Doha: History beckons trailblazers Bengaluru FC as they lock horns with Air Force Club of Iraq in the summit clash of AFC Cup here Saturday at the Qatar Sports Club Stadium. If they win they will become the first Indian football club to clinch a continental title. They are already a part of history by becoming the first club to reach the final. It should be mentioned here that no football team from India have has won an Asian level title since the national side bagged the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games gold.
It will be a remarkable achievement for Bengaluru, owned by JSW Steel, if they win the AFC Cup title in just the third year of their inception. Bengaluru won the 2013-14 I-League title on their debut appearance. They finished second in the 2014-15 season and then reclaimed the title this year. In between, they won the Federation Cup in 2015.
The Bengaluru-based side, coached by Albert Roca, a former assistant coach at FC Barcelona, have been in superb form in the tournament winning six times, losing thrice and drawing twice.
Bengaluru players, led by India captain Sunil Chhetri, will have the extra motivation to chase history Saturday but they will have to play out of their skin against a top class Iraqi side who have at least four national team players and have won eight out of 11 matches in the tournament. They drew twice and lost once.
Air Force Club have scored 26 goals in 11 matches so far in their campaign with 15 coming from their rampaging striker Hammadi Ahmed Abdullah, a national team player. But even he spoke cautiously about their Indian opponents.
“We have to fight hard and lift our level Saturday because it’s the final of the AFC Cup competition. We will look to reduce our mistakes, and – although we must respect our opponents – we must focus very strongly in the game and our strengths,” informed Ahmed.
Roca, however, is not unduly worried about their opponents’ goal-scoring spree. “I’ve said more than a few times that we play to our strengths. We have got to be brave and I don’t see how going defensive translates to being brave. Yes, they are a good side who love scoring but we back ourselves,” asserted Roca here Friday.
Roca will also hope that his captain Chhetri will continue with his splendid form of the second leg semifinal. Chhetri, has netted five goals so far in the tournament and will have to play a key role is his side are to win.
Press Trust of India