Goa will take on Meghalaya in the first match of the Santosh Trophy at the SAG Athletics Stadium on Sunday. The tournament is making a return to Goa after a gap of 21 years. In the second match of the day Chandigarh will face West Bengal at the Rosary Ground in Navelim.

Spilt into two groups, Group A consists of host Goa along with teams like Meghalaya, Services, West Bengal and Chandigarh. Group B have teams from Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Railways and Punjab. The top two teams qualify for the semifinals.

The defending champions Services will face Bengal on Tuesday. However, this time the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has made it compulsory for all teams to field a minimum of three under-20 players in the starting eleven.

The Santosh Trophy was first played in Goa in 1972 where they lost the semi-finals to Bengal. In 1990, the Santosh Trophy returned to Goa with the AIFF experimenting with under-23 format with the hosts winning the trophy. Goa last won the Santosh Trophy in 2009 when they beat Bengal 4-2 in Chennai. Goa has won the title five times in the past.

However, Bengal have won the coveted title 31 times and have been runners-up 12 times. They last won the title in 2010-11. However, for Services, they are looking to make it a hat-trick of titles as they won the title back-to-back since 2015.

Goa coach is wary of his side’s first clash against a tough team. “It’s not easy for the boys but I am sure they will give their best. Meghalaya is a strong side and we will have to be at our best to secure a positive result. It’s important that we start positively. A good performance is a must; results will follow,” said Costa, reported Times of India.

“Now that we have the advantage of playing at home, we will try to bring back the championship after a gap of seven years. There is also pressure on the other side to do well in front of the home crowd, I have asked the boys not to take the pressure but play their natural game,” added Costa.