What happened when FC Goa last faced Al-Nassr in AFC Champions League 2?

Brison Fernandes scored the solitary goal for the Gaurs against Al Nassr.

FC Goa, after securing a semi-final spot in the AIFF Super Cup 2025, are all set to face Al-Nassr in their fourth round fixtures of the AFC Champions League Two at the Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh. The heavyweight clash will mark FC Goa’s first-ever professional football match on Arabian soil.

The last time both teams locked horns against each other was in the third round of the AFC Champions League Two when FC Goa hosted the Saudi giants at Fatorda on the 22nd of October, and after a thrilling ninety minutes, the Saudi side edged past the Gaurs 2-1.

A roller coaster first half for FC Goa

In their previous encounter in the AFC Champions League Two at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Al-Nassr, despite the absence of their Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, wasted no time and seized immediate control of the match by finding the back of the net in the 10th minute. The Brazilian winger Angelo Gabriel won the ball in the final third and took a shot from outside the penalty box to beat Hrithik Tiwari to score the opener of the game.

After trailing, the Gaur’s struggle worsened as they failed to keep control over the ball and gifted the possession to their opponents cheaply on multiple occasions. FC Goa floundered to remain composed, and a weak defensive unit meant that Al-Nassr doubled their advantage courtesy of Haroune Camara. However, from then on, the hosts regrouped and started to show signs of an aggressive approach. They defended well and crafted some attacks to test the strong Saudi side.

Just minutes ahead of the break, when a 2-0 lead for Al Nassr was imminent at halftime, the Gaurs pulled off a shocker. Dejan Drazic provided a well-timed pass to the substitute Brison Fernandes, who displayed his silky moves in the final third to beat the Al-Nassr defenders and take the Gaur’s first shot on target, which ultimately breached the goal. Brison’s effort marked the first-ever goal scored by an Indian in the AFC Champions League Two history.

Resilient Goa stun the Saudi Giants

Though FC Goa failed to build on the momentum, they stood resilient at the back and created an impenetrable defensive setup, which resisted every attempt made by Al-Nassr to strike and score their third goal. As the visiting side struggled in the offensive third, they brought in the fresh legs of Sadio Mane and Joao Felix. However, the inclusion of the star players did not rewrite the scorecard.

In the stoppage time, David Timor intentionally kicked the ball towards the linesman, and this saw the player being sent off with a direct red card. In the final minutes, despite being a man down, FC Goa kept composure and ensured that Al-Nassr did not score further.

In the post-match press conference, the Al-Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus rightly appreciated the Goan effort, saying, “The objective of the match is done, which is to win. We won against a team which refused to lose. They have some quick players, but we controlled the match and scored goals. A lot of our players needed opportunities.”

Al-Nassr will face FC Goa in the reverse fixture on the 5th of November. Fans all across India can watch the match on the Fancode app or website, 11:45 pm IST onwards.

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