Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Bashundhara Kings got off to a winning start in the Group D of the AFC Cup Football 2022 after a 1-0 victory against Maldives' Maziya Sports and Recreation Club at Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata Wednesday.

This was the second consecutive win for the Kings against Maziya in the AFC Cup after their 2-0 win against the Maldivian champions in Male last year.

Gambian striker Nuha Marong scored the winning goal for the Kings in the 33rd minute with a good header (1-0).

Earlier, Ibrahim of the Kings managed a good chance in the 11th minute to put his side in the lead when a shot of Brazilian playmaker Robson Robinho came his way hitting the bar, but he sent the ball wide.

The last two times BPL champions Kings, who were placed in Group D of the AFC Cup, will face ATK Mohun Bagan on May 21 and Gokulam Kerala FC on May 24 in their remaining group matches.

In the day's first match, I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC beat Kolkata's Mohun Bagan 4-2 at the same venue in the afternoon.

READ: AFC Cup: Bashundhara Kings to play Maziya S&RC of Maldives on Wednesday

Mohun Bagan qualified for the group stage of the AFC Cup after beating Dhaka Abahani 3-1 in a play-off match in Kolkata on April 19.

Eyeing  a run to the final on October 22, 38 leading clubs of Asia, split into 10 groups, will battle it out for the continental club crown.

The AFC Cup, introduced in 2004, has offered substantial prize money this time with the champions getting $1.5 million and the runners-up $750,000 in addition to the prestigious continental trophy.