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FC Goa's AFC Champions League Dream Ends with 2-1 Defeat to Istiklol

FC Goa concluded their inaugural AFC Champions League Two campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Tajikistan's Istiklol at home. Despite taking an early lead through Dejan Drazic, defensive errors proved costly as the visitors scored twice within three minutes in the second half. The result confirmed FC Goa's bottom-place finish in Group D, having failed to secure a single point across six matches. The match highlighted the team's struggle to maintain composure at the continental level after a promising start.

Key Points: FC Goa Loses 2-1 to Istiklol, Finishes Group Stage with 0 Points

  • Debut campaign ends with 0 points
  • Early lead erased by defensive errors
  • Second-half collapse in 3 minutes
  • First-ever AFC Champions League Two appearance
2 min read

FC Goa suffer defeat against Istiklol

FC Goa's debut AFC Champions League Two campaign ended with a 2-1 home defeat to Istiklol, finishing bottom of Group D with zero points from six matches.

"Another defensive lapse saw the Indian Super League side fall behind after Pol Moreno conceded a penalty for a handball. - Match Report"

Margao, December 25

Istiklol produced a second-half fightback to edge FC Goa 2-1 in the last AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D match at the PJN Stadium in Margao, Goa, as per the official website of the All India Football Federation.

The result meant that FC Goa finished bottom of the group with zero points from six matches in their first-ever appearance in the AFC Champions League Two.

The home side, yet to register a point, took the lead in the eighth minute with Dejan Drazic finding space inside the box before finishing superbly with a curling effort into the top right corner.

Istiklol responded seven minutes later with Amirbek Juraboev testing FC Goa keeper Lara Sharma from a distance, while Siavash Haghnazari tried to lob the ball over Sharma a minute later from Paul Komolafe's setup, only to see his shot crash against the bar.

FC Goa came close to doubling their lead moments later when Iker Guarrotxena forced Nikola Stosic to tip away his stinging shot from a distance. The Spanish forward then sent his headed attempt from the resulting corner over the bar.

Istiklol threatened from a distance through Ehsoni Panjshanbe and Marlen Chobanov before Komolafe angled his headed attempt right into the arms of Sharma in the first-half stoppage time.

The Tajikistan side came back fighting in the second half, with Komolafe latching onto Harsh Patre's poor backpass before rounding off Sharma to level the tie in the 53rd minute.

Another defensive lapse saw the Indian Super League side fall behind after Pol Moreno conceded a penalty for a handball, with Amirbek Juraboev converting from the spot in the 56th minute.

FC Goa tried their best to respond, but efforts from Brison Fernandes and Guarrotxena failed to find the mark as Istiklol held on to seal the win.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's their first time in this competition. Yes, the result is disappointing, but the experience is priceless. Playing against teams from Tajikistan and others will only make our clubs stronger. We have to start somewhere! Keep your heads up, FC Goa.
A
Aman W
Conceding two goals in three minutes after taking the lead... that's a mental collapse. The penalty was soft, but the first goal was a gift. Our defenders need to be more composed under pressure. Basic errors are killing us in Asia.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the UK. The quality gap is still evident. Indian clubs need more of these tough matches to improve. Drazic's goal was class, but sustaining that level for 90 minutes is the challenge. The ISL is growing, but continental football is another beast.
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Vikram M
Zero points from six games is a hard pill to swallow. But let's be honest, the group was tough. We need to invest more in youth development and scouting. Relying on foreign players is fine, but our Indian players must step up in these big moments. Jai Hind!
K
Kriti O
The team fought till the end, that's what matters. Guarrotxena and Fernandes tried hard. Sometimes you learn more from failure than success. This is not the end for Indian football in Asia, it's just the beginning of a longer journey. 💙

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