Sporting Clube de Goa (simply known as Sporting Goa and abbreviated as SCG) is an Indian professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Panaji Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river est ...

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

. The club competes in the I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league system and the Goa Football League. They previously competed in the

I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...

, then the top domestic flight. The club was built on the lines of Portuguese club

Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,

and adopted a similar club crest. Sporting Clube de Goa won its first Goa Football League in 2006. Since then it has clinched the title in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

and

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

. Sporting Goa is the only club to have won the

Super Cup A super cup is a competition, in association football, basketball, handball, volleyball and rugby union which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competi ...

without winning the league or Federation Cup. The club pulled out of 2016–17 I-League, citing

AIFF AIFF may refer to: * Audio Interchange File Format * All India Football Federation, the national governing body of Association football in India Film festivals * Addis International Film Festival, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia * Alexandria Internation ...

bias against some clubs.

History

Origins

Sporting CG, nicknamed "The Flaming Orange", was founded in 1999 as Cidade de Goa. "Cidade de Goa" (; the original name for

) was purchased by Sporting CG's former owner Peter Vaz later and it was renamed Sporting Clube de Goa in 1999. A sports and recreational club named 'Sporting Clube de Goa' was established in Goa (then in

Portuguese India The State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the ...

) as the branch number 114 of

Sporting Clube de Portugal Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,

Formation and journey: 1999–2010

The club as a professional football club, came into existence in 1999, when the residents of

Panjim Panaji (; , , )also known as Panjim, is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river est ...

decided the launch of a football club after "Cidade dé Goa" (a local club) disbanded its football team. Thus, after

Vasco Sports Club Clube de Desportos Vasco da Gama (simply known as both Vasco Sports Club, and Vasco SC) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Vasco da Gama, Goa, Vasco da Gama, Goa, part of the same named multi-sports club. In ...

, Sporting became the second club of public shareholding in

. The club, built on the lines of Portuguese club

Sporting Clube de Portugal Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,

, has made rapid strides in the national circuit. 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 Indian Bank Recreational Club (also known as Football Club Indian Bank) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club formerly participated in the National Football League (India), National ...

. After winning the 2002–03 National Football League II, 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. 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 East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...

, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar and

Mahindra United Mahindra United Football Club (formerly known as Mahindra & Mahindra) was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded in 1962, the club competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league system, bef ...

. Sporting entered into the finals of 2005 Federation Cup, but finished as the runner-up. In 2005, Sporting missed the

Durand Cup The Durand Cup (also called the IndianOil Durand Cup Powered by Coal India Limited for sponsorship reasons) is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Annadale, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Hosted by the ...

title by a whisker when the Army XI produced an upset to win. In the 2006 edition of Federation Cup, they reached the finals once again, but lost in penalty shoot-out to

Mohun Bagan AC Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest multi-sports clubs in Asia. The club has various sports departments like association football, footb ...

. In 2008, Sporting Goa took part in E. K. Nayanar Gold Cup, played a 0–0 draw with Brazilian side

Associação Ferroviária de Esportes Associação Ferroviária de Esportes, commonly referred to as simply Ferroviária, is a Brazilian association football club in Araraquara, São Paulo. They currently play in the Série B, the second tier of Brazilian football, as well as in the ...

in group stages. The club achieved third place in the 2008–09 I-League.

Later years: 2010–present

After getting relegated from the I-League in 2010, they participated in the 2011 I-League 2nd Division and won promotion by finishing in 2nd place. At the final of 2013–14 Indian Federation Cup, Churchill Brothers defeated Sporting Goa by 3–1. In 2016, they again progressed to the semi-finals, until being beaten by

Aizawl Aizawl (, American English, US: , British English, UK: ; Mizo language, Mizo: ), formerly known as Aijal, is the capital city and the most populous city of Mizoram, India. It is also the third largest city in northeast India. It is situated ato ...

. In June 2020, Sporting Goa enjoyed an international transfer when club's Indian forward Shanon Viegas signed with Portuguese AF Lisboa 2ª Divisão Série side C.D. Olivais e Moscavide for a long-term deal. In the 2020–21 Goa Professional League, 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 The I-League 2 is an Indian men's professional football league. It is the 3rd tier of the Indian football league system, behind the Indian Super League and the I-League. It operates as a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League and ...

. Their

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

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. In August 2022, legendary Goan manager Armando Colaco was appointed as new head coach by the club on a three-year deal. The club reached final of GFA Charity Cup in 2023. In August 2023, Sporting Goa was granted an I-League 3 spot to participate in the inaugural edition. 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. In 2023–24 I-League 2, the club ended their campaign achieving fifth place with 19 points in 14 matches. In May, Sporting Goa clinched their seventh Goa Professional League title. In June 2024, SCG appointed Savio Medeira as new technical director. The club took part in 2024 Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy, in which foreign teams Brisbane Roar and

Defensa y Justicia Club Social y Deportivo Defensa y Justicia, commonly known as Defensa y Justicia, is an Argentine football club from Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, established in 1935.

participated. They suffered a 2–0 defeat to Brisbane Roar on 30 August. In 2024–25 season, the club competed in I-League 2. Sporting Goa clinched the 2024–25 Goa Professional League title in May, securing 46 points and 15 wins.

Club crest and kits

Crest

The crest of Sporting Clube de Goa is predominantly a replica of the former crest of

Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,

, which was in use by the Portuguese club from 1945 until 2001. 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. 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 of Sporting Portugal's crest in use until 2001 by the Portuguese sports club. While the crest of Sporting Goa is coloured in

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

and

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, the official club colours are orange and white. The club's nickname is "Flaming Orange".

