#TFGtake: Rotation is warranted in AFC Cup qualifiers, but Bagan cannot take Club Valencia too lightly

ON PAPER, Club Valencia of Maldives don't pose that big a threat to Mohun Bagan. 

The club based out of the country's capital Male, that holds 10 national league titles and 5FA Cup titles (including one in 2016 that got them into AFC Cup qualifiers) in its nearly four decades of operation, hasn't really had that much success in the recent past. Their cup title aside, they finished 6th in the league last season; a campaign they finished with 6 back to back losses.

What makes this AFC Cup group stage qualifying playoff against the Mariners all the more concerning for the Sunrisers is that their new league season hasn't begun yet; and they are not amidst regular matches. But this very apparent disadvantage may also give them an edge in tomorrow's game.

Valencia began their season playing in the AFC Cup qualifiers; and taking on Thimphu City, a young club from Bhutan that was making its debut in the continental tournament, gave them a nice change of pace from the disappointing finish last season. They drew the away leg 0-0, and towards the end of the home leg managed to hammer 3 goals past the all-Bhutanese side to progress to this round. 

But while Thimphu City aren't that big a challenge to overcome, what stood out during those two legs was the tight perseverance that saw them hold on during a physically taxing away leg and a stalemate home leg that tested their patience for the longest time.

That's not to say Mohun Bagan are comparable to Thimphu City in terms of strength. But the Mariners, who are on an unbeaten run in the I-League and AFC Cup this season, are a squad that's having to deal with a thick fixture that's too overbearing on them and has already led to some injury concerns.

What would have the Bagan faithful slightly worried is that the club is treating the double header against Club Valencia as a means to rest players. Sony Norde, who has been playing with a light knee injury, has not traveled. Jeje Lalpekhlua, who also spent some time out in the recent past, is missing the trip as well. On top of that, head coach Sanjoy Sen has also decided not to go due to "personal reasons." 

While not having Sony and Jeje on the side does not leave them out of attacking strength, and assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty is an experienced gaffer who has donned the role of acting head coach far too often in the past, the moves made by Mohun Bagan show that they are taking this fixture a bit more casually than the usual I-League game. While the state of the team and the pressure of a league title race does justify this approach, it leaves them more vulnerable to a potential upset.

A midfield consisting of experienced players like Prince Chinonye, Hussain Nihaan, Ahmed Visam and Hisam Saleem is something to watch out for; and Ahmed Rilwan along with Godfrey Omodu are competent threats up front. Valencia's defence line, headed by Nigerian keeper Chizi Chinda, looks durable but they haven't faced an attack consisting of the likes of Balwant Singh, Darryl Duffy, Kean Lewis and Katsumi Yusa yet. 

For almost every Club Valencia player, facing Mohun Bagan will be the toughest game of their career yet. And while their inexperience at this level is something of an detriment to their chances, their status as a low-key team full of unknown players - even their players' video clips on the internet are a rare thing - has the potential for catching Bagan off guard. After all, it's their gritty grind-out results that saw them cause a number of upsets en route to their FA Cup triumph. A cup side that plays a cautious brand of football can be a threat at any level, especially if the opponents try to get through them on lighter wings.

But the club management should know this. They did something similar last season, in the AFC Cup pre-quarter final tie against Tampines Rovers. As a result, the Stags from Singapore, the same team that lost 3-1 to Mohun Bagan in the AFC Champions League Qualifiers, knocked them out of the AFC Cup; bringing an end to an emphatic and hitherto unbeaten campaign that could have taken them to the very top of the tournament. That game, too, saw the club drop several of their key players ahead of the match. This time, we have players as well as the head coach sitting this one out. For reference: Mohun Bagan did not win a single away game when their head coach was not present (suspended by AIFF) in the sidelines last season.  

One would hope that the Bagan officials have learned from their past mistakes and do not intend to repeat them this season.

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.