Mohun Bagan Super Giant to Compete in AFC Champions League Two
The group stage draw for the AFC Champions League Two took place on Friday at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the reigning Indian Super League (ISL) Shield Winners, are the only Indian team in this newly-rebranded second-tier men’s AFC club competition.
Group A Draw
Mohun Bagan SG has been placed in Group A along with:
- Al Wakrah SC from Qatar
- Tractor FC from Iran
- FC Ravshan from Tajikistan
Last season, Mohun Bagan finished third in the AFC Cup group stage and exited twice from the inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Other Teams in Group A
Al Wakrah SC qualified by finishing fourth in the 2023-24 Qatar Stars League. This is their first appearance in Asia since the 2001-02 Asian Club Championship. Tractor FC also qualified with a fourth-place finish in the 2023-24 Persian Gulf Pro League and have twice reached the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League. FC Ravshan, runners-up of the 2023 Tajikistan Higher League, have made four appearances in the AFC Cup but never progressed from the group stage.
Tournament Format
The AFC Champions League Two will feature 32 clubs divided into eight groups of four teams each. The group stage will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format from September 17 to December 5, 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16 in February 2025, followed by the Quarter-finals in March, Semi-finals in April, and the Final on May 17, 2025.
East Bengal FC
East Bengal FC, another Indian club, will compete in the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League after losing their AFC Champions League Two qualifying match to FC Altyn Asyr. The draw for the AFC Challenge League will be conducted on August 22.
AFC Champions League Two Draw Results
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Al Wakrah SC (QAT), Tractor FC (IRN), Mohun Bagan Super Giant (IND), FC Ravshan (TJK) |
| Group B | Al Taawoun FC (KSA), Air Force SC (IRAQ), Al Khaldiya SC (BHR), Altyn Asyr FC (TKM) |
| Group C | Sepahan SC (IRN), Sharjah FC (UAE), FC Istiklol (TJK), Al Wehdat (JOR) |
| Group D | Shabab Al Ahli (UAE), PFC Nasaf (UZB), Al Hussein (JOR), Kuwait SC (KUW) |
| Group E | Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN), Sydney FC (AUS), Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI), Eastern (HKG) |
| Group F | Zhejiang FC (CHN), Port FC (THA), Lion City Sailors FC (SGP), Persib Bandung (IDN) |
| Group G | Bangkok United (THA), Nam Dinh FC (VIE), Lee Man (HKG), Tampines Rovers FC (SGP) |
| Group H | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR), Selangor FC (MAS), Muangthong United (THA), Dynamic Herb Cebu FC (PHI) |
Doubts Revealed
Mohun Bagan Super Giant -: Mohun Bagan Super Giant is a famous football club from India. They play in the Indian Super League, which is a top football league in India.
AFC Champions League Two -: The AFC Champions League Two is a football tournament for clubs in Asia. AFC stands for Asian Football Confederation, which is the group that organizes football in Asia.
Indian Super League Shield Winners -: The Indian Super League Shield Winners are the team that finishes first in the league during the regular season. It means they were the best team in the league that year.
Group A -: Group A is one of the groups in the tournament. Teams in the same group play against each other to see who moves on to the next round.
Al Wakrah SC -: Al Wakrah SC is a football club from Qatar, a country in the Middle East. They are one of the teams in Group A.
Tractor FC -: Tractor FC is a football club from Iran, a country in Asia. They are also in Group A.
FC Ravshan -: FC Ravshan is a football club from Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia. They are the third team in Group A.
Round of 16 -: The Round of 16 is the stage in the tournament where 16 teams compete. The top two teams from each group move on to this round.
East Bengal FC -: East Bengal FC is another famous football club from India. They will play in a different tournament called the AFC Challenge League.
AFC Challenge League -: The AFC Challenge League is another football tournament for clubs in Asia. It is different from the AFC Champions League Two.
