Five-time Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Bashundhara Kings will take on Lebanese league champions Nejmeh in their opener in the AFC Challenge League (ACL) today.
The match will take place at Changlimithang Stadium, Bhutan.
Meanwhile, Kings have their former coach Oscar Bruzon’s new team East Bengal in the group, the match will be held on October 29 and wrap up the campaign three days later after playing against Paro FC of hosts Bhutan.
Kings went to Thimphu on Monday last. The Bangladesh champions, who failed to cross the group-stage hurdle on each of their previous occasions under Oscar Bruzon, now have a new coach in charge and are without their charismatic Brazilian forward Robson Robinho.
The group winners and the best of three group runners-up will go through to the next round.
“We have played three warm-up matches here. But our Challenge League opponents are stronger. For example, Nejmeh has six national team players, along with one professional footballer of good quality from Ghana,” said newly appointed coach Valeriu Tita.
“East Bengal are also strong. But our players think it's a great platform to compete, and that's for me as a coach as well. We are definitely going there with the aim of making it to the next round,” The Romanian coach Tita told the media.
Apart from the proven locals such as Rakib Hossain, Sheikh Morsalin, Topu Barman and Sohel Rana, the coach will bank on the combination of foreigners including Miguel Figueira, the returning Jonathan Fernandez and new recruit Isaiah Ezeh as well as Omar Sarr.
