[AFC Cup] Bengaluru beat Abahani 4-0, make it to knockout stage

Bengaluru FC Media 

It took a bit of everything – a boss-like show in Dhaka, drama in Guwahati, a big push from a resolute Aizawl FC side as Bengaluru FC finished as champions of the South Zone, and finally booked a place in the knock-out stages of the AFC Cup for a fourth straight season. 

Goals from Daniel Segovia (13’), Nishu Kumar (16’, 58’) and Sunil Chhetri (60’) gave the Blues a 4-0 win over Abahani Limited Dhaka. But it was the game in Guwahati that would decide Bengaluru’s fate where Aizawl who needed to beat New Radiant or hold the Maldivian side to a draw for Bengaluru to go through. And the Santosh Kashyap-coached side chose the three-point route to aid the Blues, beating New Radiant 2-1. 

The water-logged pitch from overnight showers looked like giving Bengaluru FC trouble, but two quick goals in a span of three minutes dispelled any such worries for Albert Roca. Playing a slightly heavy version of their free-flowing brand of football, the Blues shot into the lead when Chhetri rolled the ball perfectly across the face of the goal, leaving Segovia with the simple job of scoring past Abahani ’keeper Sahidul Alam to make it 1-0. 

Chhetri then squirmed past two blue Abahani shirts to tee up Nishu who slammed the ball low to the corner and beyond Alam. The two early blows were enough to prompt Abahani into submission as Bengaluru hogged possession and began camping in the hosts’ final third. 

Chhetri then completed a hat-trick of assists when he chipped over the Abahani defence for Nishu to fantastically control the ball on his chest before firing home from close to make it 3-0. The skipper finally got into the act on the hour mark when Alam spilled a cross that fell to Chhetri who scored his 24th goal of the season with a simple finish after holding off a defender. 

Elsewhere in Aizawl where everyone who had anything to do with Bengaluru FC had their eyes on, Leonce Dodoz gave the hosts a 61st minute lead that Romanian Andrei Ionescu doubled in the 82nd minute. New Radiant needed three goals to keep their hopes of making the knock-out stages alive and Ibrahim Hassan began the fight with an 85th minute strike. But Aizawl, with nothing to play for in Group E, clung on to the lead that sent the squad in Dhaka in raptures. 

A draw process that involves four zones – Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and ASEAN - will determine Bengaluru’s next opponents. While three group winners have been decided, the final of the ASEAN Zone is yet to take place.

[AFC Cup] Must win game for Bengaluru against Abahani; hoping for favor from Aizawl against New Radiant

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC will hope for the rub of the green to go their way at more than one venue on Wednesday, when they take on Abahani Limited Dhaka, at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, in Bangladesh, in their final Group E game of the 2018 AFC Cup.

Albert Roca’s men need a win while hoping Aizawl FC claim a point or more against New Radiant SC in Group E’s other fixture, if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for knock-out stages of the Cup for a fourth successive year. Meanwhile, the Maldivian side simply need to match Bengaluru FC’s result, as a better goal difference in the head-to-head comparison between the two sides will pull New Radiant through.

“It’s true that we are in a position where a win may not be enough to qualify, but it has been made clear to the players that we have to remain focused on the task ahead. We cannot take Abahani (Limited Dhaka) lightly, as they are a team with some good players and we have seen that in our travels here before,” said Roca, speaking to the press on the eve of the clash.

Bengaluru’s only previous visit to Dhaka ended in defeat to the Bangladeshi side in the group stages of last year’s AFC Cup campaign with late goals from Saad Uddin and Rubel Miya handing Roca’s men a 2-0 loss. In a more recent meeting between the sides, Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored a 72nd minute winner at the Kanteerava Stadium in March as the Blues began their continental campaign.

The Saiful Bari Titu-coached Abahani side are out of contention for the knockout stages and have won just one of their five games so far this campaign, a 3-0 away victory in Aizawl - their only win across all competitions in the last four months - but Roca believes there is no room for complacency.

