Pune FC head to Bhutan for King's Cup

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) A 20-member Pune FC squad will head north-east to the Himalayas as they participate in their first ever international open overseas tournament -- the King’s Cup in Bhutan which begins Nov 15.

For Durand Cup finalists Pune FC, the King’s Cup at Thimphu will be their third international tournament and they will carry the experience of playing in the AFC Champions League 2014 playoff and the AFC Cup 2014 group stage into the Dragon kingdom.

Pune FC, who replaced Thailand’s Osotspa FC, are the third Indian side to participate in this year’s competition along with Kolkata’s Mohun Bagan AC and Assam Electricity Board.

Ahead of the team’s departure, Pune FC head operations Chirag Tanna said: “I am grateful to the Bhutan Football Federation for inviting us to the King’s Cup. The team is motivated to do well in this prestigious tournament.”

The King’s Cup is not only the most prestigious football tournament but also one of the biggest sporting event in the Himalayan nation. And, for the 2014 edition, nine teams from Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Bhutan will face off for the title.

Pune FC, who are placed in Group B, will be up against fellow Indian side Assam Electricity Board apart from defending champions Manang Marsayandi Club (MMC), Nepal; Abhani Limited, Bangladesh; and Bhutan's Ugyen Academy with the top two teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

Interestingly, Bhutan will be the fourth country to host Pune FC after Hong Kong (where they played Kitchee FC), Singapore (played Tampines Rovers) and Myanmar (played Nay Pyi Taw FC), respectively, played hosts in the AFC Cup 2014.

Pune FC, who head to Bhutan Thursday, begin their campaign against defending champions MMC, Nepal, Sunday. All games will be played at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu.

The 20-member squad, announced by coach Karim Bencherifa, is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Moniruzzaman Ansari, Avilash Paul

Defenders: Luciano Sabrosa, Zohmingliana, Anas Edathodika, Salam Ranjan Singh, Srikanth Ramu

Midfielders: Bineesh Balan, Arata Izumi, Ryuji Sueoka, Dhanpal Ganesh, Nikhil Kadam, Mumtaz Akhtar, Fanai Lalrempuia, Velington Rocha

Strikers: Eric Brown, Prakash Thorat, Thongkhosiem Haokip, Shoaib Syed.