$1 mn prize money awaits Bengaluru FC in AFC Cup final

Doha, November 4: A whopping $1 million awaits Bengaluru FC in prize money if they manage to clinch the AFC Cup here on Saturday against Iraqi football club Quwa Al-Jawiya. The runners-up will bag half a million dollars. This is the first time an Indian club has made it to the final of an AFC competition. Previously, Dempo (2008) and East Bengal (2013) have reached the semi-finals of the AFC Cup. “The entire country is behind them. They have vindicated our decision few years back to give them direct entry and are now a template for other clubs to follow in India,” I-League CEO Sunando Dhar told IANS over phone. Bengaluru FC, in their three years of existence, have won the I-League twice and the Federation Cup once. “I wish them all the very best. In my time with the AIFF (All India Football Federation), there hasn’t been a more important occasion,” added Dhar.Century-old Kolkata club Mohammedan Sporting SC sent a mail to Bengaluru FC officials wishing them luck. “You have worked hard for this day. Believe in yourself and in what you can achieve, give the final match your hundred percent and put your best foot forward and we know you will come out with flying colours. Good luck to you.”