“We have always had close games against Abahani Dhaka, as they are difficult to break down and play a different style of football. The conditions in Bangladesh are also quite different from what we are used to, so we will have to be wary if we are to do well and take anything away from this game,” the Spaniard said.

Bengaluru were dealt a late blow when winger Boithang Haokip suffered an injury that kept him out of the traveling squad while right-back Nishu Kumar has joined the team from Kolkata, where he was in action with the club’s reserve squad against Mohammedan Sporting in the 2nd Division League. Meanwhile, Abahani will be missing the services of midfielder Mohammad Fahad, along with the Nigerian duo of attacker Sunday Chizoba and defender Ndukaku Alison who are all suspended.

The game in Dhaka kicks off at 7.15 pm local time (6.45 pm IST) and can be streamed live on the AFC Cup Facebook page. 

AFC Cup Group E: Roca aims to keep winning streak intact

Bengaluru FC Media 

The Sree Kanteerava Stadium will play host to its first game since the Indian Super League final when Albert Roca’s Bengaluru FC side welcome New Radiant SC in a 2018 AFC Cup group stage clash, on Tuesday. Having won their six previous AFC Cup games on the trot, Roca stressed the need for his Blues to maintain consistency in a competition in which they have reached the semifinal stage for two consecutive seasons.

“New Radiant are a very good side and have some quality players in their ranks. We saw them play against Aizawl and in Dhaka and we’re sure that we will have to be at our best to take anything away from them,” said the Spaniard, speaking at the pre-match press conference.

Bengaluru claimed a 1-0 win at the Fortress in their opening match of the 2018 AFC Cup group stages with a win against Abahani Dhaka before a 3-1 away defeat of Aizawl in Guwahati earlier this month. Striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored in both games, and could be set to make a start on Tuesday.

“We have some players who are in form and others who have been waiting for their chance. I will have to rest a few key players because we have a Super Cup quarterfinal coming up but I am sure that those who take the field will give their best,” added the Spaniard.

The Blues sit atop the standings in Group E, with two wins from two games, having scored four goals and conceded just one. Bengaluru boast a perfect record against Maldivian sides, with six wins from as many games over three seasons of the continental competition. The only major doubt for the Blues is central defender Juanan Gonzalez, who is nursing an injury sustained in the closing stages of the Indian Super League.

New Radiant, AFC Cup semifinalists in 2005 and the only Maldivian club to have progressed beyond group stages in the AFC cup on multiple occasions, come into the game with numbers identical to those of Roca’s men, having won their opening game against Aizawl 3-1 in Henveiru, before a 1-0 win against Abahani Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Talismanic striker Ali Ashfaq is the man in form and Roca admits the Bengaluru back line will need to be sharper than usual. “We were all upset with the way we conceded against Aizawl but we showed enough character to come back. We cannot afford to make those mistakes against New Radiant who have quality in attack. The game is a chance for us to go ahead on points alone and it’s one we must work hard to make count.”

Kick-off at the Fortress is at 8 pm and will be telecast live on the AFC Cup Facebook page.

AFC Cup Group E: Bengaluru come from a goal down to beat Aizawl

Bengaluru FC Media

Goals from Daniel Segovia (45+1’), Rahul Bheke (63’) and Daniel Lalhlimpuia (77’) ensured Bengaluru FC maintained their perfect start to their Group E campaign of the AFC Cup with a 3-1 win over Aizawl FC at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, in Guwahati, on Thursday.

Trailing after an early setback, Albert Roca’s boys kept their calm and went about staging an assured comeback that now sees them with six points from two games. The Spaniard underlined the faith he had in the squad that has been getting more than just the job done for the Blues in this season’s continental campaign so far, by naming Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh and Udanta Singh among others, on the bench.

The Blues got off to a poor start under the rain conceding inside five minutes. Skipper Lalthuammawia Ralte, who rushed ahead to clear a through pass from Andrei Ionescu aimed at attacker Albert Zohmingmawia, found his effort come off striker Leonce Dodoz (5’) and roll into an empty net to give the hosts an early lead.

