FC Goa Highlights Indian Football Uncertainty in AFC Champions League Match
Goa—FC Goa made a significant gesture during the opening moments of their AFC Champions League Two match against Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol on Wednesday, briefly pausing play to underscore the prevailing uncertainty in Indian football. This action came as the team faced elimination from the group stage, having lost all five of their previous matches.
In a statement on their ‘X’ page, the club noted, “At the start of our AFC Champions League Two match, FC Goa’s players briefly paused active play for the opening seconds as a symbolic gesture to highlight the uncertainty currently affecting Indian football.”
The team clarified that this gesture aimed to shine a light on challenges facing domestic football and was not intended as a protest against their opponents or the competition itself. “This action was solely intended to draw attention to the broader challenges facing the domestic football ecosystem,” FC Goa emphasized. “It was not directed at our opponents FC Istiklol, the AFC, or the AFC Champions League Two, all of whom we respect greatly.”
The statement further asserted, “The gesture carried no element of protest against the competition or its stakeholders and was made in good faith, without any intent to cause offence or disruption.”
The context for this symbolic pause stems from ongoing turmoil within the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s premier football competition. The Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organizes the ISL, informed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in July that the league would be suspended due to uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which officially ended on December 8.
A tender for the commercial rights to the ISL was initiated under the oversight of a Supreme Court-appointed committee but failed to attract bidders. On December 20, a proposal put forth by 10 ISL clubs seeking “perpetual” operational and commercial ownership of the league was rejected by the AIFF’s General Body, leading the federation to form a committee to explore alternative solutions.
In the match against Istiklol, FC Goa ultimately suffered a 1-2 defeat, despite an early goal by Dejan in the eighth minute. The Tajikistan side made a comeback with goals from Paul and Amirbek’s penalty kick in the 56th minute.
