Picture Credit: ISL
The Indian Super League champions Mumbai City FC have been placed in Group B of the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage at the official draw that took place at Kuala Lumpur. Mumbai City have been drawn alongside Al Jazira of the UAE, Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab and Air Force Club of Iraq.
Mumbai City FC will be competing in Asia's biggest club football competition from the West region for the first time and have become only the second region to do so.
Further, a statement released by the club read," 40 teams were drawn in 10 groups of four teams each at the draws, with five groups (A-E) in the west region, and five groups (F-J) in the East region." Notably, as per the revised schedule released by the AFC, the 2022 AFC Champions League group stages of the west region will begin from 7th April continuing till 27th April. The matches are to be played in a double-round robin format and will be held at one centralised venue owing to the COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions.
An elated head coach, Des Buckingham for the Mumbai City FC went on to further mention, “We are very excited. As a coach and as players, we always want to compete with the best and participating in the AFC Champions League allows us to do so. Now that we know our opponents, our objective will be to get to the AFC Champions League off the back of a successful Indian Super League. So our focus will be to do well with the task we have at hand right now and when we get to the AFC Champions League, we want to make sure we represent Mumbai well and give a good showing of Indian football on the Asian stage.”
Confirmed fixtures and venues for Mumbai City FC's group stage games were to be announced soon.