Churchill Brothers SC marked their return to the I-League with a solitary goal defeat at the hands of Mohun Bagan last weekend. To make matters worse, the Goan side had no foreigners available for the Bagan clash and not much has changed since.
As they gear up to face Mumbai FC on Sunday, Trinidad and Tobago striker Anthony Wolfe will be the lone foreigner to feature for The Red Machines as the other two overseas recruits - Kyrgyzstan midfielder Bektur Talgat and Mali striker A Kroma - are not yet available.
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Wolfe was the only foreigner among the three to have joined the squad's practice sessions at Ambelim, Goa, before Churchill's opening game. However, he did not make the trip to Kolkata on account of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) not arriving in time. Besides, in the absence of head coach Joseph Afusi, assistant coach Alfred Fernandes has been in charge.
"Bektur's ITC has come but he (the player) has not yet arrived. Kroma's visa has not yet been approved, so it will take time for him. The coach (Afusi) also might be there only from the third game," club official Denzil Ferrao informed Goal.
Skipper Keenan Almeida suffered an injury in the last match and as a result had to receive two stitches. He will, however, be available for Sunday's clash while the same cannot be said for their eleventh-hour signings.
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"We have signed Fulganco (Cardozo), Richard Costa and Quan Gomes. If their registration is done then it might be a different game as they will be available. Their medical and everything else is already done," Ferrao stated.
Fulganco joins Churchill Brothers from FC Goa, with Costa jumping ship from FC Bardez. Quan Gomes, an U-22 player, makes the switch from Sporting Clube de Goa.