While Aizawl opted to protect their lead by sitting back, the next forty minutes saw Bengaluru press and dominate proceedings spare the odd attack on the counter from the hosts. The Blues finally made the huge chunk of possession count at the stroke of half time. Erik Paartalu’s header from a Bengaluru corner caught the hand of Dodoz in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Segovia stepped up to calmly slot home his first goal since joining the club in the middle of the season, to make it 1-1.

Bengaluru and Segovia had a big chance to score a second minutes into the start of the second half, but the striker fluffed his lines from the spot after Subhasish Bose was brought down in the box. Segovia sent Avilash Paul the wrong way only to see his take come off the post and roll out.

But the Blues refused to let the miss dampen their chase for the lead and their wait wasn’t too long before they got the goal to send them ahead. A corner played short saw Alwyn George lose a man before sending in a cross that Bheke did well to nod home in the 63rd minute.

Second half substitute Lalhlimpuia who scored the winner in the Blues’ Group E opener against Abahani Dhaka Limited, got his second of the campaign in the 77th minute. Setting off on a run down the left with the ball, Bose squared the ball perfectly for Lalhlimpuia who took a touch before slotting past Paul who could maybe have done better to keep it out.

Lalhlimpuia could have got his second of the night after some fantastic work by George saw him tee up the striker. But this time, Paul got enough of a hand on the ball to keep it out.

Bengaluru now host Maldivian side New Radiant SC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on April 10.

Bengaluru to train in Spain ahead of AFC Cup clash

Bengaluru FC

A new-look Bengaluru FC side will kick off their pre-season training this week in the city before heading to Spain early next month for a 10-day training camp. The Blues will train at the state-of-the-art facilities at Pinatar Arena in Murcia during their stay in the Mediterranean region. Having finalized their squad on Sunday at the ISL Draft, Bengaluru FC Head Coach Albert Roca will now have an eye on the crucial AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semifinal against North Korean side April 25 SC as he prepares his squad for the first leg at home on August 23.

“The facilities at Pinatar Arena are top-class and I thank the management for providing us with this opportunity. The arena will provide us with everything we need to get up and running as fast as possible. Among all the other ISL teams, we’ll be in action first in the AFC Cup and it’s important that we utilize this time well so that our team settles in quickly. While we have managed to retain the core of our team, there are a lot of new signings which means that we need to put in that extra effort in pre-season to gel as a unit,” explained Roca.

During their stay, the Blues are set to face Spanish Segunda-B Division side UCAM Murcia CF (August 9) and 2016-17 UAE Pro League side Baniyas S&R(August 15) in friendly games.

The Blues base - the Pinatar Arena - boasts of six natural grass (Bermuda and ray grass) floodlit football pitches at FIFA standards with special areas designated for goalkeepers and a stadium with a capacity of 3,500 spectators that hosts friendlies and tournaments. The Arena also has top-class fitness centers with all the latest equipment from health and fitness innovators.

While the facility recently hosted an U21 tournament between national teams of Australia, Austria, Finland and Netherlands, they have regularly hosted training camps of top-flight clubs from all over Europe. A few of them include, German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and FC Kaiserslautern, Spanish sides Levante UD and UD Almeria, Russian powerhouses CSKA Moscow and FC Zenit apart from Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea), FC Twente (Netherlands), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) and Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine).

This will be the second time the Blues travel abroad for a pre-season training camp having earlier visited China at the start of the 2014-15 season. Back then, the Blues faced off against Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Guangzhou R&F FC (0-3) from the Chinese Super League and Hong Kong Premier League’s Eastern AA (0-2).

The 23-man team departs from India on August 5th and is scheduled to return on August 16th. 

Bengaluru to face North Korean side 4.25 SC in AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinal

Bengaluru FC Media

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Federation Cup champions JSW Bengaluru Football Club were drawn to face North Korean side 4.25 SC (April 25 Sports Club) in the 2017 AFC Cup Inter Zone semifinals, at the AFC club competitions draw, held in Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.

