Bashundhara Kings are all set to make their debut in the AFC Champions League as they will face Sharjah Football Club of UAE Pro League in the single-leg qualifying play-offs (preliminary round) of ACL 2023-24 on August 15.

Although Kings will be facing a tough challenge against a top-ranked club, the club president Imrul Hassan said that he has a big expectation from his team as he is hopeful of a memorable result.

 “The preparation is good so far. The players are confident enough. So the expectation is big…We want to win the match and want to make this campaign memorable by reaching the next round,” Imrul said on Monday.

If the Bangladeshi side can manage a win, they will move to the next round and play against Tractor Cultural Sports Economic Club of Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League in the single-leg play-off round on August 22.

The Bangladesh champions are relying much on the national players and foreign recruits who have been training together for a long time.

On the other hand, former Barcelona and Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic, former Barcelona forward Paco Alcacer and former Roma defender Kostas Manolas play for Sharjah FC.

 “They (Sharjah FC) are a good club and they have several heavy names (players). But we are not worried about it. It is our debut match (in ACL) and we have nothing to lose here,” the club president added.

Kings will fly to Sharjah, UAE on Saturday to take part in the upcoming contest.

As part of the preparation, they have already played a practice match against an Army team named ‘6 ADA Brigade, Mirpur Army Dhaka’ on Sunday.

They are scheduled to play another practice match against a combined team formed with Bangladesh Premier League players on Tuesday.

BDST: 0937 HRS, AUG 08, 2023
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