Kolkata, Aug 11: ATKMB’s preparation for the AFC Cup may not be ideal because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but chief coach Antonio Lopez Habas on Wednesday said his new look team is ready for the challenge. The pandemic meant that all the foreign players could not attend the ongoing camp here but Habas said the team is focussed on doing well despite the difficulties.
“The COVID situation meant it was not an ideal preparation, but there was no other way, we had to adapt,” Habas said during a media interaction here, ahead of their departure on August 14.
The Habas-coached side will take on the winners of the match between Bengaluru FC and Maldives’ Club Eagles in their AFC Cup Group D (South Zone) match in Maldives on August 18.
The Mariners will be sporting the Indian Tricolour above the team logo on their jersey. Maldives’ Maziya Sports & Recreation and Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh are the other two teams in Group D.
Following their merger, ATKMB took the group slot of Mohun Bagan who had qualified by virtue of winning the I-League in 2019-20. “I always say that there are no excuses. The competition is waiting for us in the Maldives and we will have absolute preparation.”
ATKMB have made a slew of changes in their team, including snatching high-profile French midfielder Hugo Boumous from Mumbai City FC. They also have Finnish midfielder Joni Kauko who was signed after his exploits in the Euro Championships, replacing Spaniard Javi Hernandez.
The Mariners have retained their striker duo of Roy Krishna and David Williams, while roping in Indian stars Ashutosh Mehta and Amrinder Singh.
“We have to continue improving. We have to improve from last season so signing new players was important for us. Players go out and players come in but the magic word is balance between one season and another season,” Habas said. While the likes or Kauko and Boumous have already joined the squad, Australian forward Williams will join on Thursday. (PTI)
