{"id":102638,"date":"2025-05-06T20:32:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=102638"},"modified":"2025-05-06T20:32:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:02:49","slug":"sfa-senior-womens-team-puts-goa-on-the-national-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=102638","title":{"rendered":"SFA Senior Women\u2019s Team puts Goa on the National Map"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : A new force is rising in Indian women\u2019s football \u2014 Sesa Football Academy (SFA) Senior Women\u2019s Team has scripted a remarkable debut in the Indian Women\u2019s League-2 (IWL2), entering the national Playoffs as one of the top-performing teams. The official hosts are all set to roll out their debut IWL-2 playoff campaign at the Duler Stadium on 9th May.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In their first-ever appearance in IWL2, the SFA Senior Women\u2019s Team, also known as the #SFALionesses, have turned heads with their aggressive playmaking, rock-solid defence, and unflinching spirit. The team remained unbeaten through the group stage, topping the table and scoring 13 goals in four matches against experienced opponents \u2014 a feat that speaks volumes of the grit and ambition fuelling this dynamic squad.<\/p>\n

Their campaign was marked by a confident, attacking brand of football, laced with tactical intelligence and an unmistakable hunger to win. The team\u2019s fluid movement and technical finesse were matched by their mental fortitude, making them one of the most talked-about sides in this year\u2019s IWL2. This is all the more remarkable as the Team was initially not slated to be a part of the IWL2 Group Stage. Getting an entry only due to a last-minute withdrawal, the #SFALionesses showed class and that they very much belong to the upper echelons of women\u2019s football in India. Now, the first-time winners of the Vedanta Women\u2019s League \u2013 Goa\u2019s premier women\u2019s football tournament, are brimming with confidence & self-belief while readying to take on the best in India.<\/p>\n

At the heart of this dream run have been standout performers like Pushpa Parab, who led the frontline with relentless pace and precision, and Team Captain Sushmita, who anchored the midfield with vision, composure, and infectious energy. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ria Rajesh proved to be an immovable wall, pulling off match-defining saves that preserved the team\u2019s dominant goal difference and clean sheets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have built something truly special\u201d \u2013 Severino Fernandes<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of the Playoffs, Severino Fernandes, Head Coach of the SFA Women\u2019s Team, reflected on the journey with pride:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis team is the result of belief, resilience, and pure hard work. We have built something truly special here at SFA. I am glad that the Team is carrying forward their rich vein of form from the VWL. They have demonstrated a level of commitment and maturity that belies their IWL2 debut status. As we prepare to host the Playoffs, we\u2019re doubling down on every detail \u2014 our preparations include high-intensity drills, match simulations, detailed opposition analysis, and focused recovery sessions. I am confident that the Team will perform well and make every Goan proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

SFA\u2019s rise as a powerhouse in women\u2019s football in Goa has been a result of a painstaking process adopted by Vedanta Sesa Goa in positioning & enabling the Academy to be able to take on an entirely different segment of the game. The players are now on the cusp of making history & embodying SFA\u2019s dictum of – #LetsFootballForIndia. Gavin Araujo, Technical Director at SFA, believes this is just the beginning:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a moment of transformation for women\u2019s football. What we\u2019re witnessing is a turning point. The performance of our Women\u2019s Team is not an outlier \u2014 it is the result of ground work laid through the Vedanta Women\u2019s League, our investment in scouting and development, and a progressive footballing ecosystem that encourages young women to dream big. This group of players has shown what\u2019s possible when talent meets opportunity. They\u2019ve put in the hours, they\u2019ve faced tough battles on the field, and now they\u2019re poised to compete at the highest level. Hosting the Playoffs is a proud moment for all of us at SFA, and we\u2019re confident the girls will rise to the occasion \u2014 not just to win, but to inspire.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stage is set, and the stakes have never been higher. Starting 9th May, the #SFALionesses will carry forward the aspirations and legacy of Goan football while locking horns with the Garhwal United FC (Delhi), Roots FC (Bengaluru), Krida Prabhodini Pune (Maharashtra) &\u00a0 Indian Arrows Women Juniors (AIFF developmental side). Each team brings its own style, experience, and ambition \u2014 setting the stage for a gripping footballing spectacle in Goa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : A new force is rising in Indian women\u2019s football \u2014 Sesa Football Academy (SFA) Senior Women\u2019s Team has scripted a remarkable debut in the Indian Women\u2019s League-2 (IWL2), entering the national Playoffs as one of the top-performing teams. The official hosts are all set to roll out their debut IWL-2 playoff campaign […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":102639,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,155],"tags":[3794],"class_list":["post-102638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","category-155","tag-featured"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=102638"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102640,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102638\/revisions\/102640"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/102639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=102638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=102638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=102638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}