AFC Cup: Mohun Bagan to give rest to their important players against Dhaka Abahani

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Mohun Bagan coach eyeing full points against Abahani Limited Dhaka | Image: XtraTime

Kolkata: After a thumping 3-0 victory over defending I-League champions Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan shift their focus at AFC Cup preliminary round when they will take on Bangladeshi club Abahani Limited Dhaka in a Group E tie at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium tomorrow.

In the pre-match press conference, Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen said, “We will play for three points. The boys seemed motivated. We don’t have much idea about the opposition and will measure our opponents for the first fifteen minutes before attacking.”

Norde showed no signs of fatigue after a long travel due to national team commitments as he spurred the Bagan faithful at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium with his superlative display. Though the Bagan coach said, “Sony will be in the eighteen men squad. Pritam, Anas and Duffy might be rested as well.”

The Bagan coach heaped praise for young forward Azharuddin Mullick, as he said, “Azhar played 72 minutes in the last game against BFC and he never seemed lacking in confidence. This speaks about the motivation of my team.” In reply Azhar said, “This would be a good opportunity for me. My intention would be to play in the AFC Cup regularly.”

Barely three days after the I-League game and with the all-important Kolkata derby coming up against second-placed arch-rivals East Bengal, though Sanjoy

said, “This is not the rehearsal of the Kolkata derby. AFC Cup is a different game and I-League is a different challenge altogether.”

Abahani Dhaka meanwhile, would look to put up a spirited show on the road after losing 0-2 to Maldives’ Maziya Sports & Recreation in their first AFC Cup match. Though Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen said, “Yes they lost to Maziya, but we lost to BFC as well. Winning and losing are part and parcel of the game.”

The Bangladeshi club will miss the services of Ghanian defender Samad Yussif, who failed to procure his visa, as well as injured. Though Abahani coach Drago Mamic said, “We lost the first game at home and this would be an acid test for the boys.”

The 2016 Bangladesh Premier League champions usually line up in a 5-2-3 formation. Nigerian forward Emeka Onuoha and Welsh striker Jonathan Brown are the other two foreigners who have arrived.

Both Bagan and Abahani Dhaka are still to open their account so far from one outing.