A 10-men Bangladesh champions Bashundhara Kings failed to fulfil their long-cherished dream of reaching the AFC Cup Inter Zone play-off semifinal as they conceded a 0-1 goal defeat against hosts Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Monday night.

Senegalese defender Mourtada Fall scored the match-winning goal for Indian Super League side Odisha FC by an accurate header from a danger zone melee, off a corner, in the 61st minute (1-0).

AFC Cup: Bashundhara Kings in Odisha for last group fixture, a point away from history

Bangladesh champions Kings were restricted to 10-man in the added time of the first half as their Uzbek midfielder Asror Gafurov got the marching order after receiving a direct red card for a rough tackle from behind.

The head coach of the Kings, Oscar Bruzon, was also cautioned with a yellow card for protesting the referee's red card decision against them.

AFC Cup: Bashundhara Kings need just a draw against Odisha FC to qualify for zonal semis

In 2021, Bashundhara Kings were eliminated from the AFC Cup Football after losing to another Indian side, Mohun Bagan Club, in Male, also featuring a red card received by their defender Susanta Trupura.

Eatlier in the day's first match, Maziya SRC of the Maldives tasted the secind victory beating Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club by 1-0 goal at the National Stadium in Male, featuring a match-winning goal by HR Ahmad in the 40th minute.

AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings close to inter-zone play-off semifinals, beat Maziya SRC

On completion of six-match Group D matches, Odisha FC topped the list, securing 12 points to qualify for the next round. The Kings finished as runners-up, collecting 10 points. Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club became third with seven points, while Maziya SRC of the Maldives in the bottom with six points.

Indian giant Odisha FC, which badly needed an outright victory against the group leader Kings, achieved their target of reaching the AFC Cup Inter-Zone play-off semifinal, taking sweet revenge for their 2-3 goal defeat against the Bangladesh champions in the away match in Dhaka.

In the day's match, both teams failed to make many good chances as the ball was mostly concentrated in the midfield.

Kings Brazilian forward Dorielton managed a good chance before conceding a goal, but he failed to fire the target with the opponent goalie at his mercy.

Earlier, Bashundhara Kings made a frustrating start with a 1-3 goal defeat against Maziya SRC in an away match, bounced back in the race, beating Odisha FC by 3-2 goals in a home match, played a 2-2 draw with Kolkata Mohun Bagan in an away match, and made history with their first-ever win against Kolkata Mohun Bagan by 2-1 goals in a home match, apart from Monday's 2-1 victory over Maziya SRC.