AFC asks Abahani to play in India
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has asked six-time Bangladesh Premier League champions Abahani to check whether they can play their AFC Cup play-off match against Eagles Club of Maldives in India.
Abahani were scheduled to host Eagles Club on April 14 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium but the countrywide lockdown due to Covid-19 forced Abahani to suspend the match.
The Sky Blues initially wanted to play the match in Kathmandu on April 21 but travel restrictions have also forced them to rethink those plans. Meanwhile, Indian outfit Bengaluru FC thrashed 5-0 Nepal Army team in another play-off match in Goa on Wednesday.
"We had a three-party meeting among Abahani, AFC and BFF today [Wednesday]. We let the AFC know about the lockdown and the travel restrictions as well as informing them about Abahani's inability to travel to a neutral venue in Kathmandu due to travel restrictions," Abahani manager Satyjit Das Rupu said in a video message yesterday.
"We have now been asked [by AFC] whether to play the match in India on April 25, just three days before the final play-off match where Bengaluru FC will play against the winners between Abahani and Eagles Club. We were asked to communicate with the AIFF and Bengaluru," said Rupu, adding that if it is not possible to play in India, the match is likely to be held in Maldives in May before the start of the Group D matches in Maldives.
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