Saviour Gama extends contract with FC Goa

Panaji, July 8 (IANS) Saviour Gama on Monday signed a contract extension with Indian Super League side FC Goa, which will keep him at the club till the summer of 2021.

The 22-year-old left-back was one of four players to make the step up to FC Goa's first team from Clifford Miranda's development squad which won the Goa Football Association (GFA) Professional League in the 2018-19 season.

Alongside Mohammad Nawaz, Liston Colaco and Princeton Rebello, Gama made the step up to senior football on the national stage, making six appearances in the Indian Super League and the Super Cup.

"I'm very happy to be staying here at the club. I hope I can improve a lot more in the next two years and beyond. I've been in Goa all my life, and was born here. It's my home," Gama said in a statement.

Born in Margao, Gama earned rave reviews for his performances for Regina Mundi School, Chicalim. He also played for FC Bardez in the TACA Under-20 League and SESA Football Academy in the GPL before being spotted at a FC Goa trial by then assistant manager and current head of Youth Development and Technical Director at the club, Derrick Pereira. His displays for the developmental side impressed head coach Sergio Lobera enough to earn him a place on the pre-season trip to Spain.

In ISL, he made his debut in a 1-0 league stage victory against Chennaiyin FC before coming on as a substitute for injured club captain Mandar Rao Dessai in the final at the Andheri Football Stadium.

Despite having less than two minutes to warm up, Gama hardly put a foot wrong throughout the match. His best performance of the season came against I-League champions Chennai City in the Super Cup semifinal where his six clearances and nine tackles helped the Gaurs shut out a formidable opponent, earning him the Player of the Match award.