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Mumbai City FC are back in the continental stage, where they will lock horns with Uzbekistan side Navbahor in the second matchday of the AFC Champions League 2023-24 season.
After a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home against FC Nassaji Mazandaran, the Islanders are now on their travels, where they will face a formidable Navbahor side who managed a 1-1 draw against the Asian powerhouse Al-Hilal in their opening game.
Although Mumbai City suffered a setback in the Champions League, they have since bounced back impressively in the Indian Super League, collecting four points from their first two matches of the campaign.
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Des Buckingham's team are now poised for a formidable challenge in Uzbekistan, where they enter as the second favorites. Buckingham, in his pre-match press conference, shared insights on Navbahor and outlined what they can expect from his team. He said:
"We have watched as many games as we could before we got here to try and prepare ourselves as well as we could. I like the Uzbekistan league, it’s got very good teams and players. Looking at individuals within the team, there are many players and to single out one would be naive. If you pay attention to one player, there are four of five other players who can cause problems for us.
"What to expect from our team is to show what we can do. We are a team that has a very clear way of playing and belief in what we do. The players have also bought into that. But we need to make sure that we execute that as well as we can because we know small things here make a big difference. You can expect us to give our best for ourselves, and the club, and we also know we are representing India."
"I expect a good crowd tomorrow" – Mumbai City FC defender Rostyn Griffiths
Australian defender Rosytn Griffiths joined his manager in the press conference. Griffiths notably had a stint in Uzbekistan with FC Pakhtakor and will provide valuable experience that has been missing among the Islanders in this competition.
Drawing from his wealth of experience, Griffiths discussed what Mumbai City can anticipate from Navbahor and highlighted a few things that his teammates should bear in mind as they approach the game. He said:
"Playing in Uzbekistan and against Navbahor was tough, as they are physically strong. To play here was difficult, the fans and the atmosphere were always very loud. Since then, new players have come from other clubs. So, I know they are going to be strong and have a couple of foreign players we are not too sure about but they’re very tall and good from set-pieces.
"It would also be about dealing with the atmosphere. I expect a good crowd tomorrow. But the most important thing is to do our jobs. We are strong in our beliefs and will stick to our style. "
The 2023 Uzbekistan Super League has already witnessed 19 matches, and their players are certainly at the peak of their fitness levels and form.
In contrast, the Indian football season is in its early stages, with Mumbai City FC having played only three games. The evident contrast in quality and preparation levels presents a potential challenge, and Buckingham acknowledged that this could present certain difficulties for his team. He said:
"The restructuring of the Champions League was to bring alignment across Asia with the league structures. But there are still some differences still as far as the alignment is concerned.
"The example I can give is our first game of the season was a Champions League game against a team that already played six league games. So, very different starting points from where we were and where they were. It is also very similar here. Navbahor have played 22 games, while we have only played two. "
Mumbai City’s defeat to Nassaji Mazandaran was a shock result, but it was undoubtedly a solid performance by the Islanders. Buckingham and Griffiths discussed the team's performance, emphasizing that despite some positive aspects, it's crucial to minimize errors in this competition to get results.
Buckingham stated:
"We have only played three games in our season, but the pleasing thing was, yes, the result was a loss, but anybody who watches that game would see all the internal metrics we had were the highest we ever had against any Champions League team. The more games we play, the stronger we will get. We are hoping that we will be in a much better position to finish off in the Champions League."
Griffiths added:
"I think if we played that game 10 times, we would win 8 or 9 of those, so, we think positively. But the other side to that is in these games against these opponents, you can’t make mistakes.
"We made two mistakes and they scored twice. That’s a good learning curve for our players and for everyone involved in the club. In this competition, it’s not like some other leagues we are used to playing and we can’t make those same mistakes. Overall, we know we did enough to win the game, but we came away with nothing but there was more positive than negative."
Mumbai City FC’s game against Navbahor is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 PM IST at the Markaziy Stadium in Namangan. Viewers in India can catch the live broadcast on Sports 18. The match will also be available for live streaming through JioTV and FanCode.
