Today, we take a look back at a moment in history that may just have changed the perception of football in Goa, and laid the foundations for its nationwide respect in the beautiful game.

Setting course for history

We take a trip down memory lane, first to 1983, where Goa competed in the Santosh Trophy final against an unstoppable Bengal side.

On the night, Bengal managed to break Goan hearts by winning their 21st Santosh Trophy crown, beating Goa over two legs.

While there was no shame in losing to Indian football’s true heavyweights, there was a genuine feeling that this group of young Goan footballers were destined for greater success. They didn’t have to wait very long, as it turned out.

The start of something special

Goa began the 1984 Santosh Trophy campaign with renewed vigour, and under the captaincy of the inspirational Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, had the grit and determination to attempt something quite extraordinary.

“We played well in the 1983 final but I remember our Coach (Thulukhanamm Shanmugam) always saying that we need to win the cup,” Brahmanand says with a smile.

The 1984 season saw the perfect start, with comprehensive pre-quarterfinal victories coming against Manipur and Pondicherry, cementing Goa as a major player in the tournament.

Punjab halted Goa’s progress by sneaking a draw, but the signs still suggested that this team would go far in the competition, and that is exactly how things unfolded.

Mauricio Afonso scored the winner as Goa beat Karnataka, and subsequently, the smallest state in the country booked its place in the semi-final with a victory over Tamil Nadu.

The onslaught continues

In the semis, a rugged Kerala side came up against the spirited Goans, but what followed was truly incredible, as the latter won 6-0 on aggregate over two legs, and booked their spot in a second consecutive final.

“We had a strong team spirit in 1984,” says Brahmanand.

“When you have great players in a team and no team spirit, you won’t get very far. We had some talented players like Mauricio Afonso, Lector Mascarenhas and Derrick Pereira who came in and made the team click.”

The stage was set for a changing of the guard, especially since in-form Punjab had also booked their spot in the finale, and fans were about to bear witness to a duel of two sides hungry for success.

“…if we don’t win the cup, we’ll win the hearts of the people.”

“I had the belief that if we don’t win the cup, we’ll win the hearts of the people, but the record stands when we win the cup. We were ready to give our best and our performance was going to talk,” Brahmanand recalls feeling before the game.

“Our coach told me that we must not concede a goal. He told me that I needed to perform like a leader and speak to our youngsters continuously. He told me that the cup must come to Goa.”

As it turned out, Goa took home the spoils thanks to a glancing header from Camilo Gonsalves six minutes from time, sealing a historic Santosh Trophy victory that was very well deserved.

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“I remember that moment like it was yesterday,” recalls Brahmanand.

“After the goal happened, I told myself the game starts now. I needed to concentrate on getting through the game and luckily I was able to.”

Scripting history together

It was a defining moment for legendary coach Thulukhanamm Shanmugam, who had achieved what seemed impossible, and managed to pull it off via a team effort that saw everyone pull through and bring out the best in each other.

It was midfielder Arnold Rodrigues who won the Player of the Tournament Award for a fantastic campaign, whereas final hero Camilo Gonsalves was adjudged as the best forward of the campaign. For Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, this may have been one of many feathers in his illustrious cap, but he believes it was a special one for the state of Goa.

“For the state of Goa this was a special moment. Winning the Santosh Trophy was a very big achievement and we had finally accomplished it for our people.”

The 1984 season is often considered as a defining moment in Goa’s history, and we salute all those who made the achievement possible in a truly extraordinary year for Goan football.