The Gaurs will be looking to draw something out of their second successive outing against Persepolis after losing 2-1 against them on Tuesday
FC Goa are set to take on Iran’s Persepolis once again after losing 2-1 to the same opponents a few days back in the ongoing AFC Champions League (ACL). The Indian Super League (ISL) outfit will hope for a better result at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on Friday night.
Alexander Romario is back from suspension for the Goans while skipper Edu Bedia is suspended on account of his second booking in the group stages.
| Game | FC Goa vs Persepolis |
| Date | Friday, April 23 |
| Time | 10:30 PM IST (GMT +5:30) |
TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM
The Star Sports Network have announced that they will telecast FC Goa’s ACL campaign.
| India (English) TV channels | Online streaming |
|---|---|
| Star Sports 3 | Jio TV |
Commentary will not be available in vernacular languages for the ACL games on Star Sports.
SQUADS
FC Goa have registered a 28-man squad for their ACL campaign this year.
All clubs are allowed to have at most four foreign players in their squad including a player from an AFC (Asian Football Federation) member association. Australian defender James Donachie fulfils that criteria for the Gaurs.
Forward Igor Angulo and midfielder Alberto Noguera have been left out from the squad that competed in season seven of the ISL.
Indian forward Romeo Fernandes has been included in the FC Goa first team for the first time since 2016.
Goalkeepers :
Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
Defenders:
Sanson Pereira, Seriton Fernandes, Leander D’Cunha, Iván González (Spain), Mohamed Ali, James Donachie (Australia), Aibanbha Dohling, Saviour Gama, Adil Khan
Midfielders:
Edu Bedia (Spain), Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello, Brandon Fernandes, Phrangki Buam, Redeem Tlang, Makan Winkle Chothe, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Romeo Fernandes
Forwards:
Jorge Ortiz (Spain), Devendra Murgaonkar, Ishan Pandita
KNOW THE OPPONENTS
FC Goa, who have two points from three games so far, got a taste of their tough opponents in the 2-1 defeat on Tuesday wherein the Goans scored their first goal in the ACL but conceded twice from setpieces in the first half.
2020 ACL finalists, Persepolis, are the defending champions of the Iran Pro League. The Red Army has lost only one game in the ongoing 2020-21 season of the league and are at the top of the table.
The Persian Gulf Pro League champions and last year’s ACL runners-up are coached by Yahya Golmohammadi.
In their first two Group E fixtures, the Iranian club defeated UAE’s Al Wahda 1-0 and then thrashed Qatar’s Al-Rayyan 3-1.
Former Iran international defender Jalal Hosseini, midfielders Mehdi Torabi and Ahmad Nourollahi are the players to watch out for in the Persepolis squad.
Persepolis XI vs FC Goa on Tuesday: Hamed Lak (GK); Jalal Hosseini, Siamak Nemati, Hossein Kanaani, Vahid Amiri; Ehsan Pahlavan, Kamal Kamyabinia, Mehdi Torabi; Ahmad Nourollahi, Iss Ale Kasir, Shahriyar Moghanlou.
