Hisor: It is set to be a battle of AFC Cup runners-up on Wednesday when 2015 finalists FC Istiklol of Tajikistan host last year’s second placed side JSW Bengaluru of India in the first leg of the Inter-Zone Final.
The return fixture will be held in Bangalore in three weeks’ time when the teams battle it out to see who will take their place in the 2017 AFC Cup final.
FC Istiklol
Recently crowned Tajik League champions for a fourth consecutive season, FC Istiklol made headlines throughout Asia when they reached the final of the 2015 AFC Cup in their tournament debut, but the Dushanbe-based club were edged out at the last hurdle by Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim in the competition’s climax.
FC Istiklol have bounced back from a disappointing 2016 campaign in style and are now just two games away from returning to the AFC Cup’s showpiece event, after their comprehensive victory over Filipino club Ceres Negros in the Inter-Zone semi-finals.
An emphatic 4-0 win at home in the first leg set the foundation for a 5-1 aggregate win following a 1-1 draw in Bacolod, and extended the Crowns undefeated run to eight matches.
FC Istiklol remain a force to be reckoned with in front of their own fans, boasting a perfect record in Tajikistan this year with four wins out of four. A large part of their success has been national side forward Maunchekhr Dzhalilov who is the club’s leading scorer in this year’s AFC Cup with seven goals.
JSW Bengaluru
JSW Bengaluru have emphatically shown Asia that last year’s impressive campaign that ended at the AFC Cup final was no one-off by reaching the penultimate stage of the 2017 tournament.
After topping Group E and being crowned South Asia Zonal Champions, a tricky task awaited in the Inter-Zone Semi-finals against DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC who boasted AFC Cup leading scorer Kim Yu-song.
However, a fine 3-0 victory in difficult conditions at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the first leg put the I-League side on the right track, before a goalless draw away in Pyongyang sealed Bengaluru’s place in the Inter-Zone Final.
Indian number one Gurpreet Singh has excelled between the posts since his much-heralded arrival while 21-year-old speedster Udanta Singh is another worth keeping an eye on. However, as ever, it is captain fantastic Sunil Chhetri who remains both the team’s creator-in-chief and most likely source of goals.
Ones To Watch
FC Istiklol v JSW Bengaluru
Venue: Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor
Kick-off: October 27, 19:00 UTC+5:30
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com