FC Goa vs Al Zawraa: Wasteful Gaurs, Udanta's return, and other talking points

The Gaurs played their first continental fixture in four years.

FC Goa suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Iraq’s Al Zawraa at home on Wednesday. The Gaurs could not achieve a positive result on their return to Asia after four years. Reziq Bani Hani and Nizar Al-Rashdan scored the goals for Al Zawraa, crushing FC Goa’s ambitions of kicking off their campaign with a win.

The defending Super Cup champions were in the game till the last minute, but they just could not do enough to overshadow the opposition on the scoresheet. The result against Al Zawraa have given Manolo Marquez a lot to think about. In this article, we will look at some of the major talking points from the game.

FC Goa succumbed to a 2-0 loss against Iraqi side Al Zawraa in their AFC Champions League Two opener! #IndianFootball #ACL2 pic.twitter.com/9ydOPmOejE

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 17, 2025

Also Read: Al Zawraa thump FC Goa to register their maiden AFC Champions League 2 victory this season

Udanta seems to be regaining his rhythm

The last few days have been rewarding for Udanta Singh. After a turbulent phase in his career, Udanta might be on his way to make a comeback. His header against Oman in the third-place match in the CAFA Nations Cup has apparently set his return to his best in motion.

Udanta was a live wire for Goa on the right wing. He was a key figure in some of the potent attacks from the Gaurs down the right channel. The former Bengaluru FC winger combined well with the right back Boris Singh to find overlapping opportunities. His combination with Boris troubled Al Zawraa on several occasions.

Impressive gameplay from the Gaurs

On Tuesday, the Indian Football fans witnessed a dull ninety minutes from Mohun Bagan against Turkmenistan’s Ahal FK in another AFC Champions League Two game. They would have felt some respite after a thrilling contest between FC Goa and Al Zawraa.

The 14-time Iraq Stars League champions are a formidable opposition. They have consistently made their presence felt in AFC competitions, having qualified for the knockouts multiple times. But FC Goa were never afraid of pushing forward to test Al Zawraa’s defense. Manolo Marquez’s men kept creating chances throughout the game, making for an exciting watch.

Goa wasted their chances

For anyone who will analyze the game just looking at the stats, would know that one team was wasteful, and that was FC Goa. The Gaurs deserve plaudits for being positive in their approach, which also helped them take the game deep. But where they lacked the most, which also impacted the result, was their conversion.

The Indian club just could not find the back of the net after creating multiple chances. FC Goa took 20 shots in the game with only two being on target, a reflection of their poor conversion rate. Players like Borja Herrera, Iker Guarrotxena, Javier Siverio, and Udanta Singh were constantly creating chaos in the final third, but the last touch was never good enough to bring parity to the game.

Sandesh Jhingan’s absence was glaring

FC Goa missed their stalwart in the defense, Sandesh Jhingan. The experienced Indian centre back is out of action due to a cheekbone fracture that he suffered during the game against Iran in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025. Sandesh was among the substitutes, but it was inevitable that he would not be introduced into the game.

FC Goa’s defense did a commendable job, holding Al Zawraa to a slender lead till the 94th minute but lacked the required compactness in crucial moments. Nim Dorjee Tamang, who replaced Sandesh, had a decent game alongside Pol Moreno but relented when it mattered the most.

Rocky start to an arduous campaign

FC Goa are in a tricky group alongside some Asian heavyweights. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Tajik champions Istiklol will be the next opponents for the Gaurs, which made opening fixture against Al Zawraa an important outing.

The unfavorable result against the Iraqi opposition on Wednesday has made the journey uphill for FC Goa. They will be travelling to Tajikistan next month to play their second AFC Champions League fixture against Istiklol. That match will present new challenges, including acclimatizing to the weather.

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