AFC Cup 2022: ATK Mohun Bagan, Gokulam Kerala FC to represent India - watch live streaming

Indian Super League (ISL) side ATK Mohun Bagan will host I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC in their AFC Cup 2022 Group D opener at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday.

This is the 19th edition of the AFC Cup with 38 football teams from five Asian zones - south, west, central, east, and southeast - set to fight it out for the continental crown.

The teams are divided into 10 groups (Group A to J). Barring Group F and H which have three teams each, all other groups have four participants.

Both Indian teams - ATK Mohun Bagan and Gokulam Kerala FC - belong to the south zone and are in Group D alongside Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh and Maziya SRC of the Maldives. The winners of Group D will progress to the inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Maziya SRC will also open their campaign against Bashundhara Kings later on Wednesday. All Group D matches will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium.

While Gokulam Kerala FC qualified directly for the AFC Cup group stage courtesy of being I-League 2020-21 champions, ATK Mohun Bagan had to take a longer route.

The Kolkata-based ATK Mohun Bagan side earned the rights to play the qualifiers after finishing runners up in ISL 2020-21 and had to overcome two preliminary rounds and a play-off.

ATK Mohun Bagan beat the Indian national team 2-1 in a practice match earlier this month and will be high on confidence going into the match.

However, doubts over star defender **Sandesh Jhingan’**s fitness will be a cause of worry for ATK Mohun Bagan coach Juan Ferrando.

Gokulam Kerala FC, meanwhile, is also a team on a roll. The Kerala-based team became the first team in 15 years to retain the I-League crown earlier this month.

Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Kuwait’s Al-Kuwait are the most successful clubs in the AFC Cup with three titles each. Bahrain’s Al-Muharraq, the defending champions, failed to obtain the AFC Club License and will not compete this season.

ATK Mohun Bagan played in the last edition of the AFC Cup and were knocked out in the inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

The final of the AFC Cup 2022 will be played on October 22.

Where to watch AFC Cup 2022 live in India?

The AFC Cup 2022, including all matches of ATK Mohun Bagan and Gokulam Kerala, will be telecast live on the Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the AFC Cup will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar.

AFC Cup 2022 schedule for ATK Mohun Bagan and Gokulam Kerala FC, and live India start times

All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

May 18, Wednesday

Gokulam Kerala FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan - 4:30 PM IST

May 21, Saturday

ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bashundhara Kings - 4:30 PM IST

Gokulam Kerala vs Maziya SRC - 8:30 PM IST

May 24, Tuesday

Gokulam Kerala vs Bashundhara Kings - 4:30 PM IST

ATK Mohun Bagan vs Maziya SRC - 8:30 PM IST