FC Goa suffer late defeat in AFC challenge league opener© X/@FCGoaOfficial
FC Regar-TadAZ of Tajikistan came from behind to defeat FC Goa 2-1 in their opening Group C match of the AFC Challenge League 2026-27 at the Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium on Saturday. AIFF Super Cup champions FC Goa could not have asked for a better start, taking the lead in the seventh minute when Chiki received the ball inside the box and fired past Severin Takam with ease. Regar-TadAZ had chances to equalise, but Manuel Mbollo blasted an effort from the edge of the box over the bar before Nozim Babajanov’s near-post strike was comfortably dealt with by Goa goalkeeper Bob Jackson.
At the other end, Jorge Ortiz attempted a spectacular 30-yard strike in the 21st minute, which sailed just over the crossbar, before breaking through on goal six minutes later only to be denied by Ndongo Foe’s last-ditch challenge.
In the 56th minute, Regar-TadAZ substitute Khaitov tested FC Goa goalkeeper Lara, but the latter came out on top by parrying away a low curling effort from just outside the box.
The Central Asian side were fortunate to avoid being reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when Foe’s lunging challenge on Ortiz was punished with only a yellow card by referee Wissam Rabie.
Regar-TadAZ continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 85th minute when Abdurakhmon Nozimov released Faridun Davlatov into space, allowing him to unleash an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
The same combination produced the winner in the 90th minute. Nozimov’s corner delivery was met by Davlatov, whose header completed a remarkable comeback.
FC Goa will next face Bangladesh’s Fortis FC on Tuesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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