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Ownership

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.

Stadium

Traditionally, Sporting Goa played at the Fatorda Stadium in

Margao Margao (, ) is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on the banks of the river Sal. It is the district headquarters of South Goa, and administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district. It is Goa's second largest ci ...

. During the 2011 I-League 2nd Division. However, they had to play at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in

Shillong Shillong (, ) is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...

as the league did not have a home-and-away format. As SC Goa was back in the top-tier, they started to play home games at the Fatorda Stadium. Goa Football Association owned Duler Stadium in

Mapusa Mapusa () is a city in North Goa, India. It is situated 13 km north of the state capital of Panaji. The city is the headquarters of Bardez taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Kochi. During Portuguese Indi ...

became the home ground of Sporting during the 2012–13 I-League, alongside Tilak Maidan Stadium (from January). They also used Duler during the 2013–14 I-League. In Goa, it became the second stadium to get

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

, in 2012. In January 2024, the club again moved to Tilak Maidan Stadium ahead of the I-League 2 season kick-off. In 2025, they decided to use GMC Athletic Stadium and Ella Academy Ground as home stadiums.

Rivalries

In the land of Portuguese heritage, Sporting Clube de Goa has rivalries with their fellow

n sides; Dempo, Churchill Brothers and Salgaocar, whom they faced in

and face in Goa Professional League. The club previously had a rivalry with another Goan side Pax of Nagoa.

SCG Academy, youth and infrastructure

Overview

On 16 August 2013, Sporting launched their football academy on the occasion of the 198th anniversary of the founding of Don Bosco. 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, in order to implement the Sporting Clube de Goa youth development plan. Sporting Goa also renovated the football ground at Don Bosco College in

with the installation of sub-surface slit drainage combined with the laying of perforated pipes. 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. 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.

Academy honours

I-League U19 The Youth League is a system of youth association football, football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the All India Football Federation. It consists of 3 age groups competitions: U17 (AIFF Youth League), U15 (Junior League) ...

**Champions (1):

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

**Runners-up (1): 2008 *Taça Goa U18 League **Champions (1): 2017 *Taça Goa U20 League **Champions (1): 2018

In the community

Sporting Clube de Goa launched its mascot named "

Zumba Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was founded by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001. It currently has 200,000 locations, with 15 million people taking classes weekly, and is locat ...

" (the first live mascot introduced in the league). besides its theme song "Flaming Orange", composed by one of Goa's leading bands, Sky High With Pomp.

Players

First-team players

Honours

League

**Runners-up (1): 2004–05 **Third place (1): 2008–09 * National Football League II **Champions (1): 2002–03 * I-League 2 **Runners-up (1): 2010–11 **Third place (1): 2024–25 * I-League 3 **Champions (1): 2023–24 * Goa Football League **Champions (8): 2006–07, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019–20 (''shared''), 2020–21, 2023–24, 2024–25 **Runners-up (3): 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23

Cup

* Indian Super Cup **Champions (1): 2005 * Federation Cup **Runners-up (3): 2005, 2006, 2013–14 *

**Runners-up (1): 2005 *Goa Governor's Cup **Champions (2): 2005, 2007–08 **Runners-up (1): 2003 * Goa Police Cup **Champions (1): 2018 **Runners-up (3): 2005, 2010, 2019

Others

*AWES Cup **Champions (1): 2018 * GFA Charity Cup ** Champions (1): 2018 ** Runners-up (2): 2021, 2023 * SCG Goodwill Cup **Champions (1): 2015 * Guru Gobind Singh Trophy **Runners-up (1): 2000

Managerial history

* Alex Alvares (—2007) * Clifford Chukwuma (2007–2009) * Roy Barreto (2009) * Vishwas Gaonkar (2009) * Ekendra Singh (2010–2012) * Óscar Bruzón (2012–2014) * Mateus Costa (2014–2019) * Francisco Vaz (2019–2022) * Armando Colaco (2022—present)

Notable players

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''. World Cup players * Anthony Wolfe (2013–2014) * Densill Theobald (2015–2016) Other foreign internationals * Louis Aniweta (2002–2003) * Nicholas Muyoti (2007–2008) * Boniface Ambani (2007–2008) * Lawrence Adjei (2007–2008) * Chad Bertrand (2010) * Stanley Bernard (2010–2011) * James Moga (2011) * Boubacar Keita (2011–2013) * Joseph Amoah (2012–2013) * Koffi Dan Kowa (2014–2015) * Glenton Wolfe (2014–2015) * Pablo Gallardo (2014–2015) * Miguel Garcia (2015) * Mahmoud Amnah (2015–2016) Club World Cup players * Ángel Berlanga (2013)

Average attendances

Other departments

SCG futsal

Sporting Goa formed its

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. ;Honours * Goa Futsal Championship **Champions (1): 2021

SCG hockey

Sporting Goa also operates women's field hockey team, that competes in the Goa Women's Hockey League, and won several editions of the tournament. ;Honours * Goa Women's Hockey League **Champions (2): 2014, 2015

Footnotes

References

General sources

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

* *
Sporting Clube de Goa
at the-

.com''
Sporting Clube de Goa team profile and statistics
at Global Sports Archive
Sporting Clube de Goa
at Sofascore
News on SCG
at Goal.com {{Authority control Sporting CG Association football clubs established in 1999 Football clubs in Goa I-League clubs I-League 2 clubs I-League 3 clubs 1999 establishments in Goa