FC Istiklol Secure Vital Win as FC Goa's Continental Struggles Continue

Image Credit: FC Goa(Instagram)

FC Goa suffered their second consecutive defeat in the AFC Champions League Two, falling 2-0 to FC Istiklol in Hisor, Tajikistan on October 1, 2025. The Tajik champions bounced back from their opening 5-0 defeat against Al Nassr to claim their first points of the campaign.

The match remained goalless at halftime despite FC Istiklol's early dominance, with goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari producing several crucial saves to deny Rustam Soirov, Manuchehr Safarov, and Muhammadjon Rahimov. FC Goa's best opportunity came in the 22' when Pol Moreno's effort from a Borja Herrera corner sailed over the crossbar.

The breakthrough arrived just one minute into the second half when Rustam Soirov capitalized on defensive confusion between Sandesh Jhingan and Pol Moreno, going past Tiwari into the left corner. Despite FC Goa's attempts to respond through Javier Siverio and Brison Fernandes, substitute Reza Dehghani doubled the lead in the 74', blasting home from outside the penalty box after collecting a loose ball.

The defeat leaves FC Goa without points after two matches, having previously lost 2-0 to Al Zawraa at home. Their continental campaign faces an uphill battle as they prepare to host Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr on October 22 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. For Istiklol, the victory provides crucial momentum as they look to recover from their heavy opening loss and compete for advancement from Group D.