AFC Champions League 2023-24: Mumbai City FC lose 3-0 to ...

Indian football club Mumbai City FC lost 3-0 to Uzbekistan’s Navbahor in the Group D match of the AFC Champions League 2023-24 at the Markaziy Stadium in Namangan on Tuesday.

Jamshid Iskanderov (52’), Jasurbek Yakhshiboev (58’) and Doniyor Abdumannopov (88’) scored the goals for Navbahor.

This was MCFC’s second successive loss in Group D of the AFC Champions League. The 2020-21 Indian Super League champions, who are making their second appearance in the AFC Champions League, lost their opening match of the competition 2-0 to Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran last month.

Navbahor, meanwhile, came into the match having played out a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal SFC in their first match.

It was the Uzbek side that set the tempo for the match right from the opening whistle. The hosts attacked the Mumbai half with intent and pushed the visitors on the backfoot early on. 

Navbahor raided the Mumbai half with pace and sent in dangerous crosses, but the visitors’ defence absorbed the pressure well. The Islanders made a few attempts to penetrate the opponents half but posed little threat going forward. 

In the dying minutes of the first half, Mumbai had an opportunity to take the lead against the run of play. The referee awarded a penalty to the away team after a Navbahor player handled the ball in the box. MCFC striker Greg Stewart stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was saved by Navbahor goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov to keep the score goalless at half-time.

After the change of ends, Navbahor continued to make inroads into the Mumbai half and put the MCFC backline to the test. Five minutes into the second half, Mumbai’s defence buckled under the pressure and Uzbek side scored the opening goal. Jamshid Iskanderov found space outside the box and planted a left-footed shot in the top-right corner of the goal to hand Navbahor a 1-0 lead.

MCFC boss Des Buckingham made a few substitutions to bolster his side’s attacking play but it was Navbahor who doubled the lead through Jasurbek Yakhshiboev around the hour mark. Navbahor then scored the third through Doniyor Abdumannopov late in the second half to seal the contest.

Mumbai City FC will travel to Saudi Arabia to face four-time champions Al-Hilal SFC in the next AFC Champions League 2023-24 Group D match on October 23.