AFC Champions League Second Edition: Format, Participating Indian Teams, Essential Details - Breakdown
FC Goa, under the guidance of coach Manolo Marquez, secured a historic victory in the preliminary round playoff against Oman's Al Seeb, qualifying for the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26. The match, held at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on August 13, 2025, ended in a thrilling 2-1 win for FC Goa.
The match was highly anticipated, with key players from both teams expected to make a significant impact. For FC Goa, Iker Guarrotxena was tipped to be pivotal in attack, leveraging his impressive form from the Super Cup to breach Al Seeb’s defense. Salah Al-Yahyaei, a seasoned AFC Champions League Two player known for both goals and assists, was the one to watch for Al Seeb.
Dejan Drazic scored an early opener for FC Goa, and Javier Siverio doubled the lead early in the second half. Despite Al Seeb's late goal, Goa’s defense held firm, securing their place in the group stage. This victory marked Goa’s return to continental competition since their historic 2021 AFC Champions League group stage appearance.
The participation of FC Goa, alongside Mohun Bagan Super Giant who qualified directly by winning the ISL Shield last season, signifies an important development for Indian football. It reinforces the rising standard and continental competitiveness of Indian clubs, provides valuable exposure against higher-ranked Asian clubs, elevates Indian club football’s profile on the Asian stage, offers critical experience and benchmarking opportunities, and encourages growth in tactical, technical, and organizational aspects of Indian football clubs.
The AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 is Asia's second-tier continental club football competition, with a total prize pool of USD 16.62 million. The group stage consists of 32 teams, divided into East and West regions, and each team plays eight games to determine standings. The tournament includes a knockout phase with home-and-away ties and a single-match final. The winners of the tournament receive USD 2.5 million, while group stage participants earn USD 300,000 each.
This year's competition structure has undergone changes, with the top tiers split into regionalized leagues and the renaming of the second-tier contest. These changes aim to balance competitive opportunities across Asia's club football landscape and provide increased commercial investment and visibility for clubs like FC Goa and Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
The winner of the FC Goa vs Al-Seeb match will advance to the group stage, where they will face traditionally strong teams like Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and others. This continental campaign marks FC Goa's first since 2021, and their performance will undoubtedly set a precedent for future Indian clubs aiming to make their mark on the Asian football stage.
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