AFC Cup: Odisha FC vs Mohun Bagan Live Updates

7:15 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the Odisha FC vs Mohun Bagan match in the AFC Cup 2023-24. The kick-off is just 15 minutes away! I am your host Aishwarya Chakraborty and will keep you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

AFC Cup: Odisha FC vs Mohun Bagan - Build-up

The AFC Cup 2023-24 campaign is set to kick off for Indian Super League (ISL) sides on Tuesday, 19 September when Odisha FC locks horns with Mohun Bagan Super Giant. This will be the first time these two teams will face each other in the continental competition, but they are well aware of each other in the domestic circuit.

With only one team able to move out of the group, this will be a key match for both ISL heavyweights. Mohun Bagan will hope to make good use of their star-studded squad to get a big win, while Odisha FC will aim to get the new era under Sergio Lobera up and running with the best possible result.

The Stakes

Odisha FC

The Juggernauts will be making their AFC Cup debut this year thanks to their Super Cup triumph last season. Odisha FC have reinforced their squad strongly in the summer, not only bringing in Lobera, but a number of key foreign players to add firepower and experience to their squad.

They have a solid set-up to help them fight in Asia and will need to validate all the recent investments in the AFC Cup. Losing their first game at home can derail their AFC Cup group stages campaign seeing the tough games ahead. A win, however, can help Lobera’s side send out a statement of their intent to compete for major honours this season.

Mohun Bagan SG

Mohun Bagan flexed their financial power in the summer window, spending crazy money to sign some of India’s best players as well as high-quality foreign talents. This is because of Sanjiv Goenka’s dream to see his side become one of the best teams in Asia and compete strongly in AFC competitions.

That is why winning this opening game to set the stage for a dominant group stage is so crucial for Juan Ferrando’s side. They need to prove their quality by ousting their fellow ISL side and take early advantage in their group. A loss, or even draw, can be quite a setback and force them to play the remaining games with an added amount of pressure.