‘It is an opportunity for the Indian players to prove themselves’ – says Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham as he prepares the team for the AFC Champions League

After FC Goa’s exploits from last year, Mumbai City FC are all set to become the second Indian football club to feature in the AFC Champions League after they won the Shield and the Indian Super League trophy in the 2020-21 season to reach Asia’s top tier continental tournament.

Although they did not have a great Indian Super League which concluded a few weeks ago, head coach Des Buckingham is optimistic that the Islanders will be able to fight against some of the top teams in the continent and put up something for their fans to cheer for. They have currently set up a preparatory camp in Al Forsan before leaving for Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh for the main tournament.

Buckingham is very pleased with how things have progressed in the preparatory camp. He wants the players to forget about the past and the disappointment from the recently concluded ISL season where they failed to make it to the playoffs. He wants them to press the rest button and enjoy their time at the AFC Champions League.

” Preparations have been good. We’ve come to Abu Dhabi to prepare as well as we can for the Champions League. And we have just over two weeks here. So we’re a week in, we’ve nearly got all the players on the ground again with us and we’ve got some national team players to arrive back soon. But in terms of what we’ve been able to do, so far, it’s a nice reset and a refresh to focus on what we want to achieve in the Champions League,” the English tactician stated.

The former New Zealand youth team coach added how it is a great opportunity for the players and also for the club. He highlights how the Indian players can showcase their talents here and catch several eyeballs with their abilities. “Showing how good we can be when we have the ball because we have good players, and it’s an opportunity for them to show how good Indian players can be on this stage,” Buckingham added.

Lastly, Buckingham shares how excited he is as he always wants to compete against the best teams around. “It’s an exciting one for everybody involved in the club and football in India. It’s one that we know that it’s been there all season. And now it’s arrived, I think as a coach, and as players, you want to compete and play against the best. And at the club level, the Champions League gives us the opportunity to do that. So we’re very much looking forward to it.”

The Islanders are clubbed in Group B alongside Al-Shabab, Al-Jazira and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. They will start their Champions League campaign on 8th April against Al-Shabab.