Sandesh Jhingan – FC Goa’s game-changer leading the charge for Gaurs in ISL 2024-25

Sandesh Jhingan – FC Goa’s game-changer leading the charge for Gaurs in ISL 2024-25

Goa, February 6: FC Goa’s season suffered a tough blow when they went down to Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Sunday. The defeat brought to an end an 11-match unbeaten streak as the Gaurs lost just their third match of the ISL 2024-25 season.

The Gaurs’ League Shield hopes are now dependent on Mohun Bagan Super Giant faltering in their final five games more than once but Manolo Marquez’s side are still among the very few teams who actually have a chance of stopping Jose Molina’s team from defending their crown.

A huge reason for FC Goa’s consistent run at the top end of the table is defensive bedrock Sandesh Jhingan. The centre-back is the Gaurs’ talisman. It’s a word not often used to describe defenders but such has been Jhingan’s influence on matters at FC Goa that he is certainly their most important player.

The loss on Sunday was just the first reverse the team have suffered when Jhingan has been on the field in 22 ISL games. That’s very close to an entire league season. So, the 31-year-old’s presence has elevated the Gaurs into title contenders.

As Marquez’s men will look to bounce back from a hard defeat and revive their League Shield ambitions, the Spaniard will look to Jhingan for inspiration.

FC Goa have 27 points in 12 matches since Jhingan made his return for the team from injury this season. The tally is six points fewer than Mohun Bagan SG’s tally in the same period with the Mariners having played two games more.

The picture is totally different for FC Goa when Jhingan is absent from the team. Marquez’s side have a win% of just 38.1% when the centre-back is missing from the team. That rises to 68.18% with him in the team which is a remarkable increase.

This season FC Goa have a win % of just 16.7% in the six matches that Jhingan has missed out in.

The drastic difference in results isn’t just down to how good a defender Jhingan is, but also down to how good an organiser he is at the back and also a leader who can rally his troops at the time of adversity.

Before the defeat to Jamshedpur FC, the Gaurs were unbeaten in 21 games in which Jhingan featured for the team which is the greatest number of games any player has featured in before registering their first loss with any team in ISL history.

It’s a rare record to have on your name and Jhingan is a player who would be very keen to kickstart another unbeaten run now that his earlier run has ended.

Odisha FC who have the third-best goalscoring record in the league and who are chasing a playoff spot themselves won’t make it easy for the hosts. But with Jhingan in their team, the FC Goa faithful would feel confident that they have the resources needed to bounce back from a tough defeat.

Sandesh Jhingan may not always grab the headlines when FC Goa win, but without him the Gaurs may just struggle to make the headlines themselves. He is indeed their game-changer.