I-League: Churchill Brothers go on a signing spree

Churchill Brothers SC have made a few additions to their squad for the 2019-20 I-League season.

The Red Machines have signed Lalkhawpuimawia (Mapuia) from Aizawl FC, Glan Martins, Joseph Clemente, Quan Gomes (all from Sporting Clube de Goa) and Schubert Pereira from Vasco SC.

Mapuia was signed by Aizawl in the January transfer window in 2018 and scored a total of nine goals for the club where he was mostly used as an impact substitute, coming off the bench 13 times in 25 appearances.

Martins and Clemente have also had prior I-League experience with Sporting Goa before the team decided to pull out from the league following the 2015-16 season. Clemente has also had a loan stint at Chennai City FC in 2017. Gomes is set to return to Churchill Brothers after he had moved to the fellow-Goan side in 2016, while Pereira was one of Vasco SC's additions last season.

Churchill Brothers will also have a new head coach in Edward Ansah, who was the goalkeeping coach for Ghana in the World Cups in 2006 and 2010. The 56-year-old will replace Romanian gaffer Petre Gigiu who had led the club to a fourth-place finish in the I-League last season.

Ansah had called off his playing career while with Churchill Brothers back in 2004 after five seasons with the club and is set to be reunited with the Varca-based side 15 years later. The Ghanian was one of the finest goalkeepers from Africa.