Abahani Limited will look forward to improve their chances of qualifying for the next round of AFC Cup as they take on Indian club Chennaiyin FC at Bangabandhu National Stadium today.
The match will kick off at 7 pm local time.
The Indian side is currently topping the four-team Group F of the tournament with seven points from three matches while Abahani are on the second spot with four points from the same number of matches.
The top teams of the group locked horns in the third round matches on April 30 at the Arena Stadium in Ahmedabad when Anirdudh Thapa’s 79th minute strike gave Chennaiyin full three points.
But Abahani will be keen to utilize their home advantage not only to bring back the parity but also improve their position on the points table.
Abahani coach Mario Lemos emphasized on the game and pointed the fact that it is crucial for their fate in the tournament.
“The match is very important for us and in order to stay alive in the group champion competition, we need to pick up the win. For that reason, we want to perform well,” said Abahani’s Portugese coach at the pre-match press conference at Bangladesh Football Federation building on Tuesday afternoon.
But the group leaders Chennaiyan were also confident of keeping their winning run intact and make the match competitive.
“Both the teams are very strong and the match will be a competitive one,” said Chennaiyan coach John Gregory at the same press conference.
Abahani made a great start in the tournament by beating Nepalese side Manang Marshyangdi Club 1-0 in the first match away from home but were held by Indian side Minerva Punjab by 2-2 at home in the next game before losing to Chennaiyan.
Chennaiyan, on the other hand, drew their first match against Minerva at home before beating Manang at the same club.
Meanwhile, in the other match of the group today, Manang will face Minerva at ANFA Complex, Lalitpur, Nepal.
