Indian Super League franchise FC Goa, who are on a marvellous spell this season with leading the league table, has just achieved a new milestone. They have become the first football club from India to qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League, Asia’s premier club football tournament conducted by the Asian Football Confederation. While the franchise and supporters are celebrating this historical achievement, a special felicitation comes straight from the club’s co-owner and the Indian Cricket Team captain Virat Kohli!
Following their 5-0 rout of Jamshedpur FC yesterday at the JRD Tata Sports Complex stadium, Goa entered as the first club from the country to the AFC Champions League. Today morning, the official Twitter handle of FC Goa posted a video of the squad members celebrating the qualification into the group stage of Asia’s most prestigious club football tournament.
“An unforgettable night. 🧡#BeGoa#JFCFCG#HeroISL#FCGoainAsia” the club captioned the video. Check it out here-
An unforgettable night. 🧡#BeGoa #JFCFCG #HeroISL #FCGoainAsia pic.twitter.com/0EQ5Fi48XF
— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) February 20, 2020
Soon after, Virat Kohli, who is the joint owner of the club alongside the president Akshay Tandon and Delta Corp Limited chairman Jaydev Mody, retweeted the video with a heartfelt greeting towards the club’s marvellous achievement.
The Men in Blue skipper wrote: “Big ups to the Gaurs on becoming the first-ever Indian club to qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage and topping the ISL League table! 🥳🥳🥳 Keep putting in the work. We are all behind you. 👊🏼#BeGoa#FCGoainAsia”
Big ups to the Gaurs on becoming the first-ever Indian club to qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage and topping the ISL League table! 🥳🥳🥳 Keep putting in the work. We are all behind you. 👊🏼 #BeGoa #FCGoainAsia https://t.co/r4ZPvgqNmf
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 20, 2020
The 31 year old superstar cricketer became the Goa-based club’s co-owner in September 2014. Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan is the brand ambassador. Nicknamed ‘The Gaurs’, FC Goa are battling it out for their maiden ISL title this year. They are leading the league table with a stunning 39 points from 18 matches.
Goa’s 5 goal thriller against Jamshedpur yesterday started off with an early opener from club striker Ferrán Corominas. The French-Moroccoan midfielder Hugo Adnan Boumous scored a brace, and two late strikes came from centre back Mourtada Fall and Indian international Jackichand Singh.
Also read-
India footballer Ashalata Devi in the running to be named AFC Women’s player of the year
