Panaji: Everyone who watched Muhammed Nemil’s stunner against Mumbai City FC were astonished at the quality of the long-range goal, but FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez simply turned and went back to his seat at the dugout.No sign of emotion, as if suggesting it was business as usual. Of course he was happy for Nemil, who scored his first goal in the Indian Super League (ISL). But unlike others, the strike didn’t take him by surprise.“He scored a goal which he normally scores in training sessions but has never done it in a (competitive) game,” Manolo told reporters after the 2-0 win against Mumbai on Saturday. “He scored a similar goal in a friendly against Mumbai City in Navi Mumbai when Des Buckingham was coach. He recreated that goal today. I am very happy for Nemil because for a player who plays in that position, it’s important to score.”It wasn’t Nemil alone who came in for praise from the coach. It was, in his own words, “a good team effort.”“I think this was our best game of the season. We had a strong opposition in front of us, unbeaten, and faced with a situation where a loss would have meant season over for us. We are still here (fighting). Hats off to the boys. The season has been long, and we have already qualified for Asian competition by winning the Super Cup. I am saying it again, I am very satisfied with the squad that we have this season. They performed at a very high level. today,” said Manolo.The win took Goa (16) to third on the table, just two points behind leaders Mumbai (18). Favorites Mohun Bagan SG are second with 17 points and can open a gap at the top of the table should they pick a win against NorthEast United FC.“Jamshedpur lost, Mumbai lost, while East Bengal and Bengaluru drew, so this has been a great round for us,” said Manolo. “Now we travel to Guwahati to face NorthEast, a team that has been sort of a black spot for us because we have not defeated them. This is a very difficult competition; it’s not easy to keep winning. Let’s see if we can defeat NorthEast.”Goa face NorthEast United on April 24 and Jamshedpur FC on May 1, before returning home for a high-profile clash against Mohun Bagan on April 9.
