Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 champions Bengaluru FC will take on Maldives’ Club Eagles in their AFC Cup play-off tie on May 11, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Friday. The Blues qualified for the playoff round after beating Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC 5-0 in the Preliminary Round 2 clash earlier this month in Goa.

This decision comes after the other Preliminary Round 2 match between Abahani Limited Dhaka and Club Eagles couldn’t be organised by the former because of the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh. The AFC said it considers the Bangladeshi club to have withdrawn from the competition due to “unforeseeable circumstances” -- which means Club Eagles now get to play the Hero ISL club in the play-off tie.

Bengaluru FC will now travel to Maldives to take on the hosts and fight for the final spot in Group D (South Zone). If the Blues, under new head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli, beat Club Eagles, they will join Hero ISL 2020-21 runners-up ATK Mohun Bagan, Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings and Maldives’ Maziya Sports & Recreation in Group D. The group stage action will kick off on May 14.