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

Istiklol Stages Comeback to Defeat FC Goa

In a thrilling conclusion to the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D match at the PJN Stadium in Margao, Goa, Istiklol mounted a second-half comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over FC Goa. This match marked FC Goa's inaugural participation in the AFC Champions League Two, where they ended up at the bottom of the group without earning any points from six matches.

Goa Takes Early Advantage

The home team, still seeking their first point, struck first in the eighth minute when Dejan Drazic found space in the box and executed a curling shot into the top right corner. Istiklol quickly responded, with Amirbek Juraboev testing FC Goa's goalkeeper, Lara Sharma, from long range. Siavash Haghnazari also attempted to lob the ball over Sharma shortly after, but his effort hit the crossbar.

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

Istiklol's Second-Half Resurgence

The Tajikistan team came out strong in the second half, with Komolafe capitalizing on a poor backpass from Harsh Patre to equalize in the 53rd minute. Just three minutes later, a handball by Pol Moreno led to a penalty, which Juraboev successfully converted, putting Istiklol ahead.

Despite attempts from Brison Fernandes and Guarrotxena to level the score, FC Goa could not find the back of the net, allowing Istiklol to maintain their lead and secure the victory.