The Little Gaurs League (LGL), the flagship grassroots football league organised by the Forca Goa Foundation (FGF), the community wing of FC Goa, is all set to bring back the second edition of the LGL Super Cup following the league’s roaring success in its 4th season which saw more than 1200 children participating and is set for conclusion this weekend.
A total 118 teams took part this season, playing a combined 618 matches between them. The top teams from the league stage will now take part in the Super Cup this Saturday and Sunday.
The two-day event promises to be an exciting showcase of the best young footballing talent in the state, with matches taking place from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on both days at the Salvador do Mundo Panchayat Ground in Salvador do Mundo, Goa.
The LGL Super Cup will feature more than 400 children across 40 teams, all of them vying for the title of Super Cup champions. The inaugural edition of the LGL Super Cup, held last year, featured 32 teams across four age groups.
“The aim of the LGL Super Cup is so that the teams from all three zones can come together for a two day festival of football. More than just a Cup, it's a celebration of the many months of competition, where the best teams from each zone come together to take away the bragging rights of being the best team of the Little Gaurs League,” said Nathaniel D’Costa, Forca Goa Foundation’s Senior Manager for Community Football.
“At the Super Cup, we wish to celebrate all the academies, schools, and training centers that put in the hours to work with developing young children. It's a place where coaches can compare notes and see the level of competition, children get to play against tougher opponents, and parents can come cheer their children as they enjoy the sport.”
Launched in 2018 with an aim to provide children of Goa with opportunities to play regular competitive football, the LGL has since evolved to become one of the country’s biggest baby leagues and one of FC Goa’s key strategies in developing footballers.
This season, the Little Gaurs League carried on the momentum built across the past few years, as more than 1200 children registered, making this the biggest edition of the league to-date.
Spread across 5 different age categories in three zones in Goa – North, South, and Central Goa (Vasco) – the LGL hosted mixed team leagues in the U6, U8 and U10 categories. In addition to the above, an exclusive Boys’ League at the U12 level and an exclusive Girls’ League at the U13 level was also introduced this season.
FC Goa’s unbeaten run in RFDL ends with defeat against Bengaluru FC
In other news, Bengaluru FC handed FC Goa their first loss in the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL), beating them 4-1 in the National Group Stage match at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Friday.
Huidrom Thoi Singh of Bengaluru scored a hat-trick in the first half to give his team an early advantage whilst Goa remained within fighting distance in the first half thanks to their 38th-minute strike. Akashdeep Singh’s goal in the 79th minute though sealed the deal for the Blues.
FC Goa came into this match with an unbeaten record in the RFDL this season, having won 11 games and drawn 2 across 13 matches which included a 10-game unbeaten run in the Goa Regional Stage where they emerged champions. However, Bengaluru FC's impressive performance ended their unbeaten streak and knocked them off the top spot on the Bengaluru Group Points Table.
Their first loss sees the young Gaurs now in second place on the table, with 9 points from 4 matches. Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, now have 9 points from 3 matches and are leading the group.