Football
Machhindra, Paro set sight on AFC Cup preliminary round 2
The ‘A’ Division league runners up of Nepal and the Bhutan Premier League champions will play in the AFC Cup Preliminary Round 1 today.
Sports Bureau
With the addition of eight new players, a revitalised Machhindra FC will look toward making the Preliminary Round 2 of the AFC Cup when they play against Bhutan Premier League champions Paro FC in Round 1 at the Dasharath Stadium on Tuesday.
Machhindra, ousted by Blue Star SC of Sri Lanka at the same venue and the same stage last year in April, are cautious to avoid a similar fate in the second tier inter-country club football tournament organised by Asian Football Confederation. Machhindra appeared in the last season in the capacity of league leaders of the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League at the completion of the seventh round.
Though the ‘A’ Division League champions should have competed in the tournament, Machhindra were given the opportunity to compete in the tournament last year due to an unmanaged fixture of the country's football governing body, ANFA. They however, went on to secure the league title in the 2021-2022 season.
Now they are again representing Nepal in the tournament instead of the current champions Church Boy United after the latter failed to meet mandatory requirements of the AFC club licence.
Nepali internationals Erik Bista, Laken Limbu, Ayush Ghalan, Sanish Shrestha and Ashish Chaudhary are the new signings in the squad. Apart from them, Machhindra is studded with 15 players who featured in their run to second place finish last season, including top scorer Olawale Afeez.
Cameroonian Messouke Oloumou, the league’s second-highest scorer in the past season, is yet another addition. But his inclusion in the squad is in limbo as he is yet to fulfil paperwork. “If his paperwork is finished by the evening, he will be in the squad,” said Machhindra’s coach Kishor KC at a pre-match conference on Monday.
The 23-member Machhindra squad includes nine forwards. “We need only three forwards and we could use the supplementary players in areas we were lacking in,” said KC, adding that the team’s preparations were over and they were now ready for the game.
“Paro are a strong side and the domestic champions of Bhutan. We respect them and also know their strategy very well. Their overseas players could pose a threat to us and we need to be wary of them,” added KC.
Captain-cum-goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha informed that his side came into the AFC Cup on the back of two weeks of preparations. “Though we did not play enough matches after the completion of league (June 10), the preparation was enough for getting back into shape. Apart from that, we also have new players in the team and we are all set for the match.”
Refuting that Paro were a weak side, Shrestha said: “They are the league champions and are studded with Bhutan’s national players along with overseas players. Let’s hope for a good outcome.”
Paro, the three times domestic champions including the last two, lead the ongoing Bhutan Premier League, winning all three matches. “Our domestic league is currently taking place and we are in good shape. We expect a tough fight tomorrow,” said Bhutan’s coach Puspalal Shrestha. “Machhindra are a strong side and they have also recruited some national players. But we hope to progress to the second round.”
Captain Kinley Wangchuk said his side was studded with national players of Bhutan and they were aware of the playing conditions in Nepal. “We are focusing on the game rather than the Round 2 match and are expecting a positive outcome,” said Wangchuk.
The match will kick off at 17:30 NST.