AFC Cup: High-Flying Odisha FC To Face ASEAN Zone Champions In Inter-Zone Semifinals

Kuala Lumpur: Indian Super League side Odisha FC will face the ASEAN Zone champions in the AFC Cup Inter Zone semi-final. Four teams — Central Coast Mariners FC (Australia), Phnom Penh Crown FC (Cambodia), Macarthur FC (Australia) and Sabah FC (Malaysia) — are vying for the ASEAN Zone champions honour.

Odisha FC had emerged victorious in the AFC Cup South Zone, having beaten Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh in their final Group D encounter earlier this month. The ASEAN Zone final will take place on February 22 and the winner will face Odisha FC in the Inter Zone semi-final, which will be a double-leg affair.

The opening leg will take place on March 6 or 7 at the home of the ASEAN Zone champions, followed by the return leg at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on March 13 or 14. The winner of the Inter Zone semi-final will take on either FC Abdysh-Ata Kant (Kyrgyz Republic) or Futuro FC (Chinese Taipei), the other two semifinalists.

The Inter Zone final will be played in April and the winner will face the West Zone champions in the AFC Cup final on May 5. Odisha FC have been in decent form this season winning the Indian Super Cup, beating Bengaluru FC. They are currently placed third in the ISL table with 21 points from 11 games.