For the first time in Indian footballing history, FC goa will be playing in the group stage of the AFC champions league. They will host group E which means that the Indian soil will host foreign clubs in the AFC Championship.
FC Goa topped the league stage of the 2019-20 season and won the first-ever ISL League Winners Shield. Which enabled them to qualify for the AFC Champions League, thus making them the first Indian Club to achieve that milestone.
Churchill Brothers and Dempo, the past heavyweights of Goan football took part in the AFC Champions League qualifiers in the past but were unable to qualify.
India Hosting Group E
India, whose representative FC Goa is ready to mark the country’s debut in Asia’s premier club competition, will host Group E. The west region matches are scheduled from April 14th to 30th April. FC Goa will begin their campaign on April 14 against Al Rayyan. They will play their last outing of the group stage on April 29.
Saudi Arabia will host Groups A and D in Riyadh and also Group C in Jeddah. On the other hand, United Arab Emirates will host the matches in Group B in the city of Sharjah.
Uphill task for FC Goa
India’s FC Goa have been placed in Group E of the AFC Champions League alongside Qatar’s Al Rayyan club and Iranian powerhouse Persepolis. The teams are from the higher-ranked nations as Iran is currently placed 39th and Qatar is placed 58th in the FIFA rankings. Whereas India is at 104th place and to crack the group stage for FC goa it would be no less than a miracle.
Although the task is herculean for FC Goa, the fact that matters is that they have brought an international tournament (AFC) to Indian soil which itself is a big thing. This will boost the footballing spirit around the country as football has been on a rise in India.
Indian Super League has a vital role in developing football in India as it has brought foreign players to India, which has helped the Indian player to get exposed to a better surrounding for football. The exposure has helped the nation to perform on the world platform and is continuing to do so.
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