AFC Cup: Bengaluru to play N. Korean club in inter-zone semis

Federation Cup champions Bengaluru FC were drawn to face North Korean club April 25 Sports Club in the 2017 AFC Cup Inter Zone semi-finals, at the AFC club competitions draw here on Tuesday.

Bengaluru will host the North Korean side at the Kanteerava Stadium on August 23 while the reverse leg of the tie will be played at the 114,000 capacity May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on September 13.

April 25 SC qualified for the Inter Zonal play-offs after winning the East Zone group, which consisted of of fellow North Koreans Kigwancha SC and Mongolian side Erchim SC.

The club, run by the North Korean army and appearing on the continental stage for the first time in 25 years, scored a total of 14 goals in four matches in the three-team group, winning two and drawing two.

"April 25 SC are a side we've got very little information about so this will be a challenge of a different kind. We've got a good two months to prepare for this fixture and that's what we'll do. We did well in this competition and it is our aim to go one better than last time and win the cup," said Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca.

Should Roca's men get past April 25 SC, their next opponents will be decided in the play-off between Tajikistan's FC Istiklol Dushanbe and the winner of the Asean Zone tie between Singapore's Home United and the Philippines' Ceres Negros.

--IANS

dm/ajb/vt