Teenage sub strikes late as MB lose ACL 2 opener

kolkata: Substitute Enwer Annayev struck late as Turkmenistan’s Ahal FK stunned Mohun Bagan Super Giant 1-0 in their opening Group C match of the AFC Champions League 2 at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Tuesday.

The all-important strike came in the 83rd minute when the 19-year-old forward, who had come on just minutes earlier, latched onto a precise through ball from Basim Gurbanberdiyew and slotted home his shot to the bottom right corner.

The two substitutes had combined almost instantly after being introduced in the 79th minute, with Gurbanberdiyew replacing Alibek Abdyrahmanow and Annayev coming in for Magtymberdi Berenow.

Gurbanberdiyew showed fine vision to thread the pass inside the box, while Annayev kept his composure to finish it off and secure a precious win. Earlier, Mohun Bagan had a close shave when Elman Tagayew’s deflection wrong-footed goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, only for the ball to hit crossbar. Agencies