FC Goa face Al Seeb Club in AFC Champions League Two knockout match
Ex-India coach Manolo Marquez is managing The Gaurs
FC Goa earned qualification after winning Kalinga Super Cup last season
Manolo Marquez-managed Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa kick-start their Asian sojourn on Wednesday, when they lock horns against Oman's Al Saeeb Club in the preliminary stage of the AFC Champions League Two at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.
This will be the Gaurs' first appearance in continental football since 2021, when they became the first Indian club to play in the AFC Champions League group stage. FC Goa have qualified for this year's Preliminary Stage of the AFC Champions League Two after lifting the Kalinga Super Cup last season.
However, the Gaurs have to be vary of their opponents from Oman, who are one of the top sides. They have won the Oman Professional League in the last two seasons and made history in 2022 by winning the AFC Cup (now AFC Champions League Two) to become the only Omani club to do so.
The two-legged fixture will be a knockout game with the winner advancing to the group stage, and for the Gaurs, it's an opportunity to extend their continental journey in front of home fans.
In their last Asian campaign, FC Goa earned three draws in a tough group featuring sides like Al Rayyan, Al Wahda and Persepolis FC. The latter reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Al Hilal FC.
(With PTI inputs)
