2021 AFC Cup | ATK-Mohun Bagan enter inter-zonal semi-final, Bengaluru bow out with a win
ATK-Mohun Bagan qualified for the inter-zonal semi-final of the ongoing 2021 AFC Cup with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bangladeshi side Bashundhara Kings, on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC, already eliminated, ended their campaign with a 6-2 win over Maziya Sports and Recreation club.
ATK-Mohun Bagan FC, needing just a draw to qualify for the inter-zonal semi-finals, were tested through thick and thin by a spirited Bashundhara Kings FC in their last group stage match at the National Stadium, in Male, on Tuesday evening. However, the Bangladeshi side, forfeited a 0-1 lead in the second half with a man down, to allow the ISL side to walk away with a point.
Jonathan Fernandes’ opening goal in the 28th minute was enough to put the Kolkata-based side under pressure. But, ATK-Mohun Bagan, with the numerical advantage for entirety of the match following the half-time whistle, managed to sneak one through via a David Williams strike to salvage a point and end the group at the top spot. The Mariners’ will be up against the Winner of the Central Asia Final on September 22.
Meanwhile, the other ISL side – Bengaluru FC, already eliminated from the continental tourney, ended their campaign with an emphatic 6-2 win over Maldives-based Maziya Sports and Recreation club at the same venue, in a late kick-off. Young Bidyasagar Singh scored a brace, while Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustin, and Shivasakhti Narayanan were also on the scoresheet.