FC Goa Falls Short Against Istiklol in AFC Champions League Two Clash

In a dramatic conclusion to their AFC Champions League Two journey, FC Goa suffered a 2-1 defeat against Istiklol. The match showcased a strong first-half performance from Goa, but a second-half comeback from Istiklol sealed their fate. Despite taking an early lead, FC Goa finished the tournament without a point, leaving fans eager for future improvements. Discover the highlights and key moments from this thrilling encounter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 25, 2025, 16:23 IST

FC Goa's AFC Champions League Two Journey Ends in Defeat

Margao (Goa) [India], December 25: In a thrilling encounter at the PJN Stadium, Istiklol mounted a strong second-half comeback to defeat FC Goa 2-1 in their final match of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D, according to the official site of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

This loss left FC Goa at the bottom of the group, finishing their inaugural AFC Champions League Two campaign without a single point from six matches.

FC Goa initially took the lead in the eighth minute when Dejan Drazic skillfully maneuvered inside the box and curled a beautiful shot into the top right corner.

However, Istiklol quickly responded, with Amirbek Juraboev testing FC Goa's goalkeeper Lara Sharma from long range just seven minutes later. Siavash Haghnazari also came close, attempting to lob the ball over Sharma, but his shot hit the crossbar.

FC Goa nearly extended their lead when Iker Guarrotxena forced a brilliant save from Nikola Stosic, who tipped his powerful shot away. Guarrotxena then missed the target with a header from the subsequent corner.

As the first half came to a close, Istiklol continued to threaten, with attempts from Ehsoni Panjshanbe and Marlen Chobanov, while Komolafe's header was comfortably caught by Sharma.

The second half saw Istiklol come out strong, with Komolafe capitalizing on a poor backpass from Harsh Patre to equalize in the 53rd minute.

Things worsened for FC Goa when Pol Moreno was penalized for a handball, allowing Juraboev to convert the penalty in the 56th minute, putting Istiklol ahead.

Despite efforts from Brison Fernandes and Guarrotxena to equalize, FC Goa could not find the back of the net, and Istiklol secured the victory.