The Goa Football League is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of Goa, organised by the Goa Football Association as part of the state leagues. It was formed in 1951 as the Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division, and the current top division consists of the Goa Professional League (abbreviated as GPL, also known as the CAM Goa Pro League for sponsorship reasons) which is the premier state-level football league in Goa.Football in Goa: Sport, Politics and the Portuguese in India (pages 75-88) Taylor and Francis. Author: James Mills. Publication date: 14 September 2010 (online published) Retrieved 20 July 2021 Dempo is the most successful club in the tournament, with sixtteen titles. —
History Goa Primeira Divisão / Goa First Division The official league in Goa, called the Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division, began in 1951 and was organised by the Conselho de Desportos. The first League champion of Goa was Clube Desportivo de Chinchinim who beat Football Club of Siolim, to clinch the title.
League continued under the aegis of the Conselho de Desportos until the season of 1958–59, with Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama taking the title that year. In 1959, the Goa Football Association was established as the official administrative body of football and from that season onwards the league was conducted by GFA. The 1959–60 League was conducted by the GFA and Clube Independente de Margao emerged champions.
Until the 1968–69 season, the First division league was considered as senior. The GFA introduced Senior Division in 1969–70, which used to be the topmost division, but later was abandoned.
In 1970–71 season, apart from the Senior division league, there came into existence the First division league, which was split into two groups, namely the North Zone and South Zone. While the North Zone consisted of teams from Ilhas and Bardez, the South Zone accommodated teams from Mormugao and Salcete.
From the around 24 teams in the Second division, just one would make it to the First division, while there were around 60 teams battling it out in the Third division, of which two teams make it to the next stage. Subsequently, the teams finishing at the bottom of their respective pool are relegated to lower divisions.
Goa Super Division In 1977 Goa Football Association introduced the Super League, with Salgaocar Sports Club clinching the title. With football continuing to develop at a fast pace, GFA decided it was time to push the game onto a higher platform. Goa emerged as the first State ever in the country, to go fully professional with the game.
Goa Professional League The first Professional league was launched in the 1998–99 season. The five top teams of the 1997–98 Super League – Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar, Dempo, Vasco and VLM SC – automatically qualified for the Pro league.
The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000–01 season, after the GFA increased the participating number and competitiveness factor. Since 2002 the league was played as an eight-team format with home-and-away fixtures, making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA then announced that the 2011 season would be played with 10 teams under a new format.
Competition structure
TierDivision1(5 on Indian football pyramid)Goa Professional League2(6 on Indian football pyramid)GFA First Division League3(7 on Indian football pyramid)GFA Second Division League4(8 on Indian football pyramid)GFA Third Division League
Goa Pro League
The first Professional league was launched in the 1998–99 season. The five top teams of the 1997–98 Super League – Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar, Dempo, Vasco and VLM SC – automatically qualified for the Pro league.
The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000–01 season, after the GFA increased the participating number and competitiveness factor. Since 2002 the league was played as an eight-team format with home-and-away fixtures, making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA then announced that the 2011 season would be played with 10 teams under a new format.
GPL current clubs The following clubs are competing in the GPL during the 2023–24 season.
Club LocationDempo CarambolimSporting Goa PanajiPanjim FCYoung Boys of Tonca CaranzalemFC Goa B PorvorimCalangute Association CalanguteSESA FA SanquelimGeno Sports Club MapusaVasco SC VascoCortalim Villagers CortalimPax of Nagoa SC VernaChurchill Brothers MargaoGuardian Angel SC Curchorem
List of Goan champions
Season Champion Goa Primeira Divisão / Goa First Division1951–52 Clube Desportivo Chinchinim1952–53Sporting Clube de Goa1953–54Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama1954–55Associacao Desportiva de Velha Goa1955–56Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama1956–57Associacao Desportiva de Velha Goa1957–58Grupo Desportivo da Policia1958–59Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama1959–60Clube Independente de Margao1960–61Clube Desportivo Salgaocar1962–63Salgaocar Sports Club1963–64Salgaocar Sports Club1964–65Vasco Sports Club1965–66Salgaocar Sports Club1966–67Vasco Sports Club1967–68Sesa Goa Sports Club1968–69Vasco Sports Club1969–70League Unfinished1970–71League Unfinished1971–72Dempo Sports Club1972–73Sesa Goa Sports Club1973–74Dempo Sports Club1974–75Salgaocar Sports Club1975–76not held due to national emergency1976–77not held due to national emergency Goa Super League1977–78Salgaocar Sports Club1978–79Dempo Sports Club1979–80Dempo Sports Club1980–81Dempo Sports Club1981–82Salgaocar Sports Club1982–83Salgaocar Sports Club1983–84Dempo Sports Club1984–85Salgaocar Sports Club1985–86Salgaocar Sports Club1986–87Dempo Sports Club1987–88Dempo Sports Club1988–89Salgaocar Sports Club1989–90MRF Sports Foundation1990–91Salgaocar Sports Club1991–92MRF Sports Foundation1992–93Salgaocar Sports Club1993–94 Dempo Sports Club1994–95Salgaocar Sports Club1995–96Churchill Brothers SC1996–97Churchill Brothers SC1997–98Churchill Brothers SC Goa Professional League 1998Salgaocar 1999Churchill Brothers 2000Churchill Brothers 2001Churchill Brothers 2002Salgaocar 2003Salgaocar 2004Salgaocar 2005Dempo 2006Sporting Goa 2007Dempo 2008Churchill Brothers 2009Dempo 2010–11Dempo 2011Salgaocar 2011–12Dempo 2012–13Salgaocar 2013–14Sporting Goa 2014–15Salgaocar 2015–16Sporting Goa 2016–17Salgaocar 2017–18Sporting Goa 2018–19FC Goa Reserves 2019–20Sporting Goa and Churchill Brothers 2020–21Sporting Goa 2021–22Dempo 2022–23Dempo 2023–24Sporting Goa 2024–25Sporting Goa 2025–26Sporting GoaSource: Goa League Champions
GPL top scorers SeasonTop scorerClubGoals2011 Koko Sakibo Victorino Fernandes Dempo S.C.Sporting Clube de Goa6 Juanfri Sporting Clube de Goa32013–14 Melwin Fernandes Wilred Leisure 132014–15 Victorino Fernandes Sporting Clube de Goa112015–16 Odafa Okolie Sporting Clube de Goa112016–17 Liston Colaco Salgaocar F.C. 132017–18 Joel Sunday Salgaocar F.C.202018–19 Devendra Murgaonkar Salgaocar F.C. 202019–20 Marcus Masceranhas Sporting Clube de Goa142020–21 Marcus Masceranhas Sporting Clube de Goa9
First Division League
The Goa Football Association First Division (First Division) is the second-highest state level football league in Goa, following the Goa Pro League. It is organised by the Goa Football Association. The champions of the First division get promoted to the GPL. It is contested by 14 clubs. As of 2023, there are 15 clubs playing the league, with each team playing a total number of 13 matches. It is usually played from March to May.
First Division clubs ClubCSM Minguel de TaleigaoGoa Police SCGoa Velha SCSalgaocar FC U21Sesa FADempo S.C. U21UC TelaulimCurtorim GymkhanaYC ManoraCuncolim UnionSt Savio SCAA de MoiraSSC CavelossimDunes SC BITS Goa FC
Sources Goa Football Website First Division Scores First Division League News
See also Bandodkar Trophy Goa Police Cup
References
Further reading
External links