Abahani Limited will launch their AFC President’s Cup qualifying campaign today when they face Laxmi Bank Three Star club of Nepal at the Dasarath Stadium, Katmandu, Nepal.
Abahani have a good chance to qualify in the final round for the first time as the top two teams will get the opportunity to the final round , the schedule and venue of which are yet to be confirmed.
Ardeshir Poornemat, the Iranian coach of Abahani said that they went there to give challenge to the other counterparts. Abahani now desperately want a success after a terrible performance of the Bangladesh Premier League where they failed to retain the league title.
Poornemat, who took the charge of Abahani seven months back, now obtained this championship as an opportunity to develop the confidence level which was all but went down by beating badly of their last two matches against Team BJMC and Muktijoddha Sanshad Krira Chakra last week.
‘We are here to take the challenge. This kind of qualifiers is the best platform to develop, batter time to understand others and see how we have improved,’ said Poornemat in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
Poornemat also claimed that his team is a balance side with seven national team’s players and two foreign recruits.
Though he failed to retained the league trophy to Abahani, Poornemat optimist that his team will finish the league in the second position of the league point table.
Poornemat however, was alerting to his booters before the first match since the Three Star Club will get the full support from the host’s spectators but he stated that his team is the strongest competitor in the qualifiers.
‘First match is always important and difficult. We will go to the field aiming to win and also to be careful against host team,’ said an alert Poornemat.
Meanwhile, the Three Star Club recently registering a victory over India’s Mohun Bagan Club in a exhibition match, Pradip Humagain, the coach declared that his side was not worried with the AFC President’s Cup Qualifiers.
`We have a perfect time which has already shown its colour in recent friendly match against Mohun Bagan after that we did a case study and we got some positive sign for us, we are ready for the first match over Abahani Limited,’ said a confident Humagain.
The Match will start at 6:25 minute (Bangladesh time).
-with New Age input
