Mohun Bagan SG Set to Compete Against Al-Wakrah, Tractor, and Ravshan in AFC Champions League Two Group Stage
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/16th August 2024
On Friday, the draw for the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Two placed Indian club Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Group A, where they will face Al-Wakrah SC of Qatar, Tractor FC from Iran, and FC Ravshan of Tajikistan. The draw took place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
Mohun Bagan SG secured their spot in this revamped second-tier Asian club competition by clinching the 2023-24 Indian Super League Shield. Last season, the Mariners finished third in the AFC Cup Group Stage, falling short of advancing to the knockout rounds.
Al-Wakrah SC, representing Qatar, qualified for this tournament by finishing fourth in the 2023-24 Qatar Stars League. This marks the Qatari club’s return to Asian competitions for the first time since their participation in the 2001-02 Asian Club Championship.
Tractor FC, hailing from Iran, earned their place in the Champions League Two by ending the 2023-24 Persian Gulf Pro League season in fourth place. The Iranian side has a history of reaching the Round of 16 in the former AFC Champions League, achieving this milestone in 2021 and 2016.
FC Ravshan, from Kulob, Tajikistan, qualified as the runners-up of the 2023 Tajikistan Higher League. Despite making four appearances in the AFC Cup, Ravshan has yet to advance beyond the group stage.
The AFC Champions League Two consists of 32 teams split into eight groups of four, divided between the West and East regions. The group stage will follow a home-and-away round-robin format, running from September 17 to December 5. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Round of 16, scheduled for February 2025. This will be followed by the quarter-finals in March, semi-finals in April, and a single-leg final on May 17, 2025.
East Bengal FC, another Indian club participating in the 2024-25 AFC competitions as the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup champions, faced a setback in their Champions League Two qualifying round, losing to FC Altyn Asyr. East Bengal FC will now compete in the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League, the third tier of Asian club football. The draw for the Challenge League’s group stage will take place on August 22.
As Mohun Bagan SG prepares for their matches against Al-Wakrah, Tractor, and Ravshan, the club aims to advance beyond the group stage and make a significant impact in their debut season in the AFC Champions League Two.
