Ahmed Jahouh becomes first foreigner from Indian club with most assists in AFC Cup
Moroccan professional footballer Ahmed Jahouh has become the first foreign player from an Indian club to lead the assist charts in the 2023-24 AFC Cup. He has made seven assists for Odisha FC in the tournament - the most by any foreign player.
Odisha FC dished out a stunning performance in the 2023-24 AFC Cup group stage, finishing as the champions of South Zone. Ahmed Jahouh, undeniably, played a pivotal role in Odisha FC’s fine run.
The Moroccan footballer was roped in by the Odisha FC ahead of the 2023-24 season. He had previously plied his trade for FC Goa and Mumbai City FC.
Odisha FC’s campaign didn’t start on the right note as they had suffered two initial defeats against Mohun Bagan and Bashundhara Kings in their maiden continental competition. However, the third game saw them register a comprehensive 6-1 win over Maziya. The win helped them reach the top of Group D.
Unfortunately, they lost the Inter-Zonal semi-finals at the hands of Central Coast Mariners of Australia. With that defeat, their campaign came to a close with an aggregate score of 0-4.
Odisha FC to represent India in the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League
In a big development, Odisha FC will be representing the Indian team in the inaugural edition of the AFC Women’s Championship League 2024-25. The Asian Football Confederation confirmed the development on Monday.
Odisha FC emerged as the winners of the Indian Women’s League 2023-24, which helped them secure qualification for the AFC Women’s Championship League. The club won 18 out of their 20 matches to finish at the top of the table.
The AFC Women’s Championship will have as many as 20 nations participating. As far as the format is concerned, the preliminary round would be followed by group stage and subsequently, the knockouts.
Odisha will be competing from the group stage, which will have 12 teams divided into three groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will then move to the quarter-finals.