Mumbai: Mumbai City put up a spirited display, even managing to finally score a goal, but it was not enough to stop the Islanders from suffering their sixth successive defeat in the AFC Champions Leaguethis season, as they were beaten 2-1 by Navbahor at Balewadi Stadium on Monday. Dutch winger Nasser El Khayati put Mumbai ahead in the 15th minute, calmly scoring off a rebound after watching teammate Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s header off Greg Stewart’s cross strike the post.It was their first goal in the competition this season. But a foul by Akash Mishra in a dangerous area saw the Uzbekistan side draw level through Jamshid Iskanderov’s perfectly executed left-footed free kick (29th min). While Diaz went agonisingly close to restoring Mumbai’s lead just before the interval, the hosts’s defensive frailties on set pieces were again exposed when Jovan Dokic turned in a tame Iskanderov corner in added time of the first half. The reigning ISL Shield winners failed to produce an equaliser of their own and had to endure the ignominy of losing all six of their group D games. Victory, meanwhile, ensured Navbahor’s qualification to the round of 16 stage as one of the three best runners-up teams from the West region. Significant about Monday’s fixture was, it may well be a while before Indian football followers get to see an Indian team play in the Champions League again, with Asia’s premier club football competition set to be split into two tiers next season. For the last three seasons, the ISL league stage winners booked a direct spot in the group stages of the competition. But from next season, India won’t be among the elite and instead have two spots – one direct and the other indirect – in the second tier AFC Champions League 2. The top tier will comprise 24 clubs, and will be named AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE). tnn
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We also published the following articles recently
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In a captivating AFC Champions League encounter, Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage, influencing a pivotal moment that saw the referee reverse a penalty decision in Al Nassr’s 0-0 draw with Persepolis. Ronaldo contested the decision, prompting the referee to consult VAR and reverse the penalty. Despite playing with 10 men, Al Nassr secured a crucial point, topping Group E. In another fixture, Al Ittihad secured a vital 2-1 victory against AGMK FC. Sepahan emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over Air Force Club in Group C. The AFC Champions League progresses towards the knockout stages in February and the West Zone group stage concludes next week.
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