FC Goa name five players to watch as Group C action begins in AFC Challenge League
FC Goa will compete in the AFC Challenge League Group C at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium in Kuwait between 17 and 23 October after losing their AFC Champions League 2 qualification match to Turkmenistan club Arkadag, which relegated them to Asia’s third-tier continental competition. The AIFF Super Cup 2025-26 winners will represent India in the tournament.
FC Goa have been drawn into Group C alongside Tajikistan’s Regar-TadAZ, Kuwait’s Al-Qadsia and Bangladeshi club Fortis, with each team scheduled to play every other side once between 17 and 23 October. All group fixtures are set to take place at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium in Kuwait. The club posted a three-match schedule that lists fixtures on 17 October, 20 October and 23 October.
Centre-back Sandesh Jhingan is the first player highlighted by the club; the article describes him as India’s best defender over the last decade and notes his recent match impact, including 8 defensive contributions in FC Goa’s Indian Super League 2026-27 opener against Chennaiyin FC. Jhingan also recorded 40 defensive contributions across the four AFC Champions League 2 games he played last season, and the piece adds he will be an attacking threat in set-piece situations.
Franchu was substituted in the first half of the Chennaiyin FC game and the extent of his injury is not known; FC Goa have Jorge Ortiz available as a replacement. The 34-year-old Ortiz represented and scored a goal for FC Goa in their debut AFC Champions League campaign in 2021, and the article notes he has since had stints in China with Shenzhen Peng City and with fellow ISL club Mumbai City. Ortiz is described as versatile, able to play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, which the piece says could allow head coach Gouramangi Singh to tweak tactics.
Goalkeeper Bob Jackson Raj, aged 21, has been entrusted as FC Goa’s first-choice keeper, according to the article, and will follow a line of club custodians including Mohamed Nawaz, Dheeraj Singh and Hritik Tiwari, who the piece describes as exceptional. The article warns that facing West Asian opponents will bring plenty of shots, and states Bob Raj will need to be at the top of his game to help the Gaurs qualify for the knockout stage.
Alex Vallejo joined FC Goa from Hungary’s Diosgyori VTK over the summer and is reported as 34 years old with extensive European experience; the move to India is described as his first opportunity outside his home continent. The article cites his performance against Chennaiyin FC, where he posted a successful pass percentage of 91.7%, was not dispossessed during the match and won the majority of his duels, and says those contributions will be important for a successful AFC Challenge League run.
Christian Borrego (Chiki), aged 30, is identified as the club’s principal goal threat for the three group games; the article states he spent his entire career in Spain before moving to India in the summer and that he scored the equaliser in FC Goa’s ISL opener to share the spoils with Chennaiyin FC. The forward is described as strong on the ball and recorded winning 80% of his duels against CFC’s defence in that match.
FC Goa open their AFC Challenge League Group C campaign on 17 October against FC Regar-TadAZ at 6:55 PM IST at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, with subsequent group fixtures listed for 20 October at 6:55 PM IST and 23 October at 11:00 (local time) as part of the three-match schedule posted by the club.