Kolkata, November 26: FC Goa suffered a 2–1 defeat to Iraq’s Al Zawra’a in their AFC Champions League Two fixture, in the Zawra stadium, a match defined by an early red card, a missed penalty, an own goal, and a heroic goalkeeping performance from young Hrithik Tiwari.

Goa started positively, nearly taking the lead in the 1st minute when Borja Herrera’s attempt from the centre of the box was blocked after a good cross from Dejan Drazic. But the flow of the game changed dramatically in the 34th minute. Ayush Chhetri brought down Kadhim Raad inside the box, earning a second yellow and reducing Goa to 10 men. Al Zawra’a were awarded a penalty, but Ibrahim Gbadamosi fired wide to the left, keeping Goa momentarily alive.

However, the pressure soon broke through. In the 38th minute, Kadhim Raad, rising highest to head home from close range following a corner, putting Al Zawra’a 1–0 up.

The second half brought more chaos. Just six minutes after the restart, a long ball into the Goa box created confusion, and Pol Moreno’s pressure made Ismael attempt and ended up in the wrong net, an own goal that levelled the match at 1–1 for the Gaurs.

But Al Zawra’a continued to dominate possession and tempo, and their efforts paid off again in the 65th minute. After Ritwik Tiwari produced a brilliant save seconds earlier from Rashdan’s long-range strike, Hasan Abdulkareem restored Al Zawra’a’s lead with a composed left-footed finish into the bottom corner from the right side of the box.

Despite Al Zawra’a registering 73% possession and 10 attempts compared to FC Goa’s two, with defensive lapses, and limited attacking opportunities, it was goalkeeper Ritwik Tiwari who kept the scoreline respectable. The youngster delivered several crucial stops and remained FC Goa’s standout performer throughout the evening.

With this defeat, FC Goa remain bottom of the group D with 0 points. Only one match remains on December 24 against Istikol, but qualification hopes now look impossible.