Kings now eligible for AFC Champions League

Bashundhara Kings became eligible to take part in the AFC Champions League after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) granted the Bangladesh Premier League champions licence to play in the top-flight club tournament in Asia.

Today was also the deadline to send names for entry to the AFC Champions League. Kings, however, had already completed the formalities and are now set to be the first Bangladeshi club to feature in the Asian top-flight club competition.

Apart from Kings, Abahani and Sheikh Jamal also applied for the licence of the AFC Champions League but were denied.

"We have already sent our name for entry to the AFC Champions League. We will know our play-off opponents in the coming days and the higher ranked side between two play-off sides will host the match," Bashundhara Kings' marketing and media manager Ahmed Shaaek told The Daily Star today.

Kings, along with Abahani, also retained the AFC Cup licence while Sheikh Jamal DC and Mohammedan SC were denied due to lack of documents.

"If Bashundhara Kings lose to their opponents in the play-off match of the AFC Champions League, they will come back to play the AFC Cup group stage directly," informed Shaaek.

Four-time professional league champions Kings, however, may thank their rival and six-time champions Abahani for the AFC Champions League slot. The Asian game's governing body allotted one slot for a Bangladesh club to take part in the AFC Champions League's play-off stage after Abahani became zonal champions to qualify for the inter-zonal semifinals of the 2019 AFC Cup, resulting in an overall ranking bump for Bangladeshi clubs. 

"Bangladesh were granted one slot for the AFC Champions League's play-off as the country's club rankings improved after Abahani qualified for inter-zonal semifinals of the AFC Cup in 2019. However, whether Bangladesh will get any slot in the AFC Champions League next seasons remains a doubt as the club rankings of Bangladesh took a hit recently," Bangladesh Football Federation's competition manager Zaber Bin Taher Ansari informed The Daily Star.

Zaber also informed that the AFC is likely to complete the play-off draw of  the AFC Champions League after June 30.