Abahani Limited to fly for Kolkata, today (Saturday) at 10:15am to play their AFC Cup Playoff match against ATK Mohun Bagan at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India on April 19.
Abahani Limited set to take on the Kolkata giants ATK Mohun Bagan in the AFC Cup Playoff round match on April 19 after having walkover against Valencia of Maldives.
Satiyajit Das Rupu, manager of Abahani Limited when talking to the Bangladesh Post on Friday said that they were going to Kolkata with full preparation.
Rupu, also the former Abahani booter replying to a query said, “They are obviously strong at their home ground but we are also not far behind to them. We proved ourselves the best sides winning two trophies in domestic tournament.”
“Yes, they played a match and had a big win but we were also on playing in our league. There will be a fight to prove as the best sides in the South Asian region.”
“I don’t want to mention who have the better chance to win but I want to tell that it would be a competitive match. The team, who will be able to utilize the chances will come to their ways, will be the winners,” Rupu told.
But the former national star looked a bit optimistic to win the match when put across his opinion about their chance against the away ground.
Meanwhile, Abahani Limited and ATK Mohun Bagan, in their last meeting in the same AFC Cup competition in 2017 the Indian sides won their home match by 3-1 at the same venue and drew 1-1 in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Abahani Limited advanced to the Playoff stage of the AFC Cup after their prequalifying match was cancelled by the AFC following the Maldives Club Valencia withdrew their name.
Abahani Limited was supposed to host their prequalifying match on April 12 against the Maldives team, who moved into the prequalifying phase after winning their preliminary round match against Paro FC of Bhutan by 2-1. But all of a sudden the Maldives team announced their unavailability to play the match when Abahani Limited was fully prepared to take on Valencia.
The AFC, Asian football authority following their competitions rules and regulations cancelled the match and Abahani advanced to the Playoff stage.
The winners of the battle between the Dhaka and Kolkata giants will seal the final place in the group stage of AFC Cup 2022 in Group D.
Group D, which is comprised with Indian team Gokulam Kerala, Bashundhara Kings from Bangladesh and Maziya Sports and Recreation of the Maldives is scheduled to take place in Kolkata, India, from May 18 to 24, 2022.
ATK Mohun Bagan moved into the Playoff stage after a convincing 5-0 win over Sri Lankan team Blue Star but Abahani advanced to this stage after having walkover against Maldives team Valencia.
