After Mohun Bagan's defeat against Bashundara Kings in Dhaka the Mariners have made it difficult for themselves to qualify for the knockout stages of AFC Cup 2023-24. Before the Mariners take on Odisha FC in their second last group stage game, here's all the competition regulations you should know.

Also Read: AFC Cup Exclusive | Worst pitch, fans in mixed zone, racist comments: Bashundhara Kings and Dhaka are not ready for "football" yet

Before we discuss the criteria for Mohan Bagan to qualify here's how the the qualification process gets done in AFC Cup.

According to AFC Cup 2023/24 - Competition Regulations 8.3:

The ranking in each group shall be determined in accordance with Article 1 of the Manual and in descending order as follows:

8.3.1. higher number of points obtained in all group Matches;

8.3.2. if two (2) or more Participating Clubs are equal on points, the following criteria are applied to determine the ranking (in descending order):

Head-to-Head Criteria

8.3.2.1. higher number of points obtained in the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;

8.3.2.2. superior goal difference from the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;

8.3.2.3. higher number of goals scored in the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;

Tiebreaker

8.3.2.4. if, after having applied the Head-to-Head criteria, two (2) or more Participating Clubs still have an equal ranking, the Head-to-Head criteria shall be reapplied exclusively to the Matches between the Participating Clubs in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, the Group Results Criteria shall apply;

Group Results Criteria

8.3.2.5. superior goal difference from all group Matches played;

8.3.2.6. higher number of goals scored from all group Matches played;

8.3.2.7. Kicks from the Penalty Mark if only two (2) Participating Clubs still have an equal ranking and have played their last group Match against each other;

8.3.2.8. the lower score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group Matches;

8.3.2.9. the Participating Club from the Member Association with the higher AFC Club Competitions Ranking; or AFC Cup 2023/24 - Competition Regulations 27

8.3.2.10. should two (2) Participating Clubs from the same Member Association be drawn in the same group and the ranking cannot be determined after having applied all of the above procedures, the final ranking between the Participating Clubs in question shall be determined by drawing lots.

Regulation 8.4.

Should the competition system require the best-ranked Participating Clubs from among different groups to advance, the rankings shall be determined by the method set out in Appendix 2 of the Manual.

Regulation 8.5.

At the conclusion of the Group Stage:

8.5.1. for zones with only one (1) group, the first-placed Participating Clubs in each group shall be declared the champion of its zone ("Zonal Champion") and qualify for the Inter-Zone Semi Finals;

8.5.2. for zones with two (2) groups, the first-placed Participating Clubs in each group shall qualify for the Zonal Final of its zone;

8.5.3. for zones with three (3) groups, the first-placed Participating Clubs in each group, as well as the best second-placed Participating Club among all groups in the same zone, shall qualify for the Zonal Semi Finals of its zone; and

8.5.4. all other Participating Clubs shall be eliminated from the Competition

Also Read: "Playing for Mohun Bagan was like a dream for me:" Anirudh Thapa #indianfootball #mohunbagan #shorts

So, that means, only one team from Group D (South Zone, Rule no 8.5.1) will qualify as the Zone Champions. For Mohun Bagan to qualify, they will have to be at least one point clear ahead of Bashundhara Kings (as per current calculation) since they have lost the head-to-head battle against the champions of Bangladesh (Basundhara Kings 4, Mohun Bagan SG 1).

AFC Cup 2023/24 Group D Next fixture | Matchday 5

Bashundhara Kings vs Maziya FC - 27th Nov, 2023 , 5.30 pm (IST)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Odisha FC - 27th Nov, 2023, 7.30 pm (IST)

AFC Cup 2023/24 Group D Next fixture | Matchday 6

Maziya FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant - 11 Dec, 2023 , 5.30 pm (IST)

Odisha FC vs Bashundhara Kings - 11 Dec, 2023, 7.30 pm (IST)

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