AFC Champions League 2023-24: Mumbai City FC end campaign with 2-1 loss to Navbahor
Abdenasser El Khayati’s opening goal boosted MCFC’s chances but the Indian club ended the group stage with six losses from as many matches.
Football
Indian football club Mumbai City FC ended their campaign in the AFC Champions League 2023-24 with a 2-1 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Navbahor Namangan at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Monday.
Abdenasser El Khayati (15’) scored MCFC’s first goal of the 2023 AFC Champions League before strikes from Jamshid Iskanderov (29’) and Jovan Dokic (45+3’) put Navbahor in front in the first half.
MCFC concluded the AFC Champions League 2023-24 with six losses from as many matches. The Indian football club produced spirited efforts in their home games against Nassaji Mazandaran and table-toppers Al Hilal but eventually ended up with a wooden spoon in Group D.
Four-time champions Al Hilal topped the group and progressed to the knockouts with five wins and a draw. Second-placed Navbahor also made it to the next round with four wins, a draw and a loss. Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran came third with two wins and four losses.
Against Navbahor on Monday, Mumbai City FC gave it their all at the start of the match with Jorge Pereyra Diaz being in the thick of the action. After helping Mumbai City win a couple of free kicks in the attacking half, Jorge Pereyra Diaz nearly headed in Greg Stewart’s aerial cross from the centre of the box only to find the left goal-post.
However, the ball ricocheted off the post to fall favourably at the feet of Abdenasser El Khayati, who drove it past the goalkeeper to make the good start count.
The Indian Super League side enjoyed 68 percent of ball possession in the first half. El Khayati and Diaz continued to impress but failed to find the back of the net for the second time.
On the other hand, Navbahor were deprived of possession but made most of the limited opportunities they had. Jamshid Iskanderov’s curling left-footed freekick from around 30 yards into the right corner restored the parity between the two sides just before the half-hour mark.
Jamshid Iskanderov then turned the provider to help Jovan Dokic beat the MCFC backline in the stoppage time and take the visitors into the break with a 2-1 lead.
Mumbai City FC always looked in the hunt to put the game back on level terms in the second half. The home side showed some urgency side in the final 10 minutes but the match ended with a 2-1 scoreline.
This was Mumbai City FC’s second successive appearance in the Asian Champions League. Last season, they won two matches on their debut ACL campaign against Iraq’s Air Force Club but failed to make the knockouts.