Armando Colaco was appointed as new head coach by the club on a three-year deal.[41][42][43][44] The club reached final of GFA Charity Cup in 2023.[45] In August 2023, Sporting Goa was granted an I-League 3 spot to participate in the inaugural edition.[46][47][48] In that edition, the club crowned champions with superior head-to-head record against Dempo and Sporting Bengaluru in play-offs, securing promotion to the I-League 2.[49][50][51] In 2023–24 I-League 2, the club ended their campaign achieving fifth place with 19 points in 14 matches.[52][53] In May, Sporting Goa clinched their seventh Goa Professional League title.[54]
The crest of Sporting Clube de Goa is predominantly a replica of the former crest of Sporting CP, which was in use by the Portuguese club from 1945 until 2001.[61][62][63] One notable difference is that on Sporting Portugal's current crest it says "Sporting Portugal", while Sporting Goa's does not because Sporting CP's old crest, used by Sporting Goa, didn't have any word on it.[61] Another difference is that Sporting Portugal's current crest is mostly dark green and yellow while Sporting Goa's is dark green and white just like the previous iteration[61] of Sporting Portugal's crest in use until 2001 by the Portuguese sports club.[64]
Sporting Goa players in home kit (in orange) during an I-League match against DSK Shivajians in 2016Odafa Okolie of Sporting Goa in club kit (in white), in action against Pune, in an I-League match in 2015.
While the crest of Sporting Goa is coloured in green and white, the official club colours are orange and white.[65][66] The club's nickname is "Flaming Orange".[67][68][69]
Sporting Goa players, staff and officials in press meet at the club house in April 2014
The club was modeled on the Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal and has adopted a similar club crest. The club was founded as Cidade de Goa and was taken over by entrepreneurs Peter Vaz and Edgar Afonso. Later, they renamed it Sporting Clube de Goa in 1999.[71]
Sporting Goa's academy players during a grassroots program in September 2014Training and scouting program by Sporting Goa Academy at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa
On 16 August 2013, Sporting launched their football academy on the occasion of the 198th anniversary of the founding of Don Bosco.[91] The academy for various age groups, namely U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-18, and U-20, with the coaching team built around Spanish coach Javier Fernández, assisted by Norbert Gonsalves, Ashwin Crasto, Francisco Raposo and Freddy Gomes. They worked under the overall supervision and guidance of Sporting's then head coach Oscar Bruzon,[92][93] in order to implement the Sporting Clube de Goa youth development plan. Sporting Goa also renovated the football ground at Don Bosco College in Panaji with the installation of sub-surface slit drainage combined with the laying of perforated pipes.[94] The original mud topping has given way to a sand-based top layer, which encourages drainage and healthy grass growth, and provides a level and cushioned playing surface.[95] Between 2013 and 2015, Spanish coach Javier Fernández Cabrera worked as technical director, as well as assistant coach of the club, playing key role behind Sporting Goa's youth development.[96][97][98]
Sporting Clube de Goa launched its mascot named "Zumba" (the first live mascot introduced in the league).[103][104] besides its theme song "Flaming Orange", composed by one of Goa's leading bands, Sky High With Pomp.[105]
Players
First-team players
As of 28 December 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The players below, had senior/youth international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed represented their countries before or after playing for Sporting clube de Goa.
India national team defender Sandesh Jhingan with Sporting Goa in 2015Odafa Okolie with Sporting Goa (in right), with Darryl Duffy of Salgaocar in August 2015.
Sporting Goa formed its futsal section in later years. It went on to compete in the inaugural edition of Futsal Club Championship, the top-tier futsal club competition in the country.[173][174][175]
↑ Sporting Clube de Goa and Churchill Brothers were declared joint winners of Goa Pro League as the 13 remaining games could not be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
↑ Garcia earned a Portugal national football B team cap on January 26, 2006.
↑ Sharda, Deepankar (12 December 2016). "Minerva FC to debut in 2017 I-League". tribuneindia.com. Chandigarh: The Tribune India News. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
↑ Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010). "Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
↑ Saxena, Siddharth (28 November 2006). "Dempo win Durand Cup". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
1 2 3 "A História dos Emblemas"[The History of Emblems]. sporting.pt (in European Portuguese). Sporting Clube de Portugal. 6 April 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
↑ Sharma, Sukalp (30 May 2010). "Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
↑ Caless, Kit (19 February 2017). "クリケットの街から眺めるインドサッカー界の未来"[The future of Indian football seen from the city of cricket]. vice.com (in Japanese). Vice Japan. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
↑ "Vasco thump Sporting 3–1". navhindtimes.in. Margao: The Navahind Times. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
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