Bagan, Bengaluru - 2021 AFC Cup schedule

Bengaluru FC's 1-0 win over Club Eagles of Maldives in 2021 AFC Cup play-offs on Sunday have placed the Blues in Group D alongside ATK Mohun Bagan (India), Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh) and Maziya S&RC (Maldives).

The Group D (South Zone) matches will be held at the Maldives National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, across three match days on August 18, 21 and 24 in a round-robin format, with the eventual group leaders advancing to the single-leg Inter-Zone Semi-Final.

ATK Mohun Bagan got a direct berth in the group stage of second-tier Asian club competition with Mohun Bagan's 2019-20 I-League title triumph, and following the merger between ATK and Mohun Bagan ahead of the last season wherein ATK Mohun Bagan plied their trade in the Indian Super League (ISL) as a new entity.

The Mariners are set to open their AFC Cup campaign against Indian rival side Bengaluru FC.

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Jayesh Rane’s 25th-minute strike in Bengaluru FC's playoff tie against Club Eagles of Maldives have earned them a spot in Group D of the 2021 AFC Cup.

After a third-place finish in the 2019-20 ISL league stage handed them a place in the qualifiers of the competition, the Blues started off with a 5-0 win against Nepal Army back in April. Bengaluru now kick-off their group stage run with a clash against ATK Mohun Bagan.

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In India, the 2021 AFC Cup group stage will be broadcast on the Star Sports network. Online streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar, JioTV and BFC TV - Bengaluru FC's official YouTube channel.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Antonio Habas has included new signings in Amrinder Singh, Liston Colaco, Bidyashagar Singh and Hugo Boumous with the Frenchman completing ATK Mohun Bagan's foreign contingent for the competition, alongside Roy Krishna, David Williams and Carl McHugh.

The club's new signing in Finnish international Joni Kauko continues with his acclimatisation process in Kolkata. Sandesh Jhingan, too, has not travelled to the Maldives as get us close to joining Croatian top tier side HNK Sibenik.

Pranoy Halder, Prabir Das, Ravi Rana and Michael Soosairaj are also not named in the 21-man squad.

Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharya, Amrinder Singh, Avilash Paul

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Subhasish Bose, Ashutosh Mehta, Sumit Rathi

Midfielders: Carl McHugh, Bidyananda Singh, Lenny Rodrigues, Engson Singh, Sheikh Sahil, Deepak Tangri, Ricky Shabong

Forwards: Liston Colaco, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Kiyan Nassiri, Manvir Singh, David Williams, Hugo Boumous, Roy Krishna

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Marco Pezzaiuoli handed full debuts to new signings Alan Costa, Sarthak Golui, Jayesh Rane and Rohit Kumar while the other two signings in Bengaluru FC's 29-squad that travelled to the Maldives, Danish Farooq and Bidhyashagar Singh, got a few minutes off the bench.

Congolese forward Prince Ibara has been left out due to an infection, and with Edmund Lalrindika and Harmanpreet Singh nursing injuries, Ashique Kuruniyan also picked up a knock late into Sunday's win over Club Eagles.

Four of the club's youngsters from the developmental side are also part of the squad.

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil

Defenders: Pratik Chaudhari, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee, Alan Costa, Sarthak Golui

Midfielders: Suresh Wangjam, Namgyal Bhutia, Jayesh Rane, Danish Farooq, Rohit Kumar, Muhammad Inayat, Ajay Chhetri

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Bidyashagar Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh