Mohun Bagan Super Giant begin their AFC Cup 2023-24 campaign with an away match against tournament debutants Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
This will be the first time that these two teams will face each other in the continental competition, but they are well aware of each other on the domestic circuit.
With only one team able to move out of the group, this will be a key match for both ISL heavyweights. Mohun Bagan will hope to make good use of their star-studded squad to get a big win, while Odisha FC will aim to get the new era under Sergio Lobera up and running with the best possible result.
Odisha FC will be without young players Narender Gahlot and Aniket Jadhav, whom the club has allowed to join the national team for the Asiad.
Mohun Bagan will miss Ashique Kuruniyan, who picked up a season-ending injury during the international break for India.
Bagan coach Juan Ferrando is not taking the game lightly. “For us, this is an important match as it is for Odisha. We have worked hard for this. Odisha FC have a very good squad with good players," Ferrando said at the pre-match news conference.
“We’re happy to win the Durand Cup, but that was two weeks ago. So, it’s important to focus on the AFC Cup,” he added.
