Mohun Bagan will be competing in the second consecutive AFC Champions League 2 season in the group stages, having played out a memorable campaign in the ISL, where they finished at the top of the table once more. The Mariners will face Sepahan SC of Iran, Al Hussein of Jordan and Turkmenistan’s Ahal FK in Group C, with the top two teams in the group qualifying for the knockout stages. The games in the group stages will be played from September 16 to December 24, 2025, with the campaign for the Mariners starting against Ahal FK at Salt Lake. This will be the eighth participation for the Kolkata giants in the AFC competition and the one they will be hoping to produce the best out of themselves.
Molina’s side will also be striving to overcome their forgetful campaign last time in the competition, which saw their campaign abruptly end due to geopolitical issues. Mohun Bagan was scheduled to face Tractor SC in Tabriz, Iran, in the second group stage game of the AFC Champions League 2 last season in October 2024, but they decided against travelling for the game, citing security concerns due to Iran’s missile attacks on Israel. However, the AFC declared the Green and Maroons to have withdrawn from the competition, leading to their disqualification and all their matches were cancelled and considered null and void. This controversial decision was met with a lot of backlash from fans and pundits, as things turned for the worse when Israel retaliated, who felt that the club getting penalised for player safety was harsh. Later, the fine imposed on Mohun Bagan by the AFC for withdrawal from the competition was removed.
Mohun Bagan’s qualification to the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2
Mohun Bagan created history by becoming the first side to successfully defend the ISL Shield, having been a far more dominant side under Jose Molina. The club broke multiple league records, including registering the highest points tally, scoring the most goals, picking up the most wins, being the least conceding side and becoming the second team to do the double after also winning the ISL Cup, defeating Bengaluru FC in the repeat of the 2023 edition, in a historic season. The team also finished eight points clear at the top, demonstrating their ruthlessness in being in a league of their owṇ. As a case, retaining the Shield gave the Mariners the chance to compete directly in the group stages of the AFC Champions League 2 for back-to-back seasons and the fifth consecutive campaign in AFC competitions since joining the ISL in 2020.
Mohun Bagan’s opponents in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2
Group C
Sepahan SC (Iran)
Since its establishment in 1953, Sepahan SC has become one of the most successful clubs in the history of Iranian football, having won the league title five times and clinched four domestic cups. Nicknamed ‘Yellow Storm of Asia’, the club has been a mainstay in AFC competitions after making 15 appearances at the continental level, with the majority of their participation coming in the top-tier tournament. Their best show at the Asian level was reaching the 2007 AFC Champions League final, becoming the first Iranian club to reach this stage of that competition since its rebranding in the 2002-03 season. Sepahan SC qualified for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2 season after suffering a narrow 3-2 loss to Qatar’s Al Duhail in the AFC Champions League Elite preliminary stage in August 2025, a spot they earned after finishing as runners-up in the Persian Gulf Pro League last season. Of the three, the Lions of Isfahan will be the toughest opponent for Mohun Bagan to face as they will be the favourites to take the top spot in the group.
Al Hussein (Jordan)
Unlike Sepahan SC, Al Hussein of Jordan is relatively new to AFC competitions, as this is their second participation. Their only other appearance came in the 2005 AFC Cup, which preceded the AFC Champions League 2, where they reached the quarterfinal stage. ‘The Yellow Submarine’ made history last season by winning their first league title in history, thereby earning their spot in the competition and will be determined to show that they are not here merely to add numbers. They will have an urge to produce decisive performances on the AFC stage, adding to the rise of Jordanian football after the nation reached the final of the Asian Cup last year and secured a historic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Al Hussein is expected to be the main rival to Mohun Bagan for the second spot in the group, provided Sepahan SC take the top spot.
Ahal FK (Turkmenistan)
Turkmenistan club Ahal FK has been frequent in AFC competitions recently, since their first participation a decade ago, with this being their second AFC Champions League 2 campaign. Although they have made five appearances at the continental level, the club have failed to get out of the group stages four times. However, their jinx was broken in the previous edition of the competition when they reached the knockout stage for the very first time. That achievement gives them renewed hope of repeating the feat this season, despite being considerably the weakest side in the group. As Turkmenistan had no direct group stage slot due to its regional ranking, Ahal, who finished as runners-up in their domestic league, earned their place in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2 through the qualifying play-offs, defeating Tajikistan’s Regar-TadAZ Tursunzoda 2-1.
Mohun Bagan’s Fixtures in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2
16 September 2025
Mohun Bagan vs Ahal FK - Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata (19:15)
30 September 2025
Sepahan vs Mohun Bagan - Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Isfahan (21:30)
21 October 2025
Al Hussein vs Mohun Bagan - Amman International Stadium, Amman (23:45)
4 November 2025
Mohun Bagan vs Al Hussein - Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata (19:15)
25 November 2025
Ahal FK vs Mohun Bagan - TBD (TBD)
24 December 2025
Mohun Bagan vs Sepahan - Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata (19:15)
