Odisha FC will face fellow ISL side Mohun Bagan Super Giants, Bangladesh champions Basundhara Kings and the winners of the Maldivian league, Maziya. Placed in Group D, the juggernauts earned a direct group stage slot by winning the AFC playoff match against Gokulam Kerala 3-1. They won the Hero Super Cup, beating Bengaluru FC in the final, to qualify for the playoff in the first place. Odisha FC will compete at the AFC Cup stage or at any continental level for the very first time in history.
Qualification to AFC Cup
Odisha FC topped their group containing East Bengal, Hyderabad FC and Aizawl to qualify for the semi-finals of the Hero Super Cup. There the Kalinga Warriors faced NorthEast United 3-1 to move into the final of the competition. Against Durand Cup holders and ISL finalists Bengaluru FC, the team then under Clifford Miranda finished the game off with a first-half brace from Diego Mauricio in the eventual 2-1 victory. It gave Odisha FC the license to enter a playoff battle for the AFC Cup against last year’s I-League champions Gokulam Kerala. Their star striker grabbed the headlines again by scoring a splendid hattrick in the 3-1 win thereby sealing a place in the competition.
Preparation for AFC Cup
With the AFC Cup in mind, Odisha FC went through interesting changes for this season. They recruited well-known face in the ISL in Sergio Lobera for the hot-seat. The Spaniard remain the only coach to have done the double in Indian Super League after winning the Winnner’s Shield and ISL trophy while with Mumbai City. In the same manner, the Juggernauts recruited top stars like Ahmed Jahouh and Mourtada Fall from the current Shield holders. The other big signing has been the addition of ISL-proven striker Roy Krishna. The Fijian has also got AFC Cup experience and adds to the firepower already containing Diego Mauricio.
Group D
Odisha FC (India)
Basundhara Kings (Bangladesh)
Maziya Sports & Recreation (Maldives)
Mohun Bagan Super Giants (India)
Fixtures
Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Odisha FC vs Mohun Bagan (19:30)
Monday, 2 October 2023
Basundhara Kings vs Odisha FC (17:30)
Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Odisha FC vs Maziya (19:30)
Tuesday, 7 November 2023
Maziya vs Odisha FC (21:00)
Monday, 27 November 2023
Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC (19:30)
Monday, 11 December 2023
Odisha FC vs Basundhara Kings (19:30)
Odisha FC will take on fellow ISL side Mohun Bagan Super Giants to begin proceedings in their maiden AFC Cup campaign. The team they have failed to beat so far and score against in the last three meetings. Only three draws managed in seven face-offs so far. Odisha FC will wish to put that record to bed in this historical matchup for them. The Mariners will be their main rivals for the top spot in Group D as the first meetings with Basundhara Kings and Maziya do not seem to pose much of a challenge for Lobera’s men. Only the group winners will advance to the inter-zonal semi-final playoffs of the AFC Cup. It will require a big fight from Odisha FC to reflect their quality in the squad on the continental stage to progress into the next round.
