Alerted by the ascending COVID cases, the All India Football Federation announced that fans and visitors will not be allowed in the Group E matches of the AFC Champions League, slated to be held in Goa. All set to start on April 14, the tournament will witness the participation by FC Goa. One of the best teams in India, FC Goa got selected after securing the top spot in Indian Super League(ISL) last season.
FC Goa to participate in 6 matches of the tournament
The team from Goa will be competing against last year’s runners-up Persepolis, Qatar Stars League side Al-Rayyan and the winner of the match between Al Wahda from UAE and Al Zaawra from Iraq. While the sports lovers were waiting anxiously for this special event, the tournament cannot be conducted with a large audience amid the ongoing pandemic. Previously, multiple cricket matches including the ones from the famed IPL was were played with no or restricted audience.
On the first day of the tournament, Persepolis FC and Goan FC will be seen battling against their respective contenders. While most of the matches will be played at Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, GMC Athletic Stadium in Banbolim will be an alternative venue. According to the event layout, Goa will be playing 6 matches, 5 of which are scheduled for 8:30 PM.
Surging COVID cases in Goa after a 5-month gap!
Goa breached its COVID-19 numbers of past 5 months with a report of 265 new cases on Thursday, the highest tally in 2021. Currently, the state has 1,716 active patients of coronavirus while the cumulative count of affected individuals stands at 58,304. Given the recent spike noticed after a long period of time, the authorities in the state are assuring that all guidelines and restrictions are followed strictly.