The Sunil Chhetri-led Bengaluru FC will tackle Maldives’ Club Eagles in the AFC Cup play-off tie in Male, Maldives, on May 11. Bengaluru FC had crushed Nepalese aspect Tribhuvan Army FC 5-0 in their 2021 AFC Cup Preliminary Round 2 conflict and have been scheduled to tackle the winner of the match between Club Eagles and Abahani Limited Dhaka. But on Friday, the Bangladesh membership withdrew from the AFC Cup Qualifiers due to the deteriorating Covid-19 scenario in the nation, thus giving Club Eagles a straightforward path into the play-off tie.
Bengaluru FC tweeted on Friday: “Following Abahani Limited Dhaka’s withdrawal from the 2021 AFC Cup Qualifiers, the Blues (Bengaluru FC) are set to face Club Eagles in their Playoff Stage encounter. The fixture is, nonetheless, set to happen in Male, Maldives, on May 11, 2021.”
Bengaluru FC had scored five goals against Tribhuvan Army FC in a held in Goa on April 16, with Brazilian Cleiton Silva and Rahul Bheke scoring a brace each. Skipper Chhetri also got his name on the score-sheet after returning from a bout of Covid-19.
The Indian Super League (ISL) team’s 52-year-old German coach Marco Pezzaiuoli has said that while the AFC Cup play-off is an ongoing campaign, he was looking ahead to the new ISL season.
“Our training sessions have never been based on the opponents,” he mentioned.
“We put together for what we wish to develop. Of course, the main focus is on the subsequent two weeks (however) I need to see a greater group for the brand new season. Now for me, it’s like a pre-season, and I’ll take each minute with the group,” the German tactician said.
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