Mohun Bagan Super Giant see off Machhindra in AFC Cup Preliminary Round 2

Soumo Ghosh
AIFF Communication Team

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan Super Giant started the 2023-24 AFC Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Nepal-based club Machhindra FC in Qualifiers 2. New signings Anwar Ali and Jason Cummings scored first for the Mariners, with the young Indian centre-back scoring two dangerous headers from set pieces while the experienced Australian forward edged past the keeper to make a finish.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant dominated the entire first half, with 13 attempts while their opponent had none. Bishal Shrestha, captain and keeper of Machhindra FC, made several saves before finally conceding after Hugo Boumous’s corner, taken by Anwar Ali in the 40th minute.

Another major Mariners signing, Sahal Abdul Samad, looked vibrant on his first appearance for the club and would have been on the scoresheet twice in the first half if it weren’t for the excellent goalkeeper. Machhindra FC.

The second half started with many of the same situations as Mohun Bagan SG continued to take the lead but wasted the last third of the game. Head coach Juan Ferrando wanted to end the game by bringing on strikers Manvir Singh and Dimitrios Petratos. He paid off almost immediately when Petratos put his compatriot Cummings past goal, who dribbled past the keeper to cushion the ball into an empty net in the 56th minute.

Things got a little tense for the Kolkata giants when Machhindra FC finally started to attack and eventually equalized in the 78th minute thanks to Pierre Jean Oloumou’s thundering left-footed free-kick that put the ball in. Fly into the upper right corner. Juan Ferrando’s side reacted well to the goal and instead of falling behind, they pushed forward to regain control of the game. They finally got a third goal that stopped the game in the 86th minute when Anwar Ali scored the second of the night, heading a Petratos free-kick.

A much-needed result for Mohun Bagan Super Giant, recovering from a disappointing display in the Kolkata derby, helped the Mariners qualify for the AFC Cup South Zone Play-off Round, where they will face Abahani Limited Dhaka on August 22nd.