AFC Cup 2023-24: Odisha FC top group to qualify for zonal semis; Mohun Bagan bow out

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Odisha FC beat Bangladesh's top club Basundhara Kings 1-0 through a solitary goal by Mourtada Fall at their home Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The latest win in the AFC Cup 2023-24 group match placed them top of the group and qualified them for the zonal semifinal.

Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan made a group-stage exit. Two-time inter-zonal semifinalists went down to Maziya Sports & Recreation of Maldives to exit from the group league stage with a 0-1 defeat in Male. MBSG finished third in the group with Maziya at the bottom.

Odisha FC, after finishing on top in the group stage, have qualified for the zonal play-off semifinal, winning which will make them play in the zonal final. In the 61st minute, Mourtada secured the crucial lead for the Kalinga Warriors with a decisive header.

Earlier in Male, the Juan Ferrando-coached Mohun Bagan failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Mohun Bagan finished their AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches. The Indian heavyweights were unlucky as Taison Singh's powerful 50th minute strike from outside the box rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced across the goal before Maziya custodian Hussain Shareef pounced on it.

In the 66th minute, Maziya right-back Hussain Sifaau's shot from distance missed the Bagan goal by inches after taking a slight deflection on its way. Substitute Hamza Mohamed's shot from a tight angle was blocked by Bagan goalkeeper Shaikh four minutes later.

Hamza Mohamed hit the woodwork and Hassan Nazeem tested Shaikh with an acrobatic effort in the second-half injury time, but the one goal proved to be enough for the Maldives side to record their second win in the group stage.

-PTI