AHMEDABAD/DHAKA: A Super Cup title having eluded them, Chennaiyin FC would look to regroup them when they square off against Nepalese side Manang Marshyangdi in their second group match of the AFC Cup here on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin won the Indian Super League 2017, but had a disastrous outing in the just-concluded season as they finished at the bottom of the table. They redeemed themselves a bit by finishing runners-up in the Super Cup. The Chennai-based side lost 1-2 to FC Goa in the Super Cup final on April 13 but they would look to forget that disappointment and score their maiden win in the AFC Cup, against the Nepal league champions, at the TransStadia Arena here.
John Gregory’s side need a win on Wednesday, given that it played out a goal-less draw against its Indian counterpart Minerva Punjab in its opening AFC Cup Group E match on April 3 at the same TransStadia Arena, which serves as the club’s home venue. Chennaiyin have a fully fit squad available with Jerry Lalrinzuala and Dhanpal Ganesh getting some minutes during the Super Cup after being injured for the majority of the ISL campaign. Anirudh Thapa has stamped his class in midfield during the last few games while Mailson Alves has been impressive at the back. Jeje Lalpekhlua and C K Vineeth will be expected to form the strike duo upfront. Talking about the drawn match against Minerva, Gregory said, “We had a lot of opportunities to score goals and win the game. Nevertheless we kept a clean sheet, which is great to build on.”
Manang Marshyangdi Club, who are the first club to represent Nepal in the group stage of the AFC Cup, lost 0-1 against Abahani Limited Dhaka in their group opener.
Chennaiyin defenders will have to be wary of Nigerian forward duo of Oluwaunmi Somide and Afeez Olawale Oladipo as they have been among goal scorers.
The Manang defence will have an Indian in, Muhammed Asif who will be playing against a club from his country.
Meanwhile, issues related to the non-availability of their home match venues sorted for the time being, former I-league champions Minerva Punjab would look to notch up their maiden win in the AFC Cup when they take on Abahani Limited Dhaka on Wednesday.
Minerva qualified for the AFC Cup on the basis of winning the 2017-18 I-League but they had a forgettable outing in the just-concluded season, finishing second from bottom with only four wins from 19 matches.
Their Group E match against the Bangladesh Premier League holders at the Bangabandhu National Stadium will be their 2nd match in the AFC Cup, following a goalless draw against Indian Super Cup champions Chennaiyin FC. (PTI)
