Bashundhara Kings to take on Sharjah FC today
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Bashundhara Kings will take on UAE Pro-League champions Sharjah Football Club in the preliminary round match of the AFC Champions League today (Tuesday) at the Sharjah Stadium in the UAE, reports news agency UNB.
The match will kick off at 9:35pm Bangladesh Standard Time.
The other BPL side, Dhaka Abahani Limited, will play Club Eagles of the Maldives in the preliminary round match of Asia’s second-tier club competition - the AFC Cup -on Wednesday at 3:15 pm at the Sylhet District Stadium.
The reigning BPL champions, who are slotted in the West Zone of the AFC Champions League, will make history no matter the outcome of the match as they will become the first Bangladeshi team to compete in the prestigious AFC Champions League.
After reaching Sharjah on Saturday, Bashundhara Kings are trying to adjust to the extreme heat of the UAE, where the temperatures at times soared over 40 degrees Celsius.
They are sure to feel the heat on the football pitch as well when they will come face to face with a star-studded Sharjah team, which has multiple players who have competed in top European clubs, like former Barcelona player Miralem Pjanic and Paco Alcacer.
If Bashundhara Kings can beat Sharjah FC then they will qualify for the play-off stage of the AFC Champions League and will face Tractor FC of Iran on 22 August.
The winners of the play-off match will qualify for the group stage of the tournament to be held between September to December this year.