FC Goa's AFC Challenge League Rival Watch: Regar-TadAZ
Regar-TadAZ are champions of the 2025 Tajikistan Cup.
FC Goa, who won their AFC Champions League Two clash against Al-Seeb in the 2025/26 season to feature in the second tier of Asian club football, have failed to repeat that feat this time around. The Gaurs lost to FK Arkadag in the preliminary stage and have been relegated to the third tier of Asian club football, the AFC Challenge League.
With all three games set to be played at a centralised venue, Gouramangi Singh’s side will travel to Kuwait, where they are expected to play three high-intensity games in the span of 7 days. Heading into this run of fixtures, the club is coming off a 1-1 draw against Chennaiyin FC in their ISL opener and will be hoping to build on that positive result and win all three games.
Standing in their way in the race to qualify for the knockout stages are the Tajikistani side Regar-TadAZ, who qualified for the tournament as the champions of the 2025 Tajikistan Cup. FC Goa faced another Tajik side, FC Istiklol, twice last season, losing both games 2-0 and 2-1 in the AFC Champions League Two. In fact, Regar-TadAZ defeated the same FC Istiklol side 2-1 to lift the 2025 Tajikistan Cup.
Regar-TadAZ last featured in the AFC Challenge League during the 2025/26 season, when they were eliminated in the group stage without securing a single win across their three games. Having played in the AFC Champions League Two preliminary stage before being relegated to the AFC Challenge League, better things were expected of them, but they ultimately failed to deliver.
As Gouramangi Singh prepares his boys for the clash against the Tajikistan Cup Champions, let’s take a closer look at Regar-TadAZ’s recent form, their head coach and the key players to watch out for in this encounter.
Recent Form
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Regar-TadAZ are coming off the back of a strong domestic campaign in the 2026 Vysshaya Liga, Tajikistan’s top tier of professional football. After finishing seventh in the previous season, they currently sit at the top of the table with 40 points from 18 games in the 2026 campaign. In fact, they have already secured ten more points than they managed throughout the entirety of last season, with four more games left to play.
They have suffered just two defeats in their 18 league games and have won ten of their last 13 matches. They also boast an unbeaten home record, with six wins and three draws from nine games. As things stand, the title race between Regar-TadAZ and FC Istiklol is expected to go down to the wire, with the latter trailing by three points despite having played one game fewer.
Their most recent outing on the continental stage was a victory over Maziya SR&C in the qualifiers for the 2026/27 AFC Challenge League. They won the game comfortably, with a 3-0 scoreline securing their place in the main competition.
Who Is Regar-TadAZ’s Head Coach?
Regar-TadAZ are currently managed by former Tajik international and midfielder Alisher Tukhtaev, who also represented the club during his playing career. He took charge midway through last season, replacing Takhirdzhon Muminov, whose stint at the club was brief.
Since taking over, Tukhtaev has led the club to the 2025 Tajikistan Cup title, defeating rivals FC Istiklol despite finishing seventh in the league that season. This campaign, Regar-TadAZ have put themselves in a strong position to challenge for the Vysshaya Liga title, going toe-to-toe with FC Istiklol, who have won the league for the last 12 years. Tukhtaev’s tactical approach has played a key role in their progress.
Across 80 games in charge, Alisher Tukhtaev averages 1.64 points per game, recording 38 wins and 17 draws. The Tajik has managed Regar Tad-AZ in 37 games, where he has won 18, drawn 8 and lost 10.
Players to Watch
Ozodbek Pandzhiev
Ozodbek Pandzhiev, the club’s primary left-winger, is a former Tajikistan U-19 international with the versatility to play across both flanks. He can operate as a left wing-back, left midfielder or left winger, as well as in the corresponding positions on the right flank.
In the ongoing season, his best output has come from the right wing, where he has scored a goal and provided an assist. He is often praised for his high work rate, both on and off the ball, as well as his pace and trickery on the counter-attack, which is aided by his low centre of gravity.
In their recent 3-0 win against Maziya SR&C, he scored the opening goal and assisted the second, making him a player to watch heading into this game.
Azizbek Khaitov
Khaitov is one of the most exciting players in the Regar-TadAZ squad. A left-winger who can drift into central areas and operate as an inverted winger, he can also start as an attacking midfielder and create chances through the middle.
For a side like Regar-TadAZ, who are not known for scoring a high number of goals, Khaitov has contributed to at least six of their goals this season, registering three goals and three assists in 13 starts.
He also assisted Pandzhiev’s opening goal in the qualifier against Maziya SR&C. Khaitov played a significant role in Regar-TadAZ qualifying for this competition, scoring and assisting in the 2025 Tajikistan Cup final and contributing to both goals in their 2-1 win over FC Istiklol.
Manuel Joseph Mbollo
Having joined the club more recently during the 2026 summer transfer window, Joseph has hit the ground running and has already found his scoring touch.
Although he did not score in the 3-0 win over Maziya SR&C in the 2026/27 AFC Challenge League qualifiers, he has registered three goals and an assist in the seven games he has played so far in the 2026 Vysshaya Liga.
Joseph seems to be a physical striker with a strong presence inside the box. He makes intelligent runs to get into the right positions to finish chances, often with simple tap-ins, suggesting that he could be an effective poacher for Regar-TadAZ.
Who is the head coach of Regar-TadAZ?
Regar-TadAZ are currently managed by former Tajik international and midfielder Alisher Tukhtaev, who also represented the club during his playing career
Which country is Regar-TadAZ from?
Regar-TadAZ is a Tajikistan based club.
Which league does Regar-TadAZ compete in?
Regar-TadAZ competes in the Vysshaya Liga, Tajikistan’s top tier of professional football.
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