New challenge for Bashundhara Kings

Bangladesh champions Bashundhara Kings will start a new journey in their Asian adventures today when they take on Lebanese league champions Nejmeh in their first match of Group A in the West Region of AFC Challenge League, the new third-tier club competition.

The match will get underway at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu at 9:00pm Bangladesh time after India's East Bengal and Bhutan's Paro FC square off in the first match of the group earlier in the day.

Bashundhara Kings, the five-time Bangladesh Premier League winners, have played in the now-defunct AFC Cup four times but failed to get past the group stage on each occasion.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Bashundhara Kings captain Topu Barman said the national team's recent matches in Thimphu will stand them in good stead in this competition.

"We had eight weeks training camp with our new coach (Valeriu Tita). Most of our players are from the national team which played two matches here recently. So we know Bhutan experience and weather," the Bangladesh defender said.

The centre-back also said that their experience of playing in the AFC Champions League playoff and past AFC Cup experience will help them, even though they are wary of controversial decisions going against them in the past.

Coach Tita said every team in the group is tough and that his team are ata disadvantage for training on natural grass.

"Tomorrow I have one problem," the Romanian coach said. "Nejmeh play on artificial turf but we train only on natural grass. It is very difficult to adapt within such a short time but I hope the players will be 100 percent ready tomorrow."