Mumbai City preparing for AFC Champions League qualifier against Jamshedpur FC

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Mumbai | After clinching the ISL League Winners’ Shield in record-breaking fashion, Mumbai City FC prepare for yet another challenge: a qualifying match for a group stage spot in the coveted AFC Champions League. Islanders Jamshedpur FC players will take on last season’s League Shield winners in the much-anticipated one-off match at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri, Kerala on 4th April. The match will determine which team will have the opportunity to compete in the 2023-24 edition of Asia’s premier club football competition.

Ahead of next week’s clash, head coach Des Buckingham spoke about the team’s morale and confidence ahead after a historic campaign.

“Morale is good, everyone is coming off the back of a successful league season. We had a brief break to recalibrate and the squad is fit and fresh now. We don’t have any selection issues or problems,” Buckingham said in a Thursday release. Not to worry. We have a bunch of players who are just as hungry to finish the season as we started it.”

About 12 months ago, Mumbai City FC created Indian football history when they became the first Indian club to win a game in the group stage of the AFC Champions League. A second win followed a draw for Buckingham’s team, as the Islanders finished second in their group with seven points.

After getting a taste of continental football last season, the 38-year-old tactician is certain that his players will have the ‘hunger’ to once again seal their ticket for the AFC Champions League with the final edition of the tournament in 2023-24. of the competition in its current format with 40 teams.

What we were able to achieve last year certainly whets the appetite,” said the Englishman, knowing full well that this could be the last time for a few years that an Indian side goes to this level of competition. We were able to show what we can do on that platform. And there’s a hunger to make sure we do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to be able to do that again.

With the best football clubs from across Asia competing in this continental showcase, the AFC Champions League brings the opportunity to rub shoulders with the elite – an experience Des Buckingham and the Islanders enjoyed last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

We want to be a club that is successful, any way you want to define success – whether it’s results, whether it’s performance, whether it’s developing players, or whether it’s trophies. The beauty of this competition is that it is the highest level of club competition in Asia. For me as a coach and as a player, you want to challenge yourself against the best at this level and this competition gives us an opportunity to do that.

Jamshedpur FC, who won the Hero ISL League Winners Shield in 2021-22, return to form in a contrasting 2022-23 campaign after finishing 10th.

However, the Red Miners challenged the Islanders on both occasions in the league stage – a 1–1 draw in Mumbai and a tight 2–1 win for Des Buckingham’s side in Jamshedpur and the Mumbai City head coach is expecting another challenging matchup. Used to be.

I think it’s going to be an exciting one. They are a team that finished the season strongly. We have played them twice in the season and we have to find different ways to get results in both those games. But it will be exciting because we know what we can do and we have shown that throughout the season.

“If we can stay true to our style of play and we approach the game the way we have done throughout the season, then we will put ourselves in the best possible position to perform first and then hopefully,” he added. Will be enough to come at night. We all want results.

Mumbai City will travel to Manjeri, Kerala on 4 April for the AFC Champions League qualifiers and the Islanders will begin their cup campaign against either Real Kashmir or Churchill Brothers on 11 April, before returning to the same venue for the Hero Super Cup.

–IANS

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