ISL: Odei Onaindia pens contract extension at FC Goa
FC Goa have announced the contract extension of Spanish defender Odei Onaindia. The 34-year-old played a crucial part in the Gaurs' ISL 2023-24 campaign and head coach Manolo Marquez has bestowed his faith on the defender. The management has acquired Onaindia's service for the upcoming campaign as well.
After signing his extension at FC Goa, Odei Onaindia said in a statement:
"I am extremely happy to continue my journey with FC Goa. The past season has been fantastic, and the support from the fans, staff, and my teammates has been overwhelming."
“We would have liked to end the campaign with some silverware, but unfortunately that did not happen. But that has only fuelled our ambition further, and I’m looking forward to building on our achievements and striving for more success in the coming season," he added.
Odei Onaindia's tenure at FC Goa
Odei Onaindia registered a whopping 32 appearances for FC Goa across all competitions in the 2023-24 season. Notably, he missed only one game in the campaign. Under his leadership in the defensive third, FC Goa showcased sturdiness in the backline and conceded only 21 goals in the ISL, two less than Mumbai City FC, who conceded the least goals in the ISL 2023-24 season.
His influence during the post-January period, where FC Goa missed the services of India international Sandesh Jhingan due to a crucial knee injury, helped the Gaurs make their way to the ISL playoffs. A point to be highlighted here is that FC Goa made it to the playoffs for the first time after the 2020-21 season and Onaindia's role was pretty instrumental in the same.
After Jhingan was ruled out due to his injury, FC Goa brought in Nim Dorjee from Hyderabad FC, a player with whom Odei Onaindia had previously shared the dressing room at the Nizams. Onaindia paired well with Dorjee and responded pretty well to any threat that was thrown at them.
Next season, Sandesh Jhingan will be back from injury and will again form a solid defensive partnership with Onaindia. It is now to be seen if the defensive duo can help Goa lift the ISL Shield, a feat they were contenders for in the previous season.