ATK Mohun Bagan to face Kuala Lumpur City in AFC Cup Inter-Zonal playoff

The Malaysian club defeated PSM Makassar to secure qualification.

ATK Mohun Bagan’s opponents for the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal play-offs slated to take place on September 7 are Kuala Lumpur City FC. The City Boys have won two Malaysian League titles, three Malaysian FA Cups, and three Malaysian Charity Shields. They have also featured twice in the AFC Champions League.

About the opposition

Kuala Lumpur FC ran out 5-2 winners against PSM Makassar in the ASEAN Zonal Final to qualify for the last-four knockout. KL City FC saw the most silverware in the late 1980s, winning the national league twice in 1986 and 1988. They also won the Malaysian Cup for three consecutive years between 1987 and 1989.

More recently, they defeated national champions Johor Darul Ta’zim 2-0 in the final of the 2021 Malaysian Cup, lifting the trophy after 32 long years. The team is currently coached by Croatian Bojan Hodak and captained by Brazilian midfielder Paulo Josue.

ATKMB’s road to the semi-finals

ATKMB lost 6-0 to FC Nasaf in last year’s AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semi-final and had to endure their joint-worst defeat in the AFC Cup. They qualified for this edition’s group stage by beating Blue Star SC and Abahani Dhaka in the qualifying stage.

In their opening AFC Cup Group D encounter, ATK Mohun Bagan suffered a 4-2 loss against Gokulam Kerala FC. They then cruised past Bashundhara Kings and Maziya S&RC 4-0 and 5-2 respectively to qualify for the Inter-Zonal play-off. ATK Mohun Bagan finished on top of their group with six points, beating out Bashundhara Kings narrowly on head-to-head. Liston Colaco has scored five times and supplied 3 assists. He leads the current team’s AFC Cup goal contributions.

ATK Mohun Bagan are currently plying their trade in the Durand Cup 2022. In their two outings against Rajasthan United and Mumbai City, the Mariners have salvaged just a point. The first match saw them lose to the Pink Army, courtesy a goal from Gyamar Nikum in the dying moments of the game. In the second game, however, ATK Mohun Bagan took the lead in the first half. Liston Colaco found himself in the scoresheet. But Jorge Pereyra Diaz equalized for the Islanders to deprive Bagan of the victory.