Goa [India], September 18 : FC Goa fought hard, but ultimately suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Iraq's Al Zawraa SC in their AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D tie at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, on Wednesday, as per the AIFF website.
The entertaining encounter at PJN Stadium saw plenty of goalmouth action, but in the end, strikes from Reziq Banihani and Nizar Alrashdan saw Al Zawraa take the points on the road.
A lapse in concentration early on nearly cost FC Goa as Mahdi Humaidan intercepted a back pass and surged into the box before crossing for Mohammed Qasim, who saw his thunderous effort crash against the bar.
The home side fashioned their first opening in the eighth minute. Dejan Drazic was allowed time to deliver a pinpoint cross from the left, which Javier Siverio got his head to, but the ball sailed just over.
The match subsequently went into a lull until the final minutes of the first half, when Nizar Alrashdan's superb header from Hassan Abdulkareem's free-kick saw FC Goa custodian Hrithik Tiwari make a sprawling save to his right.
Al Zawraa were not to be denied in the 44th minute, Abdulkareem finding Kadhim Raad in the box, and the latter cut the ball back to Banihani, whose effort took a double deflection off Nim Dorjee Tamang before hitting the Jordanian striker and settling in the net.
The Iraqi outfit were inches away from doubling their lead inside the opening minute of the second half. Banihani drove from the left flank into the box, and his cutback was accidentally steered towards goal by Nim Dorjee before Hrithik clawed the ball away on the goal line.
FC Goa responded with chances of their own. Ayush Chhetri's soaring effort was tipped over by the experienced Jalal Hassan before the Al Zawraa custodian dived to his right to save Siverio's back flick attempt.
The Indian side pushed hard for the equaliser but almost conceded a second in the 90th minute when Ibrahim Gbadamosi hit the post before Alrashdan made sure of the points for Al Zawraa in stoppage time with a low strike from the edge of the box.