Dempo SC to host Namdhari FC looking to end wait for first win

Goa Khabar : Dempo Sports Club return to home soil on Thursday when they
host Namdhari FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda in Matchweek 6 of
the Star Cement Indian Football League 2025-26 and for a squad that has spent the
bulk of this season on the road, there is a renewed sense of belief that the tide is
about to turn.

Four away games in a row have tested this group physically and mentally. The 3-1
defeat to Sreenidi Deccan last week was a difficult moment, but Head Coach Samir
Naik believes the week back in Goa has made all the difference.

“The last match the team was not in a really good shape,” Naik said. “But now that
we are back to home and had some training sessions, we have regrouped, worked
on certain things and I feel there is a lot of positivity in the team.”

That positivity has been shaped by intent. Naik has been clear throughout this
campaign that lapses in concentration rather than a lack of quality have been the
difference between Dempo picking up points and going home empty handed. Those
areas, he says, have been addressed.

“There were certain things we worked on particularly,” he said. “Some lack of
concentration cost us these games and we have worked on that. I am pretty sure it is
going to be a different Dempo team altogether tomorrow.”
With the IFL table as tight as it has been this season, Thursday’s fixture at home
carries real significance for Dempo. A win on Thursday at home in front of Dempo’s
supporters would not just lift the Golden Eagles off the bottom but inject genuine
momentum into a squad that has been on the brink of something all season.

Left-back Saiesh Bagkar, one of the club’s bright young Goan talents, echoed his
coach’s measured optimism. For the Golden Eagle, the mood in camp tells a
different story to the one the league table currently shows.

“The mood in the dressing room is still positive,” Bagkar said. “The last few results
were disappointing but it is a part of football. The team has regrouped well,
discussed what went wrong and we have learned from it. Everyone is motivated and
we will bounce back stronger.”

Bagkar also spoke about the defensive improvements the squad has been making
work that he hopes will be visible in tomorrows’ game.

“We identified that our biggest vulnerability has been during decisive transitions and
maintaining compactness as a defensive unit,” he said. “We are taking responsibility,
improving communication and staying disciplined in our positioning. The one thing I
am really focused on is my positioning and decision-making and I want to bring that
into our last four matches and to help the team both defensively and going forward.”
Standing in Dempo’s way is a Namdhari FC side that has shown resilience
throughout this campaign six points from five games, organised and difficult to break
down. They will not make Thursday easy. But Dempo are at home, they are fresh
from a week of focused preparation and they carry the weight of a passionate Goan
fanbase that has waited long enough for something to celebrate.