Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giant suffered a 0-1 defeat against Ahal FC in their AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group C opener at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium on Tuesday, according to the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
After a lackluster first half, Enwer Annayev found the net in the 83rd minute, slipping inside the box to score the decisive goal, handing Turkmenistan’s Ahal a well-deserved three points.
The home side faced an anxious start as Ahal threatened as early as the second minute, with Suleyman Mirzoyev charging into the box but missing the target. Magtymberdi Berenov and Mirzoyev continued to trouble the Mohun Bagan defence, forcing the hosts to sit deep and absorb early pressure.
Mohun Bagan gradually came into the game in the 13th minute, with Liston Colaco and Sahal Abdul Samad seeing their attempts blocked. They narrowly escaped again just after the hour mark when Ahal’s Elman Tagayew struck the left post.
The Indian side’s best chance in the first half came in the 37th minute, when Samad linked up with Jason Cummings, but the Scottish forward fired over from inside the box.
Ahal dominated the early second half but were denied by Vishal Kaith, who made crucial saves in the 57th and 69th minutes, including stopping a near-post effort from Berenov. Kaith pulled off another key save in the 80th minute, denying Mirzoyev’s follow-through header, while Mohun Bagan’s counterattack saw Samad narrowly miss the target.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 83rd minute when Basim Gurbanberdiyew set up Annayev, who curled the ball past Kaith from a tight angle into the bottom-right corner.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will next face Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan SC of Iran in Isfahan on September 30.
