AFC Cup preview: Bengaluru FC faces Maziya S&RC, eager to finish on a high

Although both sides are out of the knockout race, there's much to play for, with a win potentially lifting the Blues to second place in the group, while a defeat will mean a bottom-placed finish.

The Blues have faced Maziya six times in the AFC Cup, winning on four occasions and losing twice.

Bengaluru FC will look to end its AFC Cup campaign on a positive note when it takes on Maziya S&RC from the Maldives at the National Stadium in Male on Tuesday.

Although both sides are out of the knockout race, there's much to play for, with a win potentially lifting the Blues to second place in the group, while a defeat will mean a bottom-placed finish.

"It's true that Maziya have played two games and lost both, but we need to respect them as a team. We need to focus on our style and do our best against them.

"From the game against Tribhuvan Army FC in April to the one against Bashundhara Kings on Saturday, we have made several steps forward. Ours is a young team, and we are looking to progress with each game we play," BFC coach Mario Pezzaiuoli said.

The Blues fell 2-0 to ATK Mohun Bagan in their opening match. They then settled for a goalless draw against Bangladesh Premier League champion Bashundhara Kings on Saturday.

Despite the stalemate confirming their elimination from the tournament, Pezzaiuoli maintained that his side was eager to finish on a high.

"In football, it's not always about winning. Yes, we wanted to do well in the AFC Cup, but it wasn't to be.

"It was tough to accept, but we trained this morning, and I saw good team spirit and mentality from my players. We are eager to do well and finish on a good note against Maziya," the Italian added.

 

The Blues' boss confirmed that winger Ashique Kuruniyan would continue to miss out, having suffered an ankle injury in their playoff clash against Club Eagles.

In a bid to give minutes to different players across positions, Pezzaiuoli handed debuts to summer signings Danish Farooq, Bidyashagar Singh, Rohit Kumar, Jayesh Rane, Alan Costa and Sarthak Golui in the first two group stage games.

Their B Team graduate Sivasakthi Narayanan also clocked his first minutes for the senior team.

Maziya, which began its AFC Cup group stage with a 2-0 loss to Bashundhara Kings, fell 3-1 to ATK Mohun Bagan on Saturday, confirming its exit.

The Blues have faced Maziya six times in the AFC Cup, winning on four occasions and losing twice.