Jinan (China) : Having scripted history after becoming the first Indian football club to win an AFC Champions League qualifying game, Mohun Bagan face a tough second qualification match against top Chinese club Shandong Luneng FC coached by former Brazilian national team coach Mano Menezes, here tomorrow.
The green-and-maroon brigade beat Singapore’s Tampines Rovers 3-1 in the first round qualifier to set up an away clash with the Chinese side, which finished third in country’s Super League last season.
Mohun Bagan will also have to fight adverse climatic conditions as temperature in Jinan will be around 2 to 3 degree Celsius having played all their matches in India in the temperature hovering between 20-30 degree.
To make matters worse, their star striker Cornel Glenn, a former Trindad and Tobago World Cupper, has not been able to travel with the team due to visa related issues.
A lot will depend on how their Japanese recruit Katsumi Yusa and Haitian winger Sony Norde perform apart from in-form India international Jeje Lalpheklhua.
Shandong Luneng, who are known as ‘Orange Fighters’ has tied up with Brazil’s Sao Paulo and most of their foreign recruits are either Brazilians or Argentines.
Striker Diego Tardelli, who has played 13 matches for the senior national team in 2009-10 season under Dunga, is one of their premier players. He was also one of the back-up players in the Brazilian national squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina’s Walter Montillo is an attacking midfielder, who has played for top Brazilian clubs like Cruzeiro and Santos besides donning the ‘Albiceleste’ colours six times in his career.
Shandong central defender Carlos Gilberto has had 182 appearances for the Brazilian giants Corinthians.
For Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen, this will perhaps be his toughest assignment after he took charge before the I-League in 2014.
It will be interesting to see whether Sen deploys an ultra-defensive strategy at the Jinan Olympic Stadium against a Chinese club which has a lot of age-group national team players.
The ones who have played for the senior team are striker Hao Junmin, who has 11 goals for his country. Defenders Zheng Zheng, Wang Tong and medeo Liu Binbin have also made appearances for the senior team.
Courtesy : PTI