Bengaluru’s AFC Cup playoff fixture against Eagles FC in the Maldives has been postponed after the Indian outfit players and staff broke the protocol set by the Health Protection Agency of the Maldives, which requires the squad to be confined within the team hotel.
On Sunday, Channel News Maldives photographed midfielder Erik Paartalu and two other members in the streets of Male and Ahmed Mahloof, the Minister of Youth, Sports & Community Empowerment, asked the Blues to leave the country immediately.
In response, Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal apologised for the infraction and promised “strictest action” against the accused,
“On behalf of Bengaluru FC, I am extremely sorry for the inexcusable behaviour of three of our foreign players/staff while in Male – the strictest action will be taken against these players/staff. We have let the AFC Cup down and can only say that this will never happen again.”
Following the incident, the Football Association of Maldives urged the AFC to reschedule the playoff match involving Bengaluru and Maldivian side Eagle FC and all of the Group D fixtures scheduled in the island nation.
“Participating clubs who have travelled to Maldives will be required to arrange for their return home while adhering to the COVID-19 health and travel protocols put in place by the country,”
the AFC said in a statement.
The three participants of Group D, ATK Mohun Bagan, Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh and Maziya Sports & Recreation of Maldives were supposed to face the winner of the playoff game in Male, but the incident led to the postponement of the games “until further notice”
“The AFC Cup (South) Group Stage matches are now postponed until further notice with more information to be announced in due course,”
The news was warmly welcomed in the ATK Mohun Bagan camp, as two of their Indian players, Prabir Das and Sheikh Sahil, had tested positive for COVID-19, and goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya ruled himself out of the contingent after his mother had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
The arrival of Bagan’s foreign players and staff, including coach Antonio Lopez Habas, was also in doubt, with several countries barring their citizens from travelling to India due to the raging pandemic.
Forward Roy Krishna also had to be omitted from the final squad due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown in Fiji, whereas his attacking partner David Williams won’t be available as Australia have banned incoming flights to the country from India.
“We have confirmation from AFC that the matches are being postponed. This is a relief for the team as we had to leave behind two of our regular players who have tested positive for COVID-19 during the screening process ahead of our departure for Maldives,”
said a Mohun Bagan official on Sunday.
The Maldives is experiencing a sudden surge in new cases since mid-April with cases rising from 84 cases per day to an alarming 1091 by May 9th.
