Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa fought hard but suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Iraq’s Al Zawraa SC in their AFC Champions League Two Group D match, here on Wednesday.
The match saw plenty of goalmouth actions but, in the end, strikes from Reziq Banihani (44th minute) and Nizar Alrashdan (90+5) 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 got 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 making a sprawling save to his right.
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.
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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.
