New Delhi: Considering FC Goa had their fair share of scoring opportunities, inability to take any made them begin Asian Champions League 2 campaign with a 2-0 home defeat to Iraq’s Al Zawraa SC on Wednesday.
Over 90 plus minutes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, there was plenty of goalmouth action but ultimately the side which knew to score collected three points.
The visitors had Reziq Banihani (44th minute) and Nizar Alrashdan (90+5′), who knew how to find the back of the net that eased the pressure they were put under.
Goa were fortunate not to fall behind as early as the fifth minute due to a lapse in concentration as Mohammed Qasim’s left footer rebounded off the bar once Mahdi Humaidan intercepted a back pass and squared it inside the box.
Goa were not willing to cower down in the might of their Iraqi opponents and created their first sighter at goal three minutes later when Javier Siverio headed Dejan Drazic’s pinpoint cross over.
Neither teams could create much dangerous moves until the final minutes of the first half when Nizar Alrashdan’s header to Hassan Abdulkareem’s free-kick was blocked by Goa keeper Hrithik Tiwari with a dive to his right.
But in the 44th minute, Tiwari could do little as Abdulkareem found Kadhim Raad in the penalty box for a cutback to Banihani, whose shot took a double deflection off Nim Dorjee Tamang before hitting the Jordanian striker and looping inside the net.
End-to-end action
A minute after resumption of play, the Iraqi outfit came close again Banihani drove into the area from the left flank and his cutback was inadvertently steered towards goal by Dorjee before Hrithik palmed the ball away on the goal line.
Once FC Goa setted down with Ayush Chhetri’s header tipped over by Al Zawraa custodian Jalal Hassan before he dived to his right to keep Siverio’s back flick attempt out.
Goa were encouraged to push forward, irrespective of the risk of getting exposed at the back, but just didn’t know how to guide the ball into the net.
They rode their luck when Ibrahim Gbadamosi crashed into the post but were powerless to stop Alrashdan pick the bottom corner with a low strike from the edge of the box in added time.