Goa, Kolkata in fray for Champions League, AFC Cup ties

India have informed the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that Goa and Kolkata could host Asian Champions League and AFC Cup group games featuring FC Goa and ATK Mohun Bagan respectively.

“We have submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the AFC for the Champions League group that has FC Goa and the AFC Cup group where Mohun Bagan have been placed. For Champions League, we have sought Goa as the venue and for the AFC Cup it will be Kolkata,” said Kushal Das, All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary over phone from New Delhi.

The EoI form seeks details such as the number of stadia, training grounds and hotels available and details of Covid-19 quarantine protocols, among other things, said Das. AIFF submitted the EoI on February 15, the last date.

“We are very happy that the AIFF has bid to host the tournament. It will give the team a huge boost. And it will be an honour for us to have a tournament of the calibre of the Asian Champions League being played on Goan soil,” said Ravi Puskur, director of football FC Goa. FC Goa will be the first Indian team in the main round of Asia’s biggest football competition which has been expanded from 32 to 40 teams this season.

FC Goa are with last year’s runners-up Persepolis (Iran) and Qatar’s Al-Rayyan in Group E which will also have the winners of the qualifier between UAE’s Al Wahda and Iraq’s Al-Zawraa. The group games will be from April 14-30. Speaking on the day of the draw, January 27, Puskur had said: “Goa has proved its hosting capability with the ISL and the under-17 World Cup. Don’t see why Goa can’t be given the opportunity.”

Following a letter from ATK Mohun Bagan, who in their new avatar will be debuting in the AFC Cup, AIFF has asked for Kolkata, the centralised venue for I-League this season. “We would be delighted to be the host nation for the AFC Cup and be able to play matches in our home city,” said Raghu Iyer, ATK Mohun Bagan CEO.

ATK Mohun Bagan are in Group D with Basundhara Kings (Bangladesh), Maziya S&RC (Maldives) and a qualifier. AFC Cup matches begin on May 14 and Kolkata’s bid to host will also hinge on the dates for assembly election in West Bengal which are yet to be announced.

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