India's Bengaluru FC stronger than all teams in AFC Cup group stage: Eagles' coach

While Club Eagles is preparing for its 2021 AFC Cup playoff match against Bengaluru FC as both teams vie for a spot in the group stage, coach Mohamed Shazly said that the Indian team is "stronger" than the any of the teams currently qualified.

As a participating team of the AFC Cup playoff match, Bengaluru has put in much effort to sign with as many players as possible with the aim of making it to group stage. Among the players that have signed with the team so far, are; the forward of Congo’s National Team, Prince Ibara, former midfielder of Chennai and Mohun Bagan, Jayesh Rane, defender Alan Costa brought in from Brazil League, last season’s top scorer Bidyashagar Singh Khangembam, East Bengal’s defender Sarthak Golui, forward Harmeet Singh, Danish Farooq Bhat who was brought in from Real Kashmir team, and finally, Kerala Blasters midfielder, Rohit Kumar.

The Eagles team is also currently hard at work in order to prepare for the playoffs, with the team comprising of Maldives’ most celebrated football players, including Ali ‘Dhagandey’ Ashfaq, Captain of the National Football Team Akram ‘Aku’ Abdul Ghanee, trusty forward Ali ‘Sentey’ Fasir, talented midfielder Mohamed ‘Bakaa’ Arif, Ismail ‘Messi’ Easa, Ahmed ‘Ammadey’ Hassan as well as goalkeeper Mohamed Faisal.

AFC Cup’s playoff match will be held on the 15th of August. While the match was initially set for May in Maldives capital Male' with the Indian teams players arriving, it was postponed after one of these players violated the country's Covid-19 safety rules.

Speaking exclusively to RaajjeMV, Shazly said that Bengaluru's true potential will be seen at the upcoming match, adding that the team is the stronger than the teams currently qualified for the AFC Cup group stage.

Describing it as an honour to play the match at home ground, the Eagles' coach said that they would have issues had it were to be held in Bangalore. He added that team will work to attain a home-field advantage.

While Club Eagles won its first match in the AFC Cup preliminary round against Bhutan's Thimphu City FC in April 2020, it traveled to the playoff game after Bangladesh’s Abahani Limited Dhaka withdrew from the tournament due to the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in the country.

The winner of the playoff match will join India’s ATK Mohun Bagan FC, Maldives' Maziya Sports & Recreation, and Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings in Group D of the AFC Cup. The matches will be held across three match days on August 18, 21 and 24, with the eventual group leaders advancing to the single-leg Inter Zone Semi-final.