John Gregory’s men play their first away AFC Cup game against Abahani Limited Dhaka.
John Gregory’s Chennaiyin FC is the only club yet to concede a goal in the AFC Cup
Chennai:
The unbeaten Group E table topper will aim to do the double over Abahani, having beaten it 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Ahmedabad a fortnight back. Midway through the group phase, Chennaiyin is on top with seven points, while Dhaka is second with four. CFC is the only club yet to concede a goal in this season’s AFC Cup. It has kept five clean sheets so far, including the two-legged qualifying play-off against Colombo FC earlier in March.
A win against Abahani will help it inch closer to the next round, with two group games to go.
“This is our most crucial game in the AFC Cup yet, and we’re ready for it. There are no easy matches in this competition and Dhaka poses a difficult challenge with their physical presence.
The boys have been extremely professional in their approach,” said Chennaiyin gaffer John Gregory, who recently signed a one-year contract extension.
Keeping with Gregory’s words, Abahani will pose a serious challenge for CFC. It was a tough team to break down in the previous duel, proving a menace especially from set-pieces.
The side is currently second in the Bangladesh Premier League campaign, four points adrift of the leader. Its strike duo of Nigerian Sunday Chizoba and Nabib Newaj Zibon lead the goal-scoring charts, with ten and nine goals respectively.
Winger Francisco Fernandes also shared his views ahead of the crucial encounter. “It’ll be a tough game, but we’ll be going for the win as always. The conditions are also similar to those back home. We will give our very best in what will be a vital clash,” said Francisco, who accompanied Gregory for the presser.
In-form Anirudh Thapa is expected to feature in the Chennaiyin midfield along with Francisco. It was Thapa’s priceless deflected strike, his first-ever AFC Cup goal, that proved the difference between both sides last time around. Thapa returns to the stadium where he became the youngest-ever Indian captain at the age of 20 when he led the nation to a 2-0 win over Maldives in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in Dhaka last year.
Chennaiyin FC will be on the road for the first time this 2019 AFC Cup group stage as it takes on Abahani Limited Dhaka at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The unbeaten Group E table topper will aim to do the double over Abahani, having beaten it 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Ahmedabad a fortnight back. Midway through the group phase, Chennaiyin is on top with seven points, while Dhaka is second with four. CFC is the only club yet to concede a goal in this season’s AFC Cup. It has kept five clean sheets so far, including the two-legged qualifying play-off against Colombo FC earlier in March.
A win against Abahani will help it inch closer to the next round, with two group games to go.
“This is our most crucial game in the AFC Cup yet, and we’re ready for it. There are no easy matches in this competition and Dhaka poses a difficult challenge with their physical presence.
The boys have been extremely professional in their approach,” said Chennaiyin gaffer John Gregory, who recently signed a one-year contract extension.
Keeping with Gregory’s words, Abahani will pose a serious challenge for CFC. It was a tough team to break down in the previous duel, proving a menace especially from set-pieces.
The side is currently second in the Bangladesh Premier League campaign, four points adrift of the leader. Its strike duo of Nigerian Sunday Chizoba and Nabib Newaj Zibon lead the goal-scoring charts, with ten and nine goals respectively.
Winger Francisco Fernandes also shared his views ahead of the crucial encounter. “It’ll be a tough game, but we’ll be going for the win as always. The conditions are also similar to those back home. We will give our very best in what will be a vital clash,” said Francisco, who accompanied Gregory for the presser.
In-form Anirudh Thapa is expected to feature in the Chennaiyin midfield along with Francisco. It was Thapa’s priceless deflected strike, his first-ever AFC Cup goal, that proved the difference between both sides last time around. Thapa returns to the stadium where he became the youngest-ever Indian captain at the age of 20 when he led the nation to a 2-0 win over Maldives in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in Dhaka last year.