Goa set for continental challenge

KOCHI: Indian football’s date with history is finally here as FC Goa are set to embark on an acid test where they take on Asia’s finest. As the first Indian club to play in the competition, their first assignment is against World Cup winner and former Paris Saint Germain coach Laurent Blanc’s Al-Rayyan and the challenge gets bigger from there. Goa’s last competitive match was more than a month ago against Mumbai City in the second leg of the ISL play-offs.

Al-Rayyan’s last match was on April 9 in the Stars League as they come into the Champions League with a lot of competitive action under their belt. As India prepare to host the continental meet for the first time ever, the Goa camp are excited as they will be facing opponents of a different calibre than they’ve faced in the ISL. 

“This is a once in a lifetime experience for many. These are the kind of things you start playing football for. We are very enthusiastic and hope we can make the country proud. This is not huge just for FC Goa but for the whole nation,” said Goa head coach Juan Ferrando ahead of the game. Blanc meanwhile said that he has seen Goa play and suggested that they are a good outfit. “Goa is the local team that hosts this group. It will be a difficult match but we can play against any team. I watched the Goa team via video. They are a good team.”