Mohun Bagan will progress to the quarter final of AFC Cup 2016 if they manage to get past Tampines Rovers in their round-of-16 clash of the competition on Tuesday. The Indian side defeated the Singapore outfit the last time they met in the AFC Champions League this season.
After winning the Federation Cup 2016, many can expect that the winning momentum can do wonders for the home side in Guwahati on Tuesday, but the amount of key players Bagan are missing, makes it a bit difficult for the team.
The Mariners need to shine despite the absence of three key members -- Sony Norde, Pritam Kotal and Katsumi Yusa.
"This is not the first time we are missing some key players. Sony Norde and Cornell Glen didn't play in the AFC Cup match that we drew against Maziya. So it will not be a problem for us and it will be a challenge for the players who will be replacing them. We know our target, so let's see," Sanjoy Sen, coach of the Kolkata side, has been quoted as saying by Goal in the eve of the match.
"My message to the team will be to win the match and end the season in the right fashion. That is our only target," he added.
For Tampines Rovers, the big news remains the availability of former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant in the match; the news also comes as a major worry for Bagan, given the player's experience. "We have Jermaine Pennant on. He will be playing tomorrow," said Tampines Rovers coach Sundramoorthy.
"So, everybody knows him as an ex- Liverpool and Arsenal player. He also played in India, for Pune. He will be a huge influence in our team, you know. So, we are looking forward for him to have a good game," he added.
Where to watch live
AFC Cup 2016: Mohun Bagan vs Tampines Rovers is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. IST (9:20 p.m. HKT) on May 24.
Viewers in India can catch the game on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD 4.
Viewers in Singapore can catch the game on Fox Sports 3. Online streaming is available on Fox Sports Play.
Live scores from the match can also be found on the official Mohun Bagan Twitter handle.
