(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
FC Goa put up a strong fight in their AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D match, but they couldn’t overcome Iraq’s Al Zawraa SC, losing 0-2 at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Wednesday. The game was full of exciting moments, yet Al Zawraa’s sharp goals from Reziq Banihani and Nizar Alrashdan sealed the win for the visitors.
Right from the start, Al Zawraa nearly scored when Mahdi Humaidan stole a back pass and set up Mohammed Qasim, whose powerful shot smashed against the crossbar. FC Goa hit back quickly in the 8th minute. Dejan Drazic whipped in a perfect cross from the left, and Javier Siverio rose high to head it, but the ball just cleared the bar.
The first half slowed down after that, but it heated up towards the end. Al Zawraa’s Nizar Alrashdan connected with a superb header from Hassan Abdulkareem’s free-kick, forcing FC Goa keeper Hrithik Tiwari to dive and make a brilliant save.
Al Zawraa finally broke the deadlock in the 44th minute. Abdulkareem picked out Kadhim Raad inside the box, who laid it off for Banihani. The striker’s shot took a couple of deflections off FC Goa’s Nim Dorjee Tamang before trickling into the net.
The second half kicked off with more drama. Just a minute in, Banihani charged from the left and cut back for Nim Dorjee, who accidentally redirected it towards goal. Tiwari reacted quickly, clawing the ball off the line to keep FC Goa in the hunt.
FC Goa created some solid chances too. Ayush Chhetri unleashed a soaring shot that Al Zawraa keeper Jalal Hassan tipped over the bar. Later, Hassan dived to his right to block Siverio’s clever back-heel flick.
The Indian team pressed for an equalizer, but Al Zawraa stayed dangerous. In the 90th minute, Ibrahim Gbadamosi struck the post, and then in stoppage time, Alrashdan fired a low shot from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 and clinch the points.
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