Kings start AFC Cup mission at Maziya today

Bashundhara Kings will look to continue their perfect record against Maldivian opponents when the four-time Bangladesh Premier League champions take on Maldivian champions Maziya S&RC in their first group stage match in Male today, with the match scheduled to kick off at 4:00pm Bangladesh time.

Bashundhara Kings have so far played in three editions of the continent's second-tier club competition and each time had the better off their Maldivian counterparts – once against TC Sports and twice against Maziya. As they begin another AFC Cup journey after falling to Sharjah FC in AFC Champions League pre-qualifiers, Kings are looking forward to extending their record while getting off to a positive start in a bid to qualify from the group stages for the first time.

Kings' coach Oscar Bruzon, who previously coach Maldivian clubs before coming to Dhaka five years ago, said he was not considering his side to be ahead of the Maldivians while admitting the Mohun Bagan are the strongest of the group.

"I don't think we are ahead of Maziya," the Spaniard told a pre-match press conference in Male yesterday.

"I feel Mohun Bagan are the favourites in the group because of their previous experience and the investment and history plus the home crowd. But right now every team has three points," Bruzon added.

The long-standing coach of Kings also felt that the AFC Cup returning to its old format of home-and-away matches in its final edition gives every team a fair chance of progressing.

Having swept to their fourth straight domestic league title and then facing Sharjah FC last month before Bangladesh's friendlies against Afghanistan has seen most of the local Kings players remain in action. One of the players who has not been in much action is the Kings' captain Robson Robinho, who feels they would be up against a good opposition in their opening match.

"We played against Maziya before. It's a big team with good players. Tomorrow we have a big fight because they are hungry to win," the Brazilian said.

Odisha FC are the other club in the group and they would host Mohun Bagan in Bhubaneshwar in the other match of the group today.