While the Kanteerava Stadium is set to host the North Korean side on August 23rd, the reverse leg of the tie will be played at the 1,14,000 capacity May Day Stadium, in Pyongyang, on September 13th.

4.25 qualified to the Inter Zonal playoffs after winning the East Zone group, which consisted of Kigwancha SC and Mongolian side Erchim SC. The club, run by the North Korean Army and appearing on the continental stage for the first time in 25 years, scored a total of 14 goals in four matches in the three-team group, winning two and drawing two.

“April 25 SC are a side we’ve got very little information about so this will be a challenge of a different kind. We’ve got a good two months to prepare for this fixture and that’s what we’ll do. We did well in this competition and it is our aim to go one better than last time and win the cup,” said Blues’ boss Albert Roca.

Should Roca’s men get past 4.25 SC, they will face one of Tajikistan's FC Istiklol Dushanbe and the ASEAN Zone tie winner between Singapore's Home United or Philippines' Ceres Negros.

The Blues were also, by virtue of being South Zone Champions, awarded a cheque of $100,000 by AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John at the commencement of the draw. Bengaluru qualified for the knockout rounds of the tournament for a third consecutive season after defeating Maziya S&RC to top Group E. 

Bengaluru FC face Bagan in AFC ahead of Sunday’s Fed Cup final

Bengaluru FC Media 

In what will be a precursor of the Federation Cup final, a rested Bengaluru FC side will take on Mohun Bagan in a Group E game of the AFC Cup at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, in Kolkata, on Wednesday. While both Bengaluru and Maziya S&RC are level on points 9 points from 4 games, Albert Roca’s side continue to lead the group owing to a better head-to-head record over the team from the Maldives who host Abahani Dhaka Limited in the group’s earlier kick-off.

With the battle for who makes it out of the group set to go down to the last round where Bengaluru host Maziya on May 31, Roca chose to hand a fair number of players some much needed rest. “This will be our fifth game in 8 days and it’s a situation we have to manage. The heat in Cuttack has taken a lot out of the squad and it was only fair that some of the boys get time to recover before the final.Wednesday’s AFC Cup game is a great chance for the other boys on the squad who have been thorough professionals and have put their hand up whenever the team has needed them,” said Roca on the eve of the game.

While John Johnson and Harmanjot Khabra miss the fixture with suspensions, Cameron Watson hasn’t traveled after taking ill. Amrinder Singh and Juanan Gonzalez are among the other players who haven’t traveled. Skipper Sunil Chhetri has, meanwhile, made the trip back to Bengaluru to have his injury assessed by the club’s medical team.

Mohun Bagan are out of contention in the AFC Cup and given the Federation Cup final scheduled in four days from now, manager Sanjoy Sen too could hand his key players some much-needed rest.

“No matter what squad Mohun Bagan or we decide to go with, I have no illusions of this game being one where we can afford to take our foot off the pedal. The conditions will be tougher for us and I’m confident that the boys will make the most of the experience,” added Roca.

The Blues came back from a goal down to beat Bagan 2-1 in the home leg of this fixture and Roca has told his young side to draw inspiration from that night. “Bagan have always been tough competitors and both the clubs are always fighting for titles. The younger players on the team have a point to prove to me and I’m looking forward to a good show.”

The game kicks off at 7 pm.

Bengaluru beat Mohun Bagan in AFC encounter

Bengaluru FC Media 

An inspired Bengaluru FC claimed a convincing 2-1 win over Mohun Bagan to begin their 2017 AFC Cup campaign with a bang, at the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday. After conceding first from a Katsumi Yusa penalty, Sandesh Jhingan and Sunil Chhetri scored a goal each to pick up all three points in the opening match of the 2017 AFC Cup.

