Football
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Chhetri - Bengaluru have the belief to reach the AFC final

Sunil Chhetri, Bengaluru FC's captain, has said that Wednesday's second-leg AFC Cup semi-final clash with Darul Ta'zim Johor would be a watershed game not just for his club but for Indian football. Bengaluru -- who have an away goal advantage from the 1-1 draw in the first leg -- if they go through, would become the first Indian team to qualify for an Asian Cup final.

"To put it simply, this game will decide if Indian club football can write a new chapter in history or not. We're on the brink of something special and it's going to take a determined 90 minutes to set foot where no club from the country has before. But more importantly this is not just about Bengaluru or Karnataka, this is about India.

"At the club level, this game is up there simply because of what we could achieve should things go our way. No club from India have been in a final before, and for us -- in our three years of existence -- to be able to do that will be so special," he said.

Reflecting on the team's journey so far, Chhetri said, "In three years we've won the League twice, lost it with three minutes to the clock once and have won the Federation Cup. You can't get that lucky, can you? Everyone at this club -- the players, staff, owners, management and even the fans -- are obsessed with wanting to be the change. And when everyone thinks alike, you can affect a change. That's exactly what has been happening at BFC."

 Bengaluru, who have faced Johor thrice this season, losing two games and drawing one, will now eye a win at home. "The away goal (against Johor) has given us the belief that we can go out there, fight and come back with a reward. They are a quality side. We need to stick to our plan and I think we will be alright," he said.

"On paper, we don't need to get past them to progress as even a 0-0 draw will do. But the coach hates playing that way and so do the players. In the four times we have played Johor, we've come really close on two occasions (2-1 after extra time and 1-0 in Bengaluru). Then we managed to take a point away last month. The belief is there," Chhetri added.

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