Title contenders Dempo SC take on Chanmari FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa on Sunday, 16 November 2026, aiming to extend their perfect Indian Football League (IFL) 2026–27 record to three wins from three. Later the same evening, Samaleswari SC host Rajasthan United FC at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Rourkela, with both sides still searching for their first point of the campaign.

Dempo's Winning Formula

Dempo SC have won their opening two fixtures in sharply contrasting fashion. On 1 November against debutants FC Bengaluru United in Fatorda, they controlled possession at roughly 70 per cent in the first half before Ghanaian defender Uzziel Yaw Asomaning Budu glanced in a corner header in the eighth minute of added time. Four days later in Rourkela, they were more direct: captain Richmond Kwasi Owusu converted a long ball for the first, and Under-22 midfielder Laximanrao Rane ran onto another for the second in a 2-1 victory over Samaleswari.

That tactical range gives head coach Samir Naik — the former India full-back who has spent more than two decades at the club as player and coach — multiple ways to set up. At home in Fatorda, Dempo are likely to build through the flanks, frequently using Saiesh Bagkar on the left. If Chanmari sit deep, Owusu and Rane remain ready to run in behind a high defensive line. Notably, with last season's Golden Boot winner Marcus Joseph — who scored nine goals — having joined Real Kashmir FC, goals this term have come from a centre-back, the captain and a young midfielder, spreading the threat across the squad.

Naik is satisfied with the start but has identified sharper finishing as the next step. 'So far, we have done well, and I am very happy with the team's performances. However, we need to be a little more clinical in our finishing. We have created a lot of chances in both of our games but haven't always taken them, so improving our finishing in the final third is a priority for us,' he said.

Chanmari's Counter-Attacking Threat

Chanmari FC have played just once, sitting out the opening weekend, but their 1-1 draw at last season's runners-up Shillong Lajong FC on 6 November was a statement result. They led from the 24th minute — when R Ramdinthara's lofted ball found Gabriel Ferreira Paz and ended up in the Lajong net — and held the advantage until the 78th minute. Head coach Steven Dias, the former India international winger who took charge in September, has built a side comfortable defending without the ball and dangerous on the counter. Lalthanzuala struck the woodwork after a right-channel run, and Denilson Rodrigues Roldao showed neat feet around the edge of the area.

Their most recent head-to-head record adds context: Chanmari won 2-0 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl on 9 May, with Lalruatsanga scoring from a corner rebound in first-half stoppage time and Jota sealing it on the break. An earlier fixture in Aizawl finished 2-2 in March, with Dempo recovering from two goals down through Sebastián Gutiérrez and Joseph. Sunday will mark the first time the sides meet in Goa in the IFL, and both Joseph and Jota have since moved on.

Bagkar is relishing the occasion, saying the away win in Rourkela had energised the camp. 'It was a very important result for us because winning away from home is never easy. Getting that result gives the whole team a massive confidence boost. We know Chanmari is a very good team and a tough opponent, but we know our own ability and are confident we can give our best together for all three points,' he said.

Samaleswari SC: Late Drama, First Points Elusive

Founded in 2006 in Pitapali, near Sambalpur, Samaleswari SC made their Durand Cup debut this past summer, beating Mohammedan SC 3-2. Head coach Abdul Azim Siddique has built a squad around Odisha, with ten players from the state and five graduates of the Maa Samaleswari Sports Academy in Sambalpur. All three of Samaleswari's league goals have come after the 75th minute, underlining a pattern of late pressure without yet securing a result.

Their IFL debut at Gokulam Kerala FC on 31 October illustrated the trend: two goals down inside 25 minutes, they levelled through a long throw in the 75th minute and a penalty from Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 90th, before the hosts snatched a winner in the dying moments. At home to Dempo, they pushed forward repeatedly in the opening ten minutes and, after trailing 2-0, pulled one back through Kartik Choudhary's 35-yard lob. Mohammed El Jaaouani then had a sight of goal from a corner in stoppage time.

Siddique is upbeat ahead of what opens a run of four consecutive home matches. 'Rajasthan United are a very competitive and experienced team. We respect them, but at the same time, we are here to compete and fight for the three points. We have prepared well for this match, and the players understand their responsibilities,' he said.

Rajasthan United: Chances Created, Goals Still Awaited

Rajasthan United FC finished third in the league phase and fourth in the Championship Phase last season. Italian head coach Giuseppe Cristaldi is in his first season at the club, and Sunday represents the side's first away fixture after two home games in Jaipur. They are yet to score in the IFL this season despite creating clear openings: P. Christopher Kamei struck the crossbar from distance against Sreenidi Deccan FC on 1 November, and Diego Maurício drove a shot just past the post. Against Gokulam six days later, goalkeeper Shibin Raj had to clear a Judah Garcia cross off the goal line, and Pranjal Bhumij forced two late saves.

Cristaldi sees an away opportunity. 'The first two games did not go the way we wanted, but for us, whether we are playing away or at home does not change much. Every match is worth three points. We have to look forward to this game as an opportunity to change the trend from the previous two matches and finally get the win,' he said. Spanish centre-back Adri Castellano's aerial command will be tested against Samaleswari's long-throw and set-piece threat, made more demanding by the absence of suspended defender Novin Gurung.

Cristaldi also promised sustained commitment. 'One thing I can guarantee is the commitment and willingness of this team to fight until the final second. The fighting spirit of this team will be there from the first second until the final whistle,' he said. With both sides at their most dangerous in the closing stages, Sunday evening's decider in Rourkela could well go down to the wire.