FC Goa's AFC Challenge League Rival Watch: Fortis FC

Fortis FC are a Bangladesh based football club

FC Goa are poised to face a Bangladeshi opponent for the first time in Asia when they face off against Fortis FC in their second match of the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League group stages.

The Gaurs are poised to face a side that has a very short-lived history because they are one of the relatively ‘newer’ giants in the Bangladeshi football scene.

For Fortis FC, the clash against FC Goa is also going to be the first time that they will be facing an Indian Super League (ISL) team in their history. They are actually playing in an AFC-labelled competition for the first time in the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League, aiming to make their country proud by fighting hard to get positive results as well.

Fortis FC have had a curious journey to get to the AFC Challenge League level and are one of the clubs trying to strengthen Bangladesh’s reputation in terms of football. Here, we look more closely at the club.

About the Team

Fortis FC were only formed in 2020 by the Fortis Group in Bangladesh. The actual purpose of the team initially was to establish youth academies in the country to strengthen their chances of having more players picked up by international sides.

In the 2020-21 season, Fortis FC were also able to enter the Bangladesh football scene by getting a spot in the Bangladesh Championship League, without having to play in the semi-professional lower divisions.

They finished in third position in the 2020-21 BCL competition, before being able to win the second division title in the 2021-22 season. They have yet to win the Bangladesh Premier League since being promoted into the competition, but have at least been able to hold their own and stay alive in the competition for the last four years.

Fortis FC finished in third position in the 2025-26 Bangladesh Football League, which helped them earn a place in the qualifiers for the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League. They have yet to win any major silverware in terms of cup competitions, having had relatively disappointing outings in the Federation Cup and Independence Cup over the last few years.

However, Fortis FC were able to qualify for the AFC Challenge League group stages by winning their preliminary stage clash against Muras United.

They currently have six foreign players in their squad, which also includes two from Nepal! Fortis FC will be aiming to win their first match at the continental level in the form of the clash against FC Goa in the AFC Challenge League.

Head Coach

Masud Parvez Kaiser has been the head coach of the Forits FC side since the 2022-23 season, and his impressive work at the helm of the club has kept him in the hot seat for more than four years. Kaiser has been able to not only ensure that his side stays alive in the Bangladesh top division, but also that they are able to play some good attacking football as well.

He has enabled them to keep climbing the ranks in the Bangladesh Football League and has played a key role in their heroics in the 2025-26 season. Kaiser tends to structure Fortis to be able to keep a really compact defensive line in their matches, which is why they had the best defensive record and conceded the fewest goals of any team in the 2025-26 Bangladesh Football League.

Kaiser likes to shape up his Fortis FC side to play either in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation, with the latter being used in the previous AFC Challenge League clash as well. He likes his team to keep a really strong shape, closing down the empty spaces for opponents quickly and maintaining utmost concentration when defending to frustrate their opponents.

He also prefers the Fortis FC side trying to create chances using their wingers and wide areas, being quick on their attacking transitions and feeding enough chances inside the penalty area for players to be able to get at the end of chances. Kaiser will look to shape up his side to keep a sturdy defensive line against FC Goa, frustrating the Gaurs and also motivate them to be prolific on the transitions to help his side get a big win.

Players to Watchout

Pa Babou

Pa Babou has been a prolific player for Fortis FC over the last few years, playing a key role in helping them reach this stage of the continental competition as well. The Gambian striker joined Fortis FC in the 2023-24 season and has been their top scorer for three consecutive campaigns, even scoring 13 goals for them in the previous season.

Babou is a versatile player who can play in the midfield or across the frontline with ease, but he’s seemingly thrived up front in Kaiser’s system at Fortis FC. He will look to be a thorn in the side of the FC Goa defenders with his clever off-the-ball runs, getting past the markers and confusing the defenders in the final third. He’ll look to be clinical in finishing off chances strongly in the penalty area to uplift his side’s chances of getting a big win.

Arik Bista

A player for Fortis FC who is well aware of what it’s like to play against Indian football teams is their Nepali midfielder Arik Bista, who played for Shillong Lajong in 2024. Bista joined Fortis FC ahead of the 2026-27 season and has brought a shot of positive energy to their midfield line ever since.

Bista is a hard-working midfielder who can be really impressive with his pressing and duel-winning capabilities to trouble the opposition midfielders and make it tough for them to play their natural game.

He’ll look to do just that against FC Goa, looking to make crucial possession recoveries in key areas and destroy a lot of the Gaurs’ moves. He can also bring a shot of creativity to his attack, being able to play clever forward passes to set up chances and will look to do just that to stun the Gaurs.

What to Expect

Fortis FC are definitely not going to back down without a fight against FC Goa and will aim to make things very difficult for the Indian side in the upcoming AFC Challenge League clash. The Bangladeshi side knows how to hold together a very compact and rigid shape, with their players being mobile and reactive enough to close down spaces and make it difficult for their opponents to play free-flowing football.

Fortis FC will look to keep a sturdy backline to frustrate the Gaurs, forcing them to commit more bodies forward and potentially make mistakes. The Bangladesh Football League side are going to look to threaten the ISL team on the break, using their quick wide players to get the ball forward quickly and hope their experienced forwards can finish them off really well.

Because of their determination to get their first point(s) in the AFC Challenge League, Fortis FC will treat this clash as a finale itself. Their players will be motivated and hungry to prove their quality against FC Goa, which can make this upcoming clash a real back-and-forth one with a lot of action involved.

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