Facing challenges of a demanding preseason and a revamped group composition, a rusty Mohun Bagan Super Giant might be cautious of in-form Abahani Limited Dhaka after they conflict in Kolkata on Tuesday for a spot within the AFC Cup South Zone group berth. The Mariners are within the midst of a busy preseason the place they’re additionally competing within the Durand Cup and within the Calcutta Football League Premier Division. Bagan has assembled a giant funds group for the season, and it is no secret that the AFC Cup takes priority for the Sanjiv Goenka-owned aspect.

Except for a 5-0 win over Bangladesh Army FT within the Durand Cup opener the place they selected a younger, all-Indian lineup with Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh as the one skilled gamers, Mohun Bagan have struggled to place collectively their A-game.

The Mariners additionally noticed their eight-match successful streak in opposition to arch-rivals East Bengal coming to an finish following a 0-1 defeat.

The inclusion of their high-profile overseas signings haven’t given rapid outcomes as coach Juan Ferrando has struggled to discover a good steadiness.

Australian A-League winner Jason Cummings, who performed within the 2022 World Cup, has struggled to seek out his type and create a robust attacking presence upfront.

The lone vibrant spot has been Anwar Ali, the India centre-back.

Mohun Bagan had Ali’s aerial prowess to thank because the defender grabbed a brace to ship his aspect by way of to the AFC Cup playoff with a 3-1 win over Machhindra.

Cummings additionally managed to seek out the goal, which may considerably enhance his confidence forward of going through a stronger opponent in a knockout fixture.

The stress was evident on the final two season’s Inter-Zone semi-finalists as Ferrando termed it a “final”.

“Tomorrow, it’s like a final. We try to do everything we can, give 100 percent,” he mentioned.

Ferrando admitted that the hectic schedule made it robust for the group to seek out the steadiness.

“The hectic schedule makes it difficult to talk about balance. Preseason was difficult, (we) didn’t get a lot of time to work.

“We tried to provide our greatest in each match. We’ll see tomorrow, after which will put together for the Durand Cup. Some gamers are enjoying within the Kolkata league, Durand Cup and AFC Cup.

“Now, we’re thinking only about winning the (AFC Cup) match and then the Durand Cup. After that, we will get time to prepare for the season,” the Spaniard mentioned.

Mohun Bagan had a simple outing in opposition to the Mario Lemos-coached aspect and gained 3-1 final season.

But the Dhaka outfit seems to be in very good type, having stitched a four-match successful run that features a 2-1 victory over Club Eagles of Maldives within the preliminary stage 2.

“Both teams will be playing at the same level. The last match was totally different, the combination was totally different,” Ferrando mentioned.

Ferrando acknowledged that he has to seek out the proper steadiness.

“Every team is thinking about the best lineup. It’s most important to be ready for tomorrow’s match and try to find the best lineup. It’s difficult to say you are completely happy all the time. You have to improve always,” he added. Having learnt from their errors, Lemos is eager to provide the Mariners a tricky combat this time.

“It’s definitely a tough match. Mohun Bagan are a highly skilled and experienced team. We faced them last season and made some mistakes. At the very least, we aim to make the game more competitive compared to last year,” he mentioned.

“Our approach needs to be organised and focused. We must fight, be willing to endure and sacrifice, and then capitalise on our chances,” he mentioned.

Lemos mentioned there was no added stress on the group forward of the massive match.

“Coming to Kolkata, everyone is happy as the language and food are familiar. There is no added pressure.

“We are content material to be right here. We hope to handle stress nicely and carry out strongly,” the Abahani coach added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)