Mumbai's objective is to get to AFC Champions League after successful ISL season, says Des Buckingham

Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham said that the objective of the team will be to get to the AFC Champions League off the back of a successful Indian Super League season.

Mumbai City FC have been drawn in Group B of 2022 AFC Champions League along with Al Jazira (UAE), Al Shabab (KSA), and Air Force Club (IRQ) at the 2022 AFC Champions League Group Stage Draw that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday.

40 teams were drawn in 10 groups of four teams each at the draws, with five groups (A-E) in the West Region and five groups (F-J) in the East Region.

"We are very excited. As a coach and as players, we always want to compete with the best and participating in the AFC Champions League allows us to do so. Now that we know our opponents, our objective will be to get to the AFC Champions League off the back of a successful Indian Super League. So our focus will be to do well with the task we have at hand right now and when we get to the AFC Champions League, we want to make sure we represent Mumbai well and give a good showing of Indian football on the Asian stage," Des Buckingham, the head coach said in a statement.

Mumbai City FC, who qualified for the 2022 AFC Champions League by winning the Indian Super League 2020/21 League Winners' Shield, will compete in the Asia's biggest club football competition from the West Region for the first time in the Islanders' history and will become only the second Indian club to do so.

As per the revised schedule released by the AFC earlier this week, the 2022 AFC Champions League Group Stages of the West Region will begin from April 7, 2022 to April 27, 2022, with double round-robin matches to be played at one centralised venue, keeping in mind health and safety restrictions.

Confirmed fixture dates and the venue for Mumbai City's 2022 AFC Champions League Group Stage games will be announced in due course.

( With inputs from ANI )

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