Kings start AFC Cup with 1-0 win

Current Bangladesh Premier League football Champions Bashundhara Kings started their AFC Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Maziya Sports & Recreation Club from Maldives at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, India on Wednesday.

Kings’ mid-season signing Nuha Marong scored the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute.

The match started with both sides trying to assert their dominance, but the first 30 minutes went by with neither in control.

Three minutes later, Sohel Rana found Marong, and the Gambian striker coolly finished past the Maziya goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu to open the scoring.

In the second half, Maziya kept coming at the Kings defence, who were without skipper Topu Barman. But they managed to hold on, courtesy of goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico, who made four saves to keep a clean sheet.

After the match, the players did a light training session in Kolkata on Thursday. After the session, Kings midfielder Tawhidul Sabuz said their goal was to beat ATK Mohun Bagan in the next match.

“When a team wins the first match of a tournament, they get a morale boost. Our second match is against ATK Mohun Bagan. The players were tired after the match, so we just did light training today (Thursday). Now, our focus is on beating Mohun Bagan, then we will be able to relax a tad more,” he said.

Kings will face Mohun Bagan on May 21, before playing against Gokulam FC of India on May 24. In the match between Kings’ next opponents, Gokulum FC beat Mohun Bagan 4-2.