It has been a challenging start for Manolo Marquez’s men, who have shown flashes of promise but fallen short in execution. FC Goa began their ACL2 campaign with a 0-2 defeat to Al Zawraa SC in the group opener at home, where early missed chances proved costly. Their second outing, away to FC Istiklol in Dushanbe, followed a similar pattern – disciplined for long stretches but undone by lapses in key moments as they went down by the same margin. With back-to-back defeats, the Gaurs now face their toughest assignment yet against one of Asia’s most high-profile clubs.