A fancied Bengaluru FC will mark the start of a new era when it takes on Nepalese side Tribhuvan Army FC in a preliminary stage two clash of the AFC Cup here on Wednesday.
The fixture will be Marco Pezzaiuoli’s first competitive game in charge of the Blues since his appointment as head coach in February.
“I’m very hungry for my first game. The players look sharp and the preparation has been good. The youngsters are working hard, and in our friendly against Goa, they performed well. They are putting pressure on the others in the squad, and that is good to see,” said Pezzaiuoli.
“This is an important game for us because we exited the competition early last season, and we want to reach the group stage this year.
“The first step in that direction is to beat a strong Nepalese team and I believe we are strong enough to do that.”
Tribhuvan Army Club recorded a 4-1 comeback victory over Sri Lanka Police in its preliminary stage one clash at the Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Nepal last week, with striker Nawayug Shrestha scoring twice.
In a winner-takes-all tie, the winner will advance to the playoff stage of the 2021 AFC Cup, with either Bangladesh’s Abahani Limited Dhaka or Club Eagles of Maldives the next opponent.
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