FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan expressed his delight at the club's return to continental competition, stating that the team deserved silverware after a strong 2024–25 season.

Jhingan played a pivotal role in FC Goa’s campaign, helping them finish second in the Indian Super League (ISL) standings before narrowly missing out on a spot in the final. However, the team bounced back in style by winning the Kalinga Super Cup, ending a three-year trophy drought.

In the high-stakes knockout tournament, where one loss could mean elimination, FC Goa won all four of their matches, conceding just two goals. Jhingan stood tall at the back throughout the campaign, forming the backbone of their resolute defence. The triumph also secured FC Goa an opportunity to feature in the AFC Champions League 2.

“It was massive for us to get our hands on the trophy. I think it would have been unfair to ourselves if we would have ended this season without lifting any trophy. We had a big gathering last July, where we promised each other that we will bring the glory days back to FC Goa. It was such a great feeling that how a city comes together for a collective mission. In spite of ups and downs I am so happy that FC Goa is back at the Asian level because big clubs need to play at big stages and I’m very happy to be part of it,” he said in an interview to RevSportz.

Joining FC Goa at the continental level will be Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who became the second ISL team to win both the Shield and the Cup in the same season. As Shield winners, MBSG also qualified for the AFC Champions League 2 group stages. Jhingan , who has previously played for the Kolkata giants, was happy for both sides representing India at the Asian level.

“It’s massive (Indian clubs playing in Asian competitions), when you look at the progress of the country. A country is judged by their performance internationally. Looking back at 2019 Asian Cup, we were never regular at the Asian Cup, but for the first time we qualified for two Asian Cups and then we saw the shift. Other countries started showing us respect,” he said.

He added: “We will get more international games, more exposure to show how good we are, more attention, experience etc. In a selfish point of view also, because as individuals, we want to play big tournaments, win big trophies. I am sure Mohun Bagan (Super Giant) would be aiming for a win at the AFC, so do we. What’s the point of going to a tournament if we don’t want to win it?”

Jhingan has been named in India’s 28-member probables squad for the June internationals, as the Blue Tigers gear up for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

India will next face Hong Kong China, away from home on June 10. Ahead of that, the team will be flying to Bangkok for a FIFA International Friendly against Thailand on June 4.

India started their campaign with a goalless draw against Bangladesh in Shillong. The opening fixtures in Group C — India vs Bangladesh and Singapore vs Hong Kong China — both ended in stalemates, leaving all four teams level with a point each.

Despite a winless start, Jhingan remains focused and optimistic about India’s chances of qualifying for a third consecutive AFC Asian Cup.

He said: “We are going for the third consecutive Asia Cup. There are five more games and when the qualifiers will finish, we’ll see where we stand. And I’m very confident that we’ll all do our best to make it to the third consecutive Asian Cup.