FC Goa AFC Champions League 2 playoff rival watch: Al Seeb

FC Goa will aim for an ACL 2 berth against Al Seeb.

Indian football is transitioning from a critical period with lots happening behind the scenes. However, amidst the chaos, one Indian football club finds itself in the middle of what promises to be one of the most important few days in the history of the club. FC Goa will take on Al-Seeb, the heavyweights from Oman, in the AFC Champions League 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.

Goa is not new to the Asian stage. They had previously taken part in the AFC Champions League in 2021 and finished with three points in the group stage. But what about Al Seeb? How much of a challenge will the Omani outfit pose to the Indian side, who will be looking to make a solid mark in the continental stage.

Also Read: Khel Now to exclusively telecast FC Goa’s ACL2 Playoff clash against Al Seeb

About the team

Al Seeb was formed in 1972 and was officially registered 30 years later. The yellow- coloured outfit has vaulted themselves into relevancy over the last few years, winning the Omani League four times in the span of six years.

They have also won the Sultan Qaboos Cup, Oman’s premier cup competition, four times in their short history. A team with a solid foundation, Al-Seeb will be looking to replicate their AFC Cup victory from four years ago, when they clinched the top spot on the podium by ousting Kuala Lumpur City in the finals.

Recent performances

Al Seeb are coming off from a second consecutive Omani league title. The 2024-25 league campaign was one to remember for the fans of Sayyid Al-Nawadi, as they won the league title with a 4-point advantage over closest rivals Al-Nahda.

Their attacking prowess proved too much for the rest of the league to handle as they scored 46 goals in total during the entire campaign, 11 more than Al-Nahda, who were second. FC Goa will need to strengthen their wall of they are to keep the Al Seeb attackers silent.

Also Read: FC Goa squad numbers 2025-26; club makes changes ahead of ACL 2 clash

The Coach

Serbian tactician Nikola Djurovic is at the helm of the Omani outfit Al Seeb. Djurovic, who boasts extensive experience in the Gulf states, mainly as the assistant coach to several top managers like Dejan Arsov and Nikola Puaca. Djurovic’s first senior head coach job was with the fabled Al-Hilal, whom he managed for more than a year. He was very instrumental in bringing an identity to the Sayyid Al-Nawadi.

Under Djurovic, Al Seeb scored the highest number of goals in the league in the 2024-25 season, while also registering the biggest away win in the league, during the 4-1 victory at Saham. Al-Seeb also went on a winning run in the league for 10 matches, which eventually proved to be instrumental in their quest to win the title.

Manolo Marquez has an able and thoughtful opponent on the other side. The Spaniard will have to be at his best if the Gaurs are to come out on top victorious.

Players to Watch

Salaah Al- Yahyaei

The creator-in-chief for Djurovic is another important cog that Marquez’s men need to pay attention to. Al-Yahyaei is the brain behind Al-Seeb’s toothy attack but he is very handy on the other side of the ball as well, with his physical presence and ball-winning capability proving to be troublesome for opposition midfielders.

The Omani national featured for his country against India during the drawn friendly in 2021 but failed to make any significant impact then. He will be looking to change things around this time around though.

Abu Razard Kamara

Liberian international Abu Razard is part of the small foreign contingent of Al-Seeb but he has proven to be a godsend for Djurovic and co. In just 10 appearances for Al Seeb last season, Razard scored 8 goals becoming joint top scorer for the squad.

The Liberian has solid experience for a lot of teams across Asia, winning the Malaysian Premier League top scorer while playing for Kuching City FC. Sandesh Jhingan and Pol Moreno will have their hands full on Thursday and they can’t afford any slip ups if they are to keep Razard and Al Seeb’s attack quiet.

Abdul Aziz Al-Muqbali

Indian football fans will not forget Abdul Aziz Al-Muqbali. The Omani forward had scored two goals in 2015 against the Blue Tigers during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification encounter. Al-Muqbali is a trusted presence upfront for Al Seeb and is a deadly force for Djurovic’s lethal attack.

Muqbali scored 8 goals for the Omani club in the league last year, becoming their joint top scorer in the presence. He also scored twice in the victorious AFC Cup campaign for Al Seeb so he is not a stranger to the spotlight.

The AFC Champions League Two playoff between FC Goa and Al Seeb will be streamed exclusively on the official Khel Now YouTube Channel – Khel Now TV. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 pm on August 13th, 2025.

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