Kolkata, India — Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the reigning Indian Super League champions, have formally petitioned the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to relocate their upcoming AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) match against Iran’s Sepahan SC. The club’s request, citing player safety concerns and visa complications for key foreign players, highlights growing uncertainty ahead of the September 30 fixture.
Visa and Travel Concerns ✈️
Despite having applied for visas and arranged travel, the club is facing significant hurdles, particularly for its four foreign players: Tom Aldred, Dimitri Petratos, Jamie Maclaren, and Jason Cummings. Nationals from the UK and Australia, where Aldred, Petratos, and Maclaren hail from, are subject to additional travel restrictions in Iran, casting a shadow over their participation.
Sepahan’s management, however, has dismissed these concerns, stating that visas have been issued for the entire Mohun Bagan squad, including the foreign players. “There is no problem on our part,” a Sepahan manager claimed.
A Precedent for Caution Mohun Bagan has emphasized that they are not refusing to travel but are instead seeking the AFC’s intervention to address their valid concerns. A similar situation arose last season when Mumbai City FC was forced to play in Tehran without its crucial foreign players, a precedent Mohun Bagan is hoping to avoid. A no-show could result in severe sanctions from the AFC, jeopardizing the future participation of Indian clubs in the ACL 2.
The club is now preparing for two back-to-back away matches, first against Sepahan on September 30, followed by a trip to Jordan to face Al Hussain on October 21.
This video from Beyond Sports offers a detailed analysis of the situation, including the specific visa problems and safety concerns raised by the club. Mohun Bagan’s predicament before the Sepahan match
