Mohun Bagan Super Giant last played in Asia in the group stages of AFC Cup 2023-24, which has been rebranded as the AFC Champions League 2 this season.
Juan Ferrando’s boys were drawn in Group D with Odisha FC from India, Bashundhara Kings from Bangladesh and Maziya from Maldives.
Though the Mariners opened its campaign with commanding consecutive wins, 4-1 against Odisha and 2-1 against Maziya, its campaign eventually got derailed.
In its final match, it failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Mohun Bagan finished its AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches.
The Indian heavyweight was unlucky as Taison Singh’s powerful 50th-minute strike from outside the box rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced across the goal before Maziya custodian Hussain Shareef pounced on it.
In the 66th minute, Maziya right-back Hussain Sifaau’s shot from distance missed the Bagan goal by inches after taking a slight deflection on its way.
Substitute Hamza Mohamed’s shot from a tight angle was blocked by Bagan goalkeeper Shaikh four minutes later.
Hamza Mohamed hit the woodwork and Hassan Nazeem tested Shaikh with an acrobatic effort in the second-half injury time, but the one goal proved to be enough for the Maldives side to record their second win in the group stage.
Source Agencies
