Air Force Club 1-2 Mumbai City FC: Twitter reacts as Islanders create history in the AFC Champions League
By Mudeet Arora
Mumbai City FC came up with a history-making win against Iraqi champions Al-Quwa Al-Jawia (Air Force Club) 2-1 in a 2022 AFC Champions League Group B clash in Riyadh.
Both teams held their own in the first half, with the Airforce club looking the more attacking of the two sides.
The Islanders withered the storm for the first 14 minutes of the second half before Hammadi Ahmad handed the Iraqi club the lead just before the hour mark.
Mumbai City rallied back with a penalty in the 70th minute converted by Diego Mauricio, followed by India's centre-back on the night Rahul Bheke's incredible winner five minutes later.
With this win, the Islanders became the first ever Indian club to win a AFC Champions League game.
All major Indian football social handles as well as fans on Twitter congratulated Mumbai City FC for this stellar achievement.
Here's how they reacted:
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— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) April 11, 2022
A historic night in Riyadh for #TheIslanders as we become the first Indian team to win an AFC Champions League game! ?#AFCvMUM #IslandersInAsia #ACL2022 #AamchiCity ? pic.twitter.com/d09aBF9G9o
Congratulations on this historic achievement, @MumbaiCityFC ?
— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) April 11, 2022
??'?? ???? ??????? ???????? ??#AFCvMUM #IslandersInAsia #ACL2022 #AamchiCity ? pic.twitter.com/dQtTiA4HBp
— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) April 11, 2022
Take a bow, @MumbaiCityFC ?
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) April 11, 2022
You have made us proud ? Onwards and upwards from here!#AFCvMUM #IslandersInAsia #ACL2022 https://t.co/NwULlacJPC
FULL-TIME | #AFCvMUM @MumbaiCityFC script history by becoming the first ?? club to register a victory in @TheAFCCL! ?#IslandersInAsia #ACL2022 pic.twitter.com/i1lgv243Fx
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) April 11, 2022
?FT | ?? Air Force Club 1️⃣- 2️⃣ Mumbai City FC ??
— #ACL2022 (@TheAFCCL) April 11, 2022
HISTORIC. The Islanders become the first-ever ?? Indian Club to win an #ACL match. Rahul Bheke, a local Mumbai lad, sweetened the night by scoring the winner ?#ACL2022 | #AFCvMUM pic.twitter.com/wy3KAZapiQ
Big win for India and big win for Mumbai! Heartiest congratulations @MumbaiCityFC ! अभिनंदन!! https://t.co/001n1ilSq2
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) April 11, 2022
Thank you for the support and love ?? https://t.co/Ps2xSvhEqu
— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) April 11, 2022
— Bradden Inman (@brad_inman8) April 11, 2022
Congratulations on this historic achievement, @MumbaiCityFC ?
— Footbalindia (@Footbalindia) April 11, 2022
Congratulations boys! It’s HUGE
— Shrutika Gaekwad (@Shrutika_45_) April 11, 2022
Congrats Mumbai... ? ??
— Hyderabad FC (@HydFCOfficial) April 11, 2022
Look forward to you too winning next year. Let the world know our clubs are up there
— TeaChaiLa (@TeaChaiLa) April 11, 2022
Congratulations ??????
— SMRUTI RANJAN DAS (@SmrutiRDas012) April 11, 2022
Well done. What a great diaplay of football.
— Rounok Kumar Das (@RounokDas) April 11, 2022
What a calm cool finish from Mauricio from the spot. Bheke was sublime with the header. Des's strategy and tactics were amazing. Fall along with Lachenpa, Mandar and Amay stood like the Great Wall of China.
It was a great game ??❤️??
— A Teenager (@MemesMces) April 11, 2022
Thank you brother ❤️
— A Teenager (@MemesMces) April 11, 2022
?? A win for India and Indian football today
So am I ?
— Huzefa (@HHyderabadwala) April 11, 2022
A team weaker team than last season with a very inexperienced head coach won a match in champions league match against Iraq( Intl rank 72)'s best . It means our player good enough to play in big stages and it also mean stimac is a very very bad coach
— Rocky Rakesh Singh (@RockyRa98711770) April 11, 2022
Let's gooooo. Proud of this team ?
— кαυѕтυвн (@k