FC Goa on Wednesday beat Oman champions Al-Seeb 2-1 of their one-match AFC Champions League 2 preliminary stage to undergo to the group stage of the continental match. The consequence comes amid crippling uncertainty for Goa and different golf equipment enjoying within the Indian Tremendous League (ISL) with the league’s existence up within the air. It’s also a little bit of a redemption for head coach Manolo Marquez, for whom this was the primary aggressive match since his moderately forgettable tenure as India’s head coach ended.
Dejan Dražić and Javier Siverio scored for FC Goa as they managed to maintain out some spirited assaults from Al-Seeb in direction of the top of each the halves. Goa will now uncover their group stage opponents on Friday.
Marquez had stated earlier than the match that he doesn’t have any ideas of redemption in thoughts and that this evening was all concerning the membership’s mission to make it to the group stage of the Champions League 2, which is the second tier continental competitors for Asian groups. India will probably be therefore be represented by two golf equipment within the match this season, with Mohun Bagan Tremendous Large having already certified for the group stage after profitable the ISL final season. Goa had certified for the preliminary stage after profitable the Tremendous Cup.
Al Seeb began aggressively, with Nasser Al Rawahi forcing defender Pol Moreno into an acrobatic clearance in simply the second minute of the match. Zahir Al Aghbari’s follow-up from contained in the field was blocked.
Goa didn’t take lengthy to take the assault to the opposition although, with Drazic breaking free on the left within the ninth however however with solely the keeper to beat, the midfielder’s gentle shot was simply collected by Ahmed Al Rawahi.
Al Rawahi was within the thick of issues once more for Al Seeb within the twenty third minute when his well timed deal with opened up area to arrange Abdul Aziz Al Muqbali, whose curling effort was parried away by FC Goa keeper Hrithik Tiwari. The Al Seeb goalkeeper, nevertheless, was discovered wanting most of the time in essential moments, which in the end costed the Oman champions a spot within the ACL 2.
Goa took the lead when Borja Herrera’s instinctive lengthy cross discovered Dražic on the left. The midfielder evaded Al Rawahi’s problem earlier than delicately chipping the ball over Ahmed Al Khamisi and into the again of the web. Goa sat additional and additional again into their very own half as the primary 45 minutes progressed and have been in all probability slightly relieved to listen to the half-time whistle. Al-Seeb have been particularly miffed as a penalty that they’d acquired within the dying phases of the primary half was overturned when the linesman advised the referee that the hand ball, which triggered the choice had occurred outdoors the field. Replays indicated that this may increasingly have been an faulty name.
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The ISL facet have been dominant within the opening minutes of the second half and so they ultimately had a aim to point out. Herrera’s cross off a nook floated into the field completely for Siverio to rise above Al Rawahi for a headed end.
Al Seeb, the 2022 AFC Cup winners, diminished the deficit on the hour mark by way of Nasser Al Rawahi’s strike from shut vary off Ali Al Busaidi’s cutback, however that was to be it as FC Goa grew to become the second Indian facet to guide their spot on this season’s Group Stage after 2024-25 ISL Protect Winners Mohun Bagan Tremendous Large.
Each Goa and Bagan will uncover their Group Stage opponents after the draw on August 15.
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