Former Indian Super League champions Bengaluru FC are set to begin their 2021 AFC Cup campaign with a clash against Nepal Army FC at the GMC Stadium in Goa on Wednesday.
It is going to be the first match of Marco Pezzaiuoli as the head coach of Bengaluru FC, who missed out on the playoffs berth for the first time in their history after finishing seventh in the 2020-21 ISL season.
“I’m very hungry for my first game. The players look sharp and the preparation has been good. The youngsters are working hard, and in our friendly against Goa, they performed well. They are putting pressure on the others in the squad, and that is good to see,” said Pezzaiuoli.
Bengaluru FC will play Nepal Army FC in the second preliminary round of the 2021 AFC Cup after having finished third in the league stage of the 2019-20 ISL.
As far as Nepal Army FC are concerned, they defeated Sri Lanka Police 5-1 in Round 1 of the qualifiers and it is going to be their first appearance in an AFC level tournament.
Bengaluru FC squad for 2021 AFC Cup
Bengaluru FC have named a full-fledged squad for their 2021 AFC Cup game against Nepal Army FC, with captain Sunil Chhetri returning after recovering from COVID-19.
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Pratik Chaudhari, Juan Gonzalez, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Joe Zoherliana, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee
Midfielders: Erik Paartalu, Suresh Wangjam, Harmanjot Khabra, Namgyal Bhutia, Emanuel Lalchhanchuaha, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Muhammad Inayath
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh
Where to watch Bengaluru FC vs Nepal Army live in India?
Live streaming of Bengaluru FC vs Nepal Army will be available on Bengaluru FC’s official YouTube channel. The match will start at 7:30 PM IST.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @bengalurufc
