ATK Mohun Bagan talisman Hugo Boumous expects his team to ease past their 2022 AFC Cup group stage games that will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata later this month.
The Mariners will compete in Group D of the Cup competition in a group with fellow Indian club Gokulam Kerala, Bangladesh giants Basundhara Kings and Maziya S&RC from the Maldives.
Juan Ferrando’s are currently training in Kolkata ahead of their kick-off game on May 18. They will face Gokulam Kerala in their opening game, followed by the Basundhara Kings fixture three days later, and will then take on Maziya S&RC in the final group stage match on May 24.
Boumous is confident ATK Mohun Bagan are the best team in the group and as per a club statement, said, “Looking at the overall group strength-wise, we are the best team. If there’s no big upset down the road, we are going to top the group. The preparations have been relatively better compared to the previous season, we have won the last two practice matches and scored a total of eight goals. So, if we don’t qualify for the next round, we cannot give any excuses.
“We have seen video clips of the teams we are going to face. I feel that Basudhara Kings is the toughest of the three teams we are going to face, they are very balanced. After them, come Gokulam Kerala FC, who have played sensational football in the I-League last season and the current season. But, with the strength we have, we should not only be defeating Gokulam Kerala FC, but all the teams.”
