Football
AFC Champions League 2: Mohun Bagan SG lose opening match to Ahal FC
Enwer Annayev’s Late strike secures victory for Turkmenistan side as Mohun Bagan struggle at home.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant were defeated 0-1 by Ahal FC. (Photo credit: Mohun Bagan Super Giant/X)
Mohun Bagan Super Giant were defeated 0-1 by Ahal FC in their AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group C campaign opener at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium on Tuesday.
After a tepid first half, Enwer Annayev slipped inside the box in the 83rd minute to squeeze the ball home as Turkmenistan’s Ahal took a richly deserved three points.
It was a nervy start for the home side as Ahal threatened as early as the second minute with Suleyman Mirzoyev charging into the box only to send his effort wide.
Magtymberdi Berenov and Mirzoyev continued to cause problems for the Mohun Bagan backline, which had to sit deep and absorb the early pressure.
The Indian side finally got into the thick of things in the 13th minute, with Liston Colaco and Sahal Abdul Samad both seeing their respective efforts blocked before surviving a close shave just after the hour mark when Ahal’s Elman Tagayew was denied by the left post.
Mohun Bagan had a chance in the 37th minute when Samad played a neat exchange with Jason Cummings, only for the Scotland native to fire his effort high from inside the area.
Ahal were left frustrated in the second half after Berenov’s effort in the 52nd minute went to waste before seeing Mohun Bagan keeper Vishal Kaith thwart his effort five minutes later with a fine save.
Kaith came to Mohun Bagan’s rescue again in the 69th minute when Cummings charged into the box to set up Berenow at the near post, but the Indian shot stopper used his large frame well to close down the danger.
The game kicked up a notch at the 80th minute with Kaith pulling off another brilliant save to keep out Mirzoyev’s follow-through header, while at the other end, another chance went begging for Mohun Bagan with Samad pulling his effort just wide following a counter-attack.
The stalemate was finally broken in the 83rd minute after Basim Gurbanberdiyew teed up Annayev, who struck the winner from an acute angle past the outstretched Kaith into the bottom right corner.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan SC (IR Iran) in their second match in Isfahan, Iran, on September 30.
