Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Champions Bashundhara Kings will confront Odisha FC on Monday at the Kalinga Stadium at 8pm in Bhubaneswar as they dream to qualify for the AFC Cup Inter Zone play-off semifinals.
Dhaka Abahani Ltd Limited was the first Bangladeshi team to qualify for the AFC Cup Inter- Zone play- off semi-final in 2019. If Kings can achieve the same feat then they will be the second Bangladeshi domestic team to qualify for the semis.
The Kings are now enjoying an upper hand advantage not only dominating the group table, but also with a sweet memory of beating Odisha FC by 3-2 goals in their home in Dhaka.
Bashundhara Kings dominated the Group D securing 10 points from five outings, and so need just a draw against Odisha FC to assure their first-ever berth in the AFC Cup Inter Zone play-off semifinals as the 2nd Bangladeshi team after Dhaka Abahani Ltd.
Hosts Odisha FC, having nine points from five matches, also stayed in the race and needed just an outright victory over the Kings in a home match to reach the inter zone play-off semis.
But, they eliminated from the meet in the round after beating April 25 team of North Korea by 4-3 goals in home match and conceded 0-2 goals defeat in the away match
Odisha FC made the Bashundhara Kings task easier eliminating Indian giant and hosts Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club outplaying them by 5-2 goals at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in a Group D match.
After the 5th round of Group D, Bashundhara Kings topped the list securing ten points, Odisha FC followed the Kings neck to neck collecting nine points, Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club in the 3rd slot with seven points while Maziya S&RC in the bottom with three points.
Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club were eliminated from the AFC Cup race with one match to spare against Maziya S&RC also on December 11 at 4 pm in Male as they went behind the Kings in head to head counting.
Earlier, Bashundhara Kings made a frustrating start with 1-3 goals defeat against Maziya SRC in away match, bounced back in the race beating Odisha FC by 3-2 goals in home match, played 2-2 draw with Kolkata Mohun Bagan in away match in Odisha and made a history with their first- ever win against Kolkata Mohun Bagan by 2-1 goals in home match, apart from Monday's 2-1 victory over Maziya S&RC.