India’s Mohun Bagan withdrawn from ACL Two after skipping Tractor game
Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan Super Giant has been withdrawn from the AFC Champions League Two after refusing to travel to Tabriz for the Group A match against Iranian top-flight side Tractor, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Monday.
The two sides were to meet in Tabriz’s Yadegar-e Imam Stadium on October 2, but the Indian team failed to show up for the game, citing “security concerns” amid political unrest in the Middle East following the assassination of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon on September 27.
All matches played by the Indian club are now “cancelled and considered null and void in accordance with Article 5.6 of the Competition Regulations,” read the AFC statement.
“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 pursuant to Article 8.3,” add the governing body of the sport in the continent.
“The matter will now be referred to the relevant AFC Committee(s) as appropriate for their decision(s).”
Mohun Bagan SG had played to goalless stalemate against FC Ravshan of Tajikistan at home in their group opener, while Tractor walked away with a 3-0 victory at Al Wakrah.
Tractor will next play FC Ravshan in Tabriz on Oct. 23.