Roca’s two changes from the game on Saturday included starts for CK Vineeth and Salam Ranjan Singh ahead of Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Nishu Kumar as Bengaluru started out in what looked like a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Blues had an early scare when Arindam Bhattacharya under pressure to get rid of a back pass, could clear only as far as Katsumi Yusa. It took the defence to rush back in numbers and stuff the danger out.

But just when it seemed like the teams would hit the showers without anything to show for in the first half, Bagan were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Jhingan’s trailing leg caught Sony Norde in the box. Arindam picked the right side but Yusa’s take was hit with enough power to fly beyond and give the Kolkata club the lead.

Finding themselves down by a goal, Bengaluru decided to dig deep and own the second half like a team possessed. Eugeneson Lyngdoh came on for Lenny Rodrigues as the Blues began pegging the Bagan defence back. And in what was poetic justice, Jhingan hit home Bengaluru’s equaliser from a well-worked set-piece in the 51st minute. Making a late run into the box, the defender met Watson’s corner with a sweet hit that flew past the defence and Shilton Paul as the Kanteerava erupted.

With their tails up and sensing fear in the Bagan ranks, Bengaluru constantly invaded the Mariners’ box with darting runs from either flank. In the 57th minute, Shilton stepped out of the box with the ball in his hand, giving the Blues a freekick in a dangerous position. Chhetri made no mistake with his effort, which pried through the Bagan wall and found the net to send the Blues faithful into frenzy.

Bengaluru had numerous chances to extend their lead. Vineeth’s cross for Lyngdoh was inches away from the midfielder’s diving header before a miscued effort from Daniel Lalhlimpuia saw the ball fizz past Paul’s frame. A free-kick from Juanan seemed like the icing on the cake for the Blues but his take was inches away from the Bagan crossbar.

Bengaluru now head into the international break before returning to face the Mariners in the I-League at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, on April 1st.

Bengaluru - Mohun Bagan face-off in AFC Cup

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC will look to get their AFC Cup campaign off to the perfect start when they take on League rivals Mohun Bagan for a second time in four days at the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Albert Roca’s team created history last November in Doha by becoming the first Indian club to make the final of a continental competition when they played eventual champions and Iraqi side Air Force Club who edged the Blues 1-0. While Roca said his team would draw confidence from that phenomenal run, he admitted that the slate was clean and the attempt for an encore would only be tougher. “What we achieved last season in this competition was special. But now we are back to square one and we will have to work twice as hard. The fact that we made the final last year does give us confidence but it doesn’t let us take anything for granted,” said the Spaniard.

A tweak in the format this year pits two Indian clubs against each other for the first time in the competition, adding to the history that this new yet fierce rivalry Bengaluru and Bagan share.

The two sides played out an entertaining and furiously-paced 0-0 draw on Saturday and with only 48 hours to recover, it would be interesting to see whether Round Two will be as intense on the physical front. “The schedule is punishing and tomorrow’s game will be our fourth in nine days. But we’ve got work around the circumstances and deliver. We had a recovery session on Sunday and I’m confident that the boys will have enough to give what is a very important game, everything,” said Roca.

Though the Blues have been batting indifferent form in the League, there have been a fair number of positives from recent performances that Roca’s boys can take into the game on Tuesday. John Johnson’s return to the side has brought with it some much-needed stability at the back, while young Nishu Kumar has been growing in confidence with every passing game in the left-back position. Eugeneson Lyngdoh was handed a start on Saturday and the midfielder showed glimpses of the confidence he had been missing as the Blues took the fight to Bagan in an inspired second half showing.

New signing Marjan Jugovic, who has AFC experience, got close to 30 minutes on the weekend and it’s left to be seen if Roca deems him ready to start against the Kolkata club.

“The game against Bagan was a tough one but I am very pleased with the way we took the fight to a good team that is contending for the League title. Let’s hope we can finish our chances on Tuesday.”

Meanwhile Bagan will look to use the threat of winger Sony Norde who was kept quiet all evening by the Bengaluru defence.  Coach Sanjoy Sen has options in attack in Jeje Lalpekhlua and Balwant Singh and the latter, in all likelihood, could be handed another start.