Mohun Bagan look to keep winning run intact against Maziya

A buoyant Mohun Bagan will look to keep their winning momentum intact when they face Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of Maldives in a Group E match of AFC Cup, here tomorrow.

In a two-way title race against Aizawl FC in the I- League, Mohun Bagan will take on the Mizoram outfit in four days' time in a virtual decider and coach Sanjoy Sen is expected to ring in eight to nine changes for the AFC Cup fixture, including that of Sony Norde and Katsumi Yusa.

Having started off with a 1-2 loss in Bengaluru, the Bagan thrashed Abahani Limited Dhaka 3-1 at home in their last round AFC Cup fixture earlier this month.
 

After that they won the I-League derby against East Bengal 2-1, drew against Shillong Lajong 1-1 before pipping Minerva by a solitary goal in the last round to maintain their unbeaten run in five matches across tournaments.

"The focus is on the I-League but a win is important. It will give the side confidence," Sen said on the eve of the match, staying firmly focused on the tough I-League away tie in Aizawl.

With one win each, both the teams are on three points and it will be a race for the second spot in the table led by Bengaluru FC.

Maziya Sports and Recreation Club, one of Maldives' most successful sides -- the champions of 2016 Dhivehi Premier League and Maldivian FA Charity Shield Winners -- will be under pressure as they have suffered three losses in last five games and have never won against Mohun Bagan.

Last season Mohun Bagan had thrashed the Maldives side 5 -2 in the home leg in Guwahati and settled for a 1-1 draw in Maldives.

Regular in the AFC Cup since 2013, Maziya are yet to go past the group stages.

Their top foreign player is Romanian central defender Andrei Cordos, who played for Italian Serie B side Frosinone and couple of Romanian top division clubs. They have also added Kyrgyzstan international goalkeeper Pavel Matiash, Serbian defender Milos Milos Kovacevic and Serbian striker Alexnder Rakitc to their list.