FC Goa, the first team from India to compete in the group stage of the AFC Champions League, punched above their weight to hold Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, coached by renowned French World Cup winner Laurent Blanc, to a goalless draw on Wednesday.
FC Goa produced a commendable performance to keep the side coached by the former Paris Saint-Germain manager at bay for the full duration of the match.
Rising to the occasion were the likes of Ishan Pandita and young goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, who, among others, made a brilliant save in the 87th minute and a crucial tackle before that to deny the fancied visitors.
As expected, Al Rayyan dominated from the beginning, creating the best chances of the match with Yacine Brahimi leading the attack at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
However, the visitors were let down by finishing on the day.
The Indian team deserves credit for the manner in which it thwarted the opposition attacks in the first half and managed to match Al-Rayyan in…