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I-League 2016-17 Champions Aizawl FC return back to continental footballing action as they are set to host Bangladeshi club Abahandi Limited Dhaka in the AFC Cup group stage clash at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati.
The two sides have had similar fortunes coming into the clash as they have lost their previous two games in the AFC Cup. Aizawl FC lost 3-1 away in the Maldives against New Radiant SC and lost at home against Bengaluru FC with the same scoreline. Abahani Limited Dhaka also lost their games against New Radiant SC and Bengaluru FC with a 0-1 scoreline in a strange coincidence for the two sides in action today.
Santosh Kashyap, the Aizawl FC manager will be hoping the side can shed their blues and finally earn their first point in the competition. Their last fixture was in the Indian Super Cup as they lost out narrowly with a 1-0 score against Kolkata club East Bengal FC. A loss in the match against Abahani Dhaka could most certainly mean ouster from the AFC Cup for the Mizoram side.
Aizawl FC have had a busy schedule with AFC Cup and Super Cup commitments and Kashyap will be wary of the fatigue factor. They are playing their third match in a space of seven days and thus the gaffer will have to rotate his players accordingly to avoid burnout.
The key men for Aizawl FC would be their defensive midfielders Alfred Kemah Jaryan and Masih Saighani. Saighani has been recently played as a midfielder after his usual centre-back position during the I-League and has performed well, providing the cover for Aizawl's three-man backline.
Abahani's striker Sunday Chizoba will be back into the lineup after serving a match ban for his red card in the first game against New Radiant SC.
When and Where to watch
Match - Aizawl FC vs Abahani Limited Dhaka
Venue - Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
Date - 11 April 2018
Time - 6:30 pm IST
Telecast - No Telecast on Indian TV
Stream - AFC Cup Facebook Page
