(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Laurent Blanc's Al Rayyan had plenty of chances to score but failed to capitalise as FC Goa, who had limited opportunities upfront, kept their opponents at bay in the AFC Champions League Group E opener on Wednesday.
Blanc cited that Goa showed resilience and the humidity played a part in Al Rayyan's inability to find the net in the goalless draw.
'The weather and humidity played a huge impact on Al Rayyan's level of performance today, said Blanc. 'We did not take advantage of the opportunities at the beginning of the match and that made our task even more difficult.
'Of course that gave Goa the confidence despite we controlling 70 per cent of the match.
'We could have achieved victory, but there was no exploitation of the opportunities we had. We lost two points today, and we have to win against Persepolis.
Despite the points being shared at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa head coach Juan Ferrando's charges created history as they announced their arrival into the AFC Champions League group stage.
'We played against a very good team today, against Laurent Blanc, who won the FIFA World Cup in 1998, said Ferrando. 'I'm happy with this point but overall, we need to improve in certain aspects of our game.
'We need to work on our offensive approach. This is the AFC Champions League and it's necessary to prepare ourselves for the best in Asia.
Ferrando has been associated with the Indian football ecosystem for a year and the 40-year-old Spaniard explained the importance of this milestone for Goa and Indian football.
'This is a good moment for us and especially Indian football. Five, six years ago when you're talking about Indian football it was different. We have to go step by step and continue improving. This is not our limit and we have to improve more.
Blanc's men will face Iran's Persepolis tomorrow, while FC Goa will take on UAE's Al Wahda.
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