Bagan need just a draw in last group match to advance to AFC Cup knock-out stage

Male (Maldives): ATK Mohun Bagan pumped in three second half goals in a brilliant comeback to beat Maziya Sports & Recreation of the Maldives 3-1 in their Group D match and move within a point of reaching the AFC Cup knockout stage here. The Kolkata-based Indian Super League team was trailing 0-1 at half time after Ibrahim Aisham had scored for the home side in the 25th minute.

But ATK Mohun Bagan struck in the 48th, 63rd and 77th minutes through Liston Colaco, Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh to emerge victorious on Saturday. With two wins from two matches, Antonio Habas' side just need a draw in their last group match on Tuesday against Bashundhara Kings -- on four points -- of Bangladesh for a place in the Inter-Zone Semi-final.

Maziya join India's another club Bengaluru FC in being eliminated from the competition. Bengaluru FC had played out a 0-0 draw against Bashundhara on Saturday after losing to ATK Mohun Bagan 0-2 in their campaign opener.

The home side opened their account for the campaign after 25 minutes when Cornelius Stewart led a quick counter-attack, embarking on a solo run down the right before crossing for Ibrahim Aisham who swept home Maziya's opener.

Five minutes later, the Maldives side were close to adding a second in a similar fashion with Stewart again providing the supply down the right, but this time he fed Hussain Nihan inside the box and the latter squared across the mouth of goal for Hamzath Mohamed who fluffed his lines.

Liston Colaco tested the goalkeeper with a well-struck free-kick from 25 yards out as ATK Mohun Bagan chased an equaliser, but Mirzokhid Mamatkhonov was up for the challenge and parried away the effort to keep Maziya in the lead at the break.