AFC Cup: Bengaluru FC lock horns with North Korea's April 25 SC in inter-zone semi-final

Bengaluru: Aiming to go one better than their final appearance in the last edition, Bengaluru Football club will lock horns against a lesser known North Korean side April 25 in the first of the two-legged AFC Cup inter-zone semi-final match on Wednesday. Bengaluru will also mark their third successive AFC Cup knock-out round appearance at ‘fortress’ Kanteerava Stadium where they have not their last seven matches. [caption id=“attachment_3964301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chettri in training ahead of AFC Cup Qualifier match.
Image Courtesy: Twitter @bengalurufc[/caption] Albert Roca’s side have not lost a home game in the AFC Cup since a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim in March 2016. South Asian Zone winners Bengaluru FC have scored seven goals and conceded six in six matches while topping Group E. April 25, on the other hand, have netted 14 goals and conceded three goals in their four group stage matches. The new-look Bengaluru FC, who have joined the Indian Super League bandwagon, will have their task cut out to beat the North Korean side, as a few key players from their last year’s campaign have left the team. Head coach Roca will have to rebuild the team around senior players like Sunil Chettri and Spanish defender Juanan Gonzalez, who have been their heroes in last year’s campaign. Roca had focused on fortifying their defence, which was evident during the ISL auction, when the team management picking fullbacks Subhasish Bose, Rahul Bheke and I-League winner Zohmingliana ‘Zotea’ Ralte. Roca has also brought Spaniards Dimas Delgado and Toni Dovale to strengthen the midfield. He also brought back Alwyn George and Lenny Rodrigues. Roca pulgged the only weak link in the team by signing India’s international goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu after Amrinder Singh was drafted by ISL’s Mumbai City FC. After plying trade at Norwegian top division side FC Stabaek for the last three seasons, Sandhu has been roped in by Bengaluru a few days back and he is expected to play a crucial role tomorrow in his first club match on Indian soil since 2013. April 25 have brought a young side, with an average age of less than 23. Their star performer has been 22-year-old striker Kim Yu-Song, who has so far netted nine goals from four matches and he is the player to watched out for. The return leg of this inter-zonal semifinals will be played at Pyongyang on 13 September. If BFC win the tie, they will take on the winner of the other inter-zone semifinals play-off between FC Istiklol of Tajikistan and ASEAN Zonal champion in the inter-zone final. The winner of the inter-zone final will, in the grand finale, take on the winner of the west Asian zone final between reigning champions Air Force Club of Iraq and Al Wahda of Syria. The AFC has completely changed the tournament rules regarding group and knockout stages this season. If Bengaluru can go all the way to the title round, the Karnataka capital will be the venue for the summit clash as the 2017 AFC Cup final will be hosted by the winner of the inter-zone play-off on 4 November.