Chennaiyin FC and Minerva Punjab will begin their group stage assignments in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup 2019, clubbed in Group E.
The two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions sealed their berth in the group stages of the competition with a 1-0 aggregate scoreline over Sri Lankan champions Colombo FC while Minerva Punjab crashed out of AFC Champions League 2019 qualifiers going down 4-0 against Iranian side Saipa FC.
Chennaiyin FC and Minerva Punjab will host their AFC Cup group stage home games at The Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad and Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar respectively. The first game between the two teams is on Wednesday, April 3.
The other teams that complete Group E
Chennaiyin released a statement clarifying their decision to play their AFC Cup fixtures in Ahmedabad. It read, "The club had requested for permission from SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) to host the group stage matches at Chennai.
"But by the time the approvals were received from SDAT, significant financial commitments were made by the club towards The Arena by TransStadia and in order to
Group E fixtures:
April 3 | Manang Marshyangdi v Abahani | ANFA Complex, Kathmandu |
Chennaiyin v Minerva Punjab | The Arena Stadium, Ahmedabad | |
April 17 | Abahani v Minerva Punjab | Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka |
Chennaiyin v Manang Marshyangdi | The Arena Stadium, Ahmedabad | |
April 30 | Chennaiyin v Abahani | The Arena Stadium, Ahmedabad |
May 1 | Minerva Punjab v Manang Marshyangdi | Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar |
May 15 | Manang Marshyangdi v Minerva Punjab | ANFA Complex, Kathmandu |
Abahani v Chennaiyin | Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka | |
May 19 | Abahani v Manang Marshyangdi | Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka |
Minerva Punjab v Chennaiyin | Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar | |
May 26 | Minerva Punjab v Abahani | Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar |
Manang Marshyangdi v Chennaiyin | ANFA Complex, Kathmandu |