PANAJI
FC Goa have been drawn alongside Kuwait’s Qadsia SC, Bangladesh’s Fortis FC and Tajikistan’s FC Regar-TadAZ in Group C of the AFC Challenge League 2026-27, setting up a demanding Asian campaign for the Gaurs.
The draw was held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, with all three of FC Goa’s group matches to be played in Kuwait, where Qadsia will host the centralised fixtures.
FC Goa enter the Challenge League after their AFC Champions League Two campaign ended at the preliminary stage. The Gaurs lost 0-3 to Turkmenistan’s FK Arkadag last Wednesday, dropping into Asia’s third-tier club competition.
Their route into Asian football this season came through the AIFF Super Cup, which they won for a record third time in December 2025 after beating East Bengal on penalties.
The Gaurs now enter the Challenge League with a substantially reshaped squad. FC Goa are operating with a reduced budget this season, according to CEO Ravi Puskur, while also having an all-Indian coaching staff for the first time since the club’s inception.
The club have retained several Indian players, including Brison Fernandes, Ayush Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan and Seriton Fernandes, while Dejan Dražić is among the foreign players in the squad.
The group will also test FC Goa against three different footballing environments. Qadsia finished third in the Kuwaiti Premier League last season, while Fortis were third in Bangladesh’s top flight and Regar-TadAZ are the 2025 Tajikistan Cup winners.
Fortis and Regar-TadAZ have already negotiated the preliminary stage. Fortis defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Muras United 1-0, while Regar-TadAZ beat Maziya Sports & RC of the Maldives 3-0 to reach the group stage.
The centralised format means FC Goa will not have a home fixture in the group stage, with Qadsia hosting all three matches in Kuwait. The games will be played in a single round-robin format from October 17 to 24.
The five group winners and the best second-placed team from the three West groups will progress to the quarter-finals. The knockout rounds will be played over two legs, with the quarter-finals scheduled for March 3-18 and the semi-finals for April 7-15, 2027. The final is scheduled for May 8.
For FC Goa, the group stage will be another test in a season of transition. Gouramangi Singh, promoted to head coach in July after four years on the club’s coaching staff, is overseeing his first full season in charge. His first competitive assignment ended in a 0-3 defeat to Arkadag in the ACL2 preliminary stage, with the new-look Goa side subsequently dropping into the Challenge League.
The challenge now is to make the most of their campaign in the third tier of Asian club football. With all three Group C matches to be played in Kuwait and Qadsia enjoying home advantage, the Gaurs will have to negotiate a demanding group while continuing to establish a new-look side under a new head coach.
