John Araujo

Had it not been for a miscalculated move from Dempo to MRF in 1990, John Araujo could have become one of the more influential strikers to emerge from Goa. As a young and upcoming go getter, he was breathtakingly talented and those who saw him play during his early days believed greatness was simply a matter of time. He proved himself at Dempo, but when the newly-formed MRF came calling with a juicy offer, he simply couldn’t refuse. He was a star at MRF, was made vice captain of the Indian team and scored an international goal too; but who knows what might have been had he continued at Dempo! Not many could take the ball away from Araujo’s feet and his shielding ability was second to none. He scored India’s winner in the Asian Youth Cup against Pakistan and was later inducted in the senior squad for the 1988 Asian Cup qualifiers.