All in readiness: Bagan has trained its energy in proving its merit at the continental level.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
Mohun Bagan Super Giant starts its campaign at the Asian stage by taking on Turkmenistan’s Ahal FK in the opening Group-C league match of the AFC Champions League 2 at home in the Salt Lake Stadium here on Tuesday.
With the Indian football calendar lapsing into uncertainty over the hosting of the Indian Super League, the continental competition has come as a relief for the ISL double crown winner. This will be the second successive year that Bagan will be playing the group league stage of the second-tier club competition in Asia after having successfully defended the League Shield in the latest edition of the ISL earlier this year.
While most of the clubs of the Indian top league lie in hibernation as the fate of ISL remains uncertain, Bagan has trained its energy in proving its merit at the continental level.
The team has added a few new names to its roster in the pre-season transfers in August and looks well prepared to start the campaign. The Kolkata outfit has stacked its arsenal with six foreigners and has also bolstered its resplendent domestic register with the addition of names like Mehtab Singh and Abhishek Singh.
Ahal FK, the former champion of Turkmenistan’s top league (Yokary League), will be the first big challenge in the group stage, which will be played in a double-leg round robin system.
Bagan’s other two opponents are Sepahan SC of Iran and Al-Hussein SC of Jordan in the league stage, which will see its engagements till the final week of December.
Published – September 15, 2025 08:46 pm IST
Content Source: www.thehindu.com