Indian club Mohun Bagan out of AFC competition after missing match in Iran

The club did not travel to Tabriz for a group stage match on October 2, the day after Iran launched missiles on Israel.

Indian football club Mohun Bagan Super Giant are out of the second-tier regional club competition for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after not travelling to Iran for a group stage match.

The Kolkata-based Indian Super League (ISL) club, placed in Group A of the AFC Champions League Two, were scheduled to play Iranian club Tractor SC in Tabriz on October 2, the day after Iran launched ballistic missiles towards Israel amid soaring violence in the region.

However, several Mohun Bagan players wrote to the club’s management voicing concerns over security if they travelled to the Persian Gulf Pro League team’s home city in northwestern Iran, which was one of the sites from which the missiles were launched, according to reports in Indian media.

The match was cancelled after Mohun Bagan did not travel to Tabriz.

“Mohun Bagan Super Giant are considered to have withdrawn from the AFC Champions League Two”, the AFC said in a statement on Monday.

“All matches played by Mohun Bagan Super Giant are cancelled and considered null and void. For the avoidance of doubt, no points and goals in the club’s matches shall be taken into consideration when determining the final rankings in Group A.”

The regional football body said it would refer Mohun Bagan’s matter to the continental body’s relevant committees for further decisions.

🇮🇳 Mohun Bagan Super Giant considered to have withdrawn from #ACLTwo after failure to report to Tabriz for Group A fixture against Tractor FC on October 2.https://t.co/gPXaeOmmgE

— #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) October 7, 2024

Mohun Bagan Super Giant have not responded to their ouster from the regional club competition.

However, fans of the Indian club have criticised the decision and have called on officials to appeal it in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Player and staff safety is paramount,” football agent Baljit Singh Rihal wrote on X.

“Punishing teams for refusing to travel to a war-torn country by removing them from the competition is absurd,” he added.

Absolutely ridiculous! Player and staff safety is paramount. Punishing teams for refusing to travel to a war-torn country by removing them from the competition is absurd. This decision must be overturned immediately, as it defies all common sense. ⚽️ #MohunBagan https://t.co/osbElHQcvE

— Baljit Singh Rihal (@BaljitRihal) October 7, 2024

Mohun Bagan are one of the oldest football clubs in Asia and the current champion of the ISL. They are currently coached by former Spanish football player and coach Jose Francisco Molina.