AFC Champions League 2: Waste FC Goa learns hard lessons of continental football in the defeat against Al ZaWraa

It was a night of What-IFS for FC Goa (FCG).

On a humid Wednesday evening in the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, the players would have spilded the multitude of opportunities they wasted in a heavily fought 0-2 defeat against Al Zawai SC in the Gaurs’ first game of the AFC Champions League Two Group D. would have been raised.

Although Goa played well at night, it soon discovered that being just good is not enough to succeed in the upper echelons of continental football; You must be ruthless. The competition would always be difficult for FCG. India is in 11th place in the West region in the AFC club competitions, while Iraq is in 6th place. The wave in continental pedigree is also clear; The Iraqi club has more than 100 intercontinental performances, compared to the eighth of FCG.

Indian fans may already remember their coasts when East Bengal hammered it 6-2 in their Asian Cup winners Cup First round match in 1993-20 years before FC Goa was founded.

Both teams seemed restless, probably because their domestic seasons were not yet in full swing. The Iraqi side arrived five days before the match in India to get used to the heat and humidity.

Last month, Goa made most of his chances in a 2-1 playoff victory at Al Seeb of Oman last month to qualify for the group stage, but here, there, there was no idea for the goal.

With only two of the 20 shots on the goal, the team of Manolo Marquez did not succeed in even having Zawraa Custodian Jalal Hassan sweating. The Spaniard also regretted the missed opportunities after the game.

Read | FC Goa vs Al ZaWraa highlights

«I feel that we did not play at any time, but in general we have played a good game. I don’t like the statistics, but now I have seen it, and the possession is 50-50 exactly. The only thing is that there are 20 shots, but there are only two on goal. And they had fewer shots than we do, but more on goal.»

With defensive defensive faithful Sandesh Jhingan was not available because of an injury, the former India coach has its full addition of six foreigners in a 4-4-2 formation with Borja Herrera on the tip of the midfield Diamond and David Timor at the base. This tactical setup worked well and the midfield of FC Goa dominated the opposition for long periods with liquid -passing and attacking intention.

Al Zawraa, which is in the middle of a rebuilding with 12 new summer arrangements, showed signs of rustiness. But it was his big stage experience and professional know-how that made the difference. When it caused clear opportunities, the FCG Custodian Hritwik Tiwari players tested.

After a lively start, the first half became a tactical battle. Al Zawraa dominated the possession, but it had difficulty breaking down a compact FCG defense. For the host everything worked out well in the future of the right flank. The combination of Udanta Singh, Borja, Iker Guarrotxena and right back Boris Singh Thangjam were fantastic. Boris in particular stood out with his overlapping runs, dribbles and quality crosses.

While the clock tapped to the break, it seemed that the teams would go into the break in flat terms. But football has, as is often the case, a flair for the dramatic. A minute before the whistle, Zawraa’s Reziq Bani Hani spoke on a deflection to throw the ball home, giving the Iraqi side a crucial lead and silence the home crowd.

It seemed like a confident goal for FCG, which came at the most unimportant moment. The Iraqi outfit was centimeter away from doubling his lead in the opening minutes of the second half. Banihani rode the left flank in the box and his cutbacks was accidentally sent to the goal by Nim Dorjee before Tiwari dismissed the ball on the goal line.

Then the Gaurs pushed forward with renewed power, created several opportunities and forced the defense from the visiting side to work overtime. Replacement Ayush Chhetri tested the opposition goalkeeper with increasing effort, and Javier Siverio had saved a back-flick attempt.

The ruthless pressure of the Gaurs was led by Borja and replacement Brison Fernandes, who created both bags with space and opportunities. However, a lack of precision in the last third turned out to be their undo. The finishing touch and the last pass seemed to miss them.

When the match entered the final phase, FCG continued to chase the match, making it vulnerable to the counterattack. The Al Zawai players, who felt the despair of their opponent, resorted to a more defensive and time-decreasing approach, to the great frustration of the guest players and fans. The Iraqi side committed a total of 14 errors in the game, nine of which came in the second essay.

And in a cruel turn of fate, a little later, Zawaa already sealed the victory. A low attack from the edge of the box by Nizar Al Rashdan, who squeezes a forest of legs, defeated the FCG goalkeeper Tiwari to bring the score to 2-0, bring the game to bed and show each hope for a late comeback.

After the game, the FCG defender Aakash Sangwan said: «We played better football than our expectations; we could just find the back of the net.»

Although the result was a bitter pill for taking Goa, the defeat was a learning experience – a hard but necessary lesson about the ruthless character of continental football. The team will now regroup and concentrate on his next challenge against FC Istiklol from Tadjikistan.

The journey in the AFC Champions League Two has just begun, and despite this stumbling, the Gaurs have proven that they are ready to fight and leave their mark on the Asian stage.

Published on September 18, 2025