JOVITO LOPES
PANJIM: FC Goa displayed a good fighting spirit with substitute Brison Fernandes showcasing his brilliance scoring a gem of a goal in their 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia giants Al Nassr in their third match of 2025-26 AFC Champions League Group Two match at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Wednesday. Brison became the first Indian to score in the AFC Champions League Two.
It was the third successive defeat for FC Goa team which is at the bottom without a single point, following defeats to Iraqi side Al Zawraa SC and Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol in their first two group fixtures. The Saudi Arabian giants recorded their third straight victory, indeed, a lukewarm one, and are leading the group with nine points.
Irrespective of the surprising outcome, credit for FC Goa for putting Al Nassr under pressure once Brison reduced the margin after they were down by two early goals. The visitors were, no doubt, expected to win and win by a huge margin even without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Surprisingly, that did not happen. Finally, it was a close finish which forced Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus of Al Nassr to admit that his team got what it came for – the three points.
He said, “The objective of the match is done which is to win and pick up three points. We won against a team which refused to lose. They have some quick players, but we controlled the match and scored goals. We are leaving with three points.”
“A lot of our players needed opportunities with minutes on the field. That was also one of our targets,” explained Jesus.
The large crowd that turned up to witness the formidable giants from Saudi Arabia started with stars Sadio Mane and Joao Felix on the bench. Even then, they took little time in gaining the upper hand and surged to a deserving 2-0 lead which was made possible due to the forced defensive lapses from the Gaurs.
The visitors dominated with the Goans virtually being restricted to defending in their own half from the kick-off. It took just 10 minutes for Angelo Gabriel to open the account with a long-range try past young goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari.
Al Nassr’s relentless pressure bore fruit again midway through the half in the 21st minute as the Gaurs struggled to gain possession. Haroune Camara received a cross from Aiman Yahya in a crowded box and still managed to slot it into the goal to make it 2-0.
It was only in the final few minutes before the break that the Gaurs were allowed to show more attacking intent. A rare spell of build-up through midfield produced their best chance and they scored in the 41st minute. Brison, who came in as a substitute after an injury to Javier Silverio in the 24th minute, pulled back a goal for FC Goa after he latched onto a Borja Fernandez through ball. The winger beat his marker and slotted past Al Nassr’s Brazilian goalkeeper Bento, much to the surprise of the home crowd. It was a classic effort indeed that sent the crowd into raptures. Incidentally, that was the first goal that Al Nassr suffered in the competition so far.
Al Nassr continued to dominate possession after the break, surprisingly without being brilliant, but they showed lack of shooting power. Consequently, coach Jesus introduced Liverpool legend Sadio Mane and Portugal’s forward Joao Felix in the 65th minute. But it was FC Goa that created the best chance. Wing-back Boris Singh darted in dangerously in the Al Nassr territory even as the defenders thought that he was in an off-side position. He had the Saudi goalkeeper to beat, but Bento spread himself to make a superb save. However, the assistant referee had rightly raised the flag for off-side.
FC Goa kept up the pace as minutes ticked by giving some anxious moments. Rabeeh Kharbudon almost set up fellow second-half sub Muhammed Nemil with a driven cross from the right but Mohamed Simakan made a late intervention to save Al Nassr any blushes.
FC Goa finished the match with 10 men after David Timor was sent off in stoppage time. There was drama as the Goa midfielder was red-carded for aiming the ball straight at the assistant referee. The centre-back fouled a rival player and when the referee awarded a free-kick, kicked the ball straight out in frustration. The ball missed the assistant referee who at once alerted the referee who promptly red-carded Timor.
“In the end, Al Nassr controlled 80 per cent of the match. FC Goa got one opportunity they created,” coach Jesus said, indicating that the final score was not a proper testament to Al Nassr’s overall dominance in the match. And that was the talking point after the event.
Given the result,FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez, was proud about his team’s performance. “I am really proud of the players, particularly because we did not start well and conceded the first goal from a mistake. After the goal that Brison scored, we were better…We finished with three corners and could have done something (to score the equaliser). But in terms of the performance of the team, as a coach, it’s difficult to be prouder than tonight. My only worry is the injuries (Javier Siverio). We have to see the situation,” Manolo said after the match.
The FC Goa coach gave special credit to the fans, who he thought played a huge part in his team playing above expectations.
“I have been here in Goa for three seasons now. This is probably just the second or third time I have heard loud and clear ‘FC Goa’ chants. Our fans always make noise, but this was something incredible,” the Spanish coach added. Undoubtedly, FC Goa’s superb performance gave the Fatorda supporters plenty to cheer about.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan Super Giant were also part of the ACL Two this season but were disqualified after refusing to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran for their Group C match against Sepahan SC on September 30.
