FC Goa bank on old and new in difficult ACL2 qualifier
Win the Asian Champions League Two qualifier at home and FC Goa will join ISL league shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the main round of this new tier 2 competition. It will be the first time two Indian teams will be in the finals of the 29-team tournament that offers over $16m in prize money with $300,000 being assured for making the group stage. But we are getting ahead of the story.
Al-Seeb won the 2022-23 AFC Cup, the competition that made way for this, have 11 players in the Oman squad that is in contention for a 2026 World Cup berth and are the reigning Oman Professional League champions. 'Good opponents, it will be difficult for us but for sure, it will be difficult for them,' said the FC Goa's head coach at the pre-match media conference in Goa on Tuesday.
Al-Seeb, their Romanian coach Tita Valeriou said speaking through an interpreter, have one foreign player, in attack. FC Goa have six, three of them new though forward Javier Sivero has been in India for five seasons. 'The team is balanced if we play all six,' said Marquez. But we also need to finish the game in a strong way because extra-time is possible, he said.
David Timor, the 35-year-old left-footed central midfielder with over 150 matches in La Liga, has replaced Carl McHugh. It was a tough decision but Goa decided to go for Timor's experience, Marquez had said earlier. Odei Onaindia wanted to end his career close to his home in Spain's Basque region so Pol Moreno, the central defender from Barcelona who was with Racing Santander last, has been bought. A first-time defensive pairing of Moreno, 31, and Sandesh Jhingan is likely though Marquez did not rule out playing three centre-backs.
The other foreigners, Iker Guarrotxena, Borja Herrera and Dejan Drazic are among the 20 players Goa have retained.
Both teams had a month to prepare. Awaiting formalities of being released from the post of India head coach meant Marquez began training on July 18, nearly one week after reaching Goa. Al-Seeb are in Goa after losing a one-off match to Al-Shabab, winners of the 2023-24 cup competition, on penalties. They also played a pre-season friendly tournament.
Winners of the Super Cup last season, which gave them a half-berth in Asia, FC Goa were among the continent's elite in 2021. Clubs from Goa have had a good run in the AFC Cup with five-time I-League champions Dempo being the first Indian team to make the semi-final in 2008 beating a team from Oman en route. In1989, Salgaocar were the first team from the football-loving state to play in Asia when they participated in the Asian Club Cup in Muscat.
'It will be a hard game, especially because Goa FC will play in front of their fans and supporters,' said Valeriou whose team reached Goa three days ago to acclimatise. Marquez said he hoped the crowd would connect like it did in the ISL semi-final against Bengaluru FC. 'I never saw before in Goa….Now we are in the Asian competition. I hope that tomorrow they will come in a good number,' he said.
This is Marquez's third season at FC Goa, a club he has said is the best in India. Temperature fluctuations due to rain, heat, humidity, and conducting training sessions through them, had him admitted to a hospital in his first season. Marquez still does not like the monsoon but a mid-week victory could make him hate it less.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
S. Rohit Krishna becomes India's 89th Grand Master
S. Rohith Krishna has always been a bright student of academics. However, Rohith felt that his pursuit of excellence in academics slowed down the pace of his becoming a chess Grandmaster. When he became the 89th Indian Grandmaster at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), with a victory over IM Artur Davtyan of Romania in the final round, securing six points out of nine, he was on top of the world. The 19-year-old, a third year student of SSN College of Engineering, knows that his journey has just begun. Speaking to The Hindu from Dubai, where he is taking part in the Abu Dhabi International tournament beginning August 15, Rohith said: 'Finally, achieving the dream of becoming a Grandmaster—one I have pursued since 2013—has brought me immense relief and joy. I will always remember my friends, family, and mentors who stood by me in difficult times, encouraging me never to give up. This is not the end—it is just the beginning of a longer journey ahead.' Rohith acknowledged the support of his school—Sunshine (Velachery), and College—SSN College, that made the path to becoming a Grand Master relatively smooth. 'At times, I felt the pressure of not achieving the Grandmaster title as quickly as I expected, as balancing academics and chess was never easy. However, the support of The Sunshine School and SSN College kept me motivated to excel in both fields,' he emphasised while thanking the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its financial assistance. K. Visweswaran, head coach of Kameswaran Chess Academy (Chennai), and one who has been training with Rohith closely since 2019, said his ward wanted to achieve excellence in academics and chess, and it was a conscious decision. 'He remains a very good student. He invested two years for school (Std. XI and XII) and one year in College (SSN) to get accustomed to the environment. Rohith looks at life holistically,' said the coach. According to his coach, 'Rohith is a diligent and a patient player. He is more or less like former England cricketer David Gower, elegant and positive. Like Gower, he is always ready to punish loose balls. He is tactically sharp and quick to capitalise on the opponent's mistakes. Now with the GM pressure off his back, he can go for tournament wins.' After becoming an International Master in 2022, Rohith earned his maiden GM-norm by winning the Hotel Stockholm North GM round-robin tournament in March 2025 and he got his second norm in the 2025 Dubai Open in May. It's time to witness a new and revitalised Rohith.
India Today
16 minutes ago
- India Today
Badminton: Tough draws for PV Sindhu, fellow Indians at World Championships 2025
PV Sindhu set to face 2nd seed Wang Zhi Yi of China as early as the third round (PTI Photo) India have won a medal in all editions of the world meet since 2011 Lakshya Sen meets world No.1 Shi Yuqi in a challenging first round The World Championships will be held form August 25 to 31 in Paris India's hopes of maintaining their streak of winning at least one medal at the World Championships since 2011 may take a hit this year, as several star players have been handed challenging draws at the world meet. The doubles pair and former World No. 1 combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty carry much of the nation's hopes for success at the prestigious event, which will be held from 25 to 31 August at the Adidas Arena in Paris. Former bronze medallist Lakshya Sen faces the No. 1 seed Shi Yuqi in one of the most anticipated first-round clashes. Lakshya holds a 1–3 head-to-head record against the Chinese top seed. The two last met at the Indonesia Open in June, where Lakshya lost a hard-fought encounter 21–11, 20–22, 15–21. Should Lakshya overcome the tough Chinese challenge in the opening round, he is likely to meet 10th seed Christo Popov in the third round. Meanwhile, 2023 bronze medallist HS Prannoy will begin his campaign against Finland's Joakim Oldorff. The World No. 34 has endured a difficult season, often failing to progress beyond the second round in most tournaments. Neither Lakshya nor Prannoy has been seeded this time, with PV Sindhu the only Indian singles player to secure a seeding. PV SINDHU SET FOR TOUGH TEST The 2019 champion will open her campaign against Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova in what is expected to be a one-sided affair. The 15th seed is projected to face second seed Wang Zhi Yi of China as early as the third round. Sindhu, renowned for raising her game in major tournaments, has amassed five World Championships medals and is aiming for another strong showing. However, she faces a stern challenge against Wang, whom she has not beaten since 2022. Wang arrives in Paris in fine form, having won the China Open Super 1000 in July. In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag, seeded ninth, have received a first-round bye. However, they could encounter a stiff test against China's Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang as early as the third round, with a potential quarter-final meeting against second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik looming. It was in Paris last year that Satwik and Chirag suffered one of their biggest heartbreaks, losing the Olympic quarter-final to Aaron and Soh. The Malaysian pair have long been a stumbling block for the Indians, winning 11 of their 14 encounters on tour. India will also be represented in men's doubles by Hariharan Amsakarunan and Rethinasabapathi, who will face Satwik and Chirag if they win their opening match against Taipei's Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han. In a significant blow to India's medal prospects, the nation's top women's doubles pairing of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly has withdrawn from the event. World No. 39 Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, along with Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, will fly the flag in women's doubles. Priya and Shruti open against France's Margot Lambert and Camille Pognante, while World No. 38 Rutaparna and Swetaparna will face Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva in the first round. In mixed doubles, India will field two pairs. World No. 17 Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have received a first-round bye. The 16th seeds could meet sixth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong as early as the third round. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will also compete in mixed doubles. Previous Indian medallists at the World Championships: Prakash Padukone – Bronze – Men's Singles – 1983 Jwala Gutta / Ashwini Ponnappa – Bronze – Women's Doubles – 2011 PV Sindhu – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2013 PV Sindhu – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2014 Saina Nehwal – Silver – Women's Singles – 2015 Saina Nehwal – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2017 PV Sindhu – Silver – Women's Singles – 2017 PV Sindhu – Silver – Women's Singles – 2018 PV Sindhu – Gold – Women's Singles – 2019 B Sai Praneeth – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2019 Kidambi Srikanth – Silver – Men's Singles – 2021 Lakshya Sen – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2021 Chirag Shetty / Satwiksairaj Rankireddy – Bronze – Men's Doubles – 2022 HS Prannoy – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2023 India's hopes of maintaining their streak of winning at least one medal at the World Championships since 2011 may take a hit this year, as several star players have been handed challenging draws at the world meet. The doubles pair and former World No. 1 combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty carry much of the nation's hopes for success at the prestigious event, which will be held from 25 to 31 August at the Adidas Arena in Paris. Former bronze medallist Lakshya Sen faces the No. 1 seed Shi Yuqi in one of the most anticipated first-round clashes. Lakshya holds a 1–3 head-to-head record against the Chinese top seed. The two last met at the Indonesia Open in June, where Lakshya lost a hard-fought encounter 21–11, 20–22, 15–21. Should Lakshya overcome the tough Chinese challenge in the opening round, he is likely to meet 10th seed Christo Popov in the third round. Meanwhile, 2023 bronze medallist HS Prannoy will begin his campaign against Finland's Joakim Oldorff. The World No. 34 has endured a difficult season, often failing to progress beyond the second round in most tournaments. Neither Lakshya nor Prannoy has been seeded this time, with PV Sindhu the only Indian singles player to secure a seeding. PV SINDHU SET FOR TOUGH TEST The 2019 champion will open her campaign against Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova in what is expected to be a one-sided affair. The 15th seed is projected to face second seed Wang Zhi Yi of China as early as the third round. Sindhu, renowned for raising her game in major tournaments, has amassed five World Championships medals and is aiming for another strong showing. However, she faces a stern challenge against Wang, whom she has not beaten since 2022. Wang arrives in Paris in fine form, having won the China Open Super 1000 in July. In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag, seeded ninth, have received a first-round bye. However, they could encounter a stiff test against China's Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang as early as the third round, with a potential quarter-final meeting against second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik looming. It was in Paris last year that Satwik and Chirag suffered one of their biggest heartbreaks, losing the Olympic quarter-final to Aaron and Soh. The Malaysian pair have long been a stumbling block for the Indians, winning 11 of their 14 encounters on tour. India will also be represented in men's doubles by Hariharan Amsakarunan and Rethinasabapathi, who will face Satwik and Chirag if they win their opening match against Taipei's Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han. In a significant blow to India's medal prospects, the nation's top women's doubles pairing of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly has withdrawn from the event. World No. 39 Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, along with Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, will fly the flag in women's doubles. Priya and Shruti open against France's Margot Lambert and Camille Pognante, while World No. 38 Rutaparna and Swetaparna will face Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva in the first round. In mixed doubles, India will field two pairs. World No. 17 Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have received a first-round bye. The 16th seeds could meet sixth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong as early as the third round. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will also compete in mixed doubles. Previous Indian medallists at the World Championships: Prakash Padukone – Bronze – Men's Singles – 1983 Jwala Gutta / Ashwini Ponnappa – Bronze – Women's Doubles – 2011 PV Sindhu – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2013 PV Sindhu – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2014 Saina Nehwal – Silver – Women's Singles – 2015 Saina Nehwal – Bronze – Women's Singles – 2017 PV Sindhu – Silver – Women's Singles – 2017 PV Sindhu – Silver – Women's Singles – 2018 PV Sindhu – Gold – Women's Singles – 2019 B Sai Praneeth – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2019 Kidambi Srikanth – Silver – Men's Singles – 2021 Lakshya Sen – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2021 Chirag Shetty / Satwiksairaj Rankireddy – Bronze – Men's Doubles – 2022 HS Prannoy – Bronze – Men's Singles – 2023 Join our WhatsApp Channel
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
When India pulled out of Asia Cup — And the big story behind it
NEW DELHI: The 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28, the Asian Cricket Council confirmed earlier this month, ending weeks of uncertainty over India's participation. Doubts arose after India–Pakistan relations hit a fresh low, triggering calls to boycott Pakistan at global sporting events. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Silence from the BCCI kept broadcasters, sponsors, and fans on edge before the board finally confirmed that the defending champions will compete. Poll Do you think India should prioritize national security over participating in international sporting events? Yes, always No, sports should be separate It depends on the situation When India skipped the Asia Cup India's absence from the 1986 Asia Cup remains the only time the Men in Blue have missed the continental tournament. The decision came just two years after they lifted the trophy in the inaugural 1984 edition. India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur under pressure ahead of ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025? That year's event was scheduled in Sri Lanka but was overshadowed by the country's escalating civil war, which had broken out in 1983 between the government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Concerned for player safety, the Indian government instructed the BCCI to withdraw the team, making it a politically sensitive move given India's delicate regional diplomacy over the conflict. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo The pull-out left only three participants — Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh — with the hosts eventually lifting the trophy. The 1986 decision remains a rare example of India skipping a major multi-nation cricket event, underscoring the priority given to national security over sporting obligations. 2025 Asia Cup edition at a neutral venue The upcoming Asia Cup will follow the T20I format and feature eight teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong. India is in Group A with Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Although India is the formal host, a neutral venue arrangement with the PCB ensures that Indo-Pak fixtures over the next three years are staged at third-party venues. Dubai will host 11 matches, including India's opener against the UAE on September 10 and the high-profile clash with Pakistan on September 14. Abu Dhabi will stage eight games, including India's final group match against Oman on September 19. The Super 4 stage runs from September 20 to 26, with the final set for September 28 in Dubai. If both sides progress, India and Pakistan could face each other up to three times — in the group stage, the Super 4, and potentially in the title clash — ensuring the cricketing rivalry stays in sharp focus despite the political tensions surrounding it. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
