FC Goa defeat Oman's Al Seeb to seal AFC Champions League Two Group stage berth
Dejan Drazic and Javier Siverio scored for FC Goa, and the Gaurs will now wait to discover their Group Stage opponents on Friday.
Al Seeb started aggressively, testing FC Goa as early as the second minute with Nasser Al Rawahi forcing defender Pol Moreno into an acrobatic clearance, while Zahir Al Aghbari's follow-up from inside the box was blocked.
The home side took time to settle and could have broken the deadlock in the ninth minute when Drazic broke free on the left, but with only the keeper to beat, the midfielder's soft shot was easily collected by Ahmed Al Rawahi.
Al Rawahi was in the thick of things again for Al Seeb in the 23rd minute when his timely tackle opened up space to set up Abdul Aziz Al Muqbali, whose curling effort was parried away by FC
Goa keeper Hrithik Tiwari.
However, FC Goa showed their quality a minute later when Borja Herrera's instinctive long pass found Dražić on the left, with the midfielder evading Al Rawahi's challenge before delicately chipping the ball over Ahmed Al Khamisi and into the back of the net.
The Indian Super League side stayed on top of things in the second half with Drazic out muscling the Al Seeb defenders to surge into the box before forcing Al Rawahi to palm away his stinging shot in the 52nd minute.
The momentum saw FC Goa extend their lead moments later when Herrera's cross off a corner floated into the box perfectly for Siverio to rise above Al Rawahi for a headed finish.
Al Seeb, the 2022 AFC Cup winners, reduced the deficit at the hour mark through Nasser Al Rawahi's strike from close range off Ali Al Busaidi's cutback, but that was to be it as FC Goa became the second Indian side to book their spot in this season's Group Stage after 2024-25 ISL Shield Winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
The Gaurs and the Mariners will discover their Group Stage opponents after the draw on August 15.
UNI BM
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