Ranti Martins

Ranti Martins

Forward (2004-2012)

What do you call someone who has scored 146 goals in 164 league matches across eight seasons at Dempo Sports Club? Someone who won the Golden Boot three times during the five successful NFL/ILeague campaigns? Someone who scored seven goals in just one game? Someone who has also won the Federation Cup in 2004, Durand Cup in 2006, Super Cup in 2008 and 2010, and was the key figure in the club’s 2008 AFC Cup semi-final appearance, the first for any Indian club? Legend? Phenomenon? Super Striker? When Ranti Martins was on song, making rival defenders look silly, you simply ran out of adjectives to describe the Nigerian sharpshooter who hauled up at Dempo from King Faisal Babes in the Ghana Premier League. Martins in fact was promised an opening in Dortmund (Germany) by his agent, but instead had to settle for India after another Nigerian player, Bolaji Majek, put in a word. He struggled during his early days at Dempo and failed to open his account in three games of the Goa Pro League and the Durand Cup later. Simply put, he wasn’t assured of a place in the team and for a foreigner that would have meant packing up his bags and heading for home. Martins almost did so, but some cajoling persuaded himto linger on before the wheel of fortune spun his way, most famously in the 2004 Federation Cup where Dempo emerged triumphant and he finished as the highest goal-scorer. What followed next was unprecedented at Dempo as Martins hit the target with gay abandon. On his NFL debut in 2004-05, which Dempo won, he had 15 goals in his kitty. He continued his goal scoring feats in the tournament and in 2010-11 became the first striker to score 30 goals in a single season, topping that with a record 32 strikes in 2011-12. Of course, he hit a low patch in 2007 while battling poor form and injury, and there were questions asked about his temperament; but he bounced back after regaining his fitness and composure, and continued with his goal scoring exploits. After eight seasons at Dempo, the ‘fox in the box’ left for Kolkata’s United SC for a record fee in 2012 and also played for East Bengal thereafter when Armando Colaco coached the red & golds. Martins’ legacy and contribution at Dempo will be hard to match and the club have not been able to source a striker since then who can step into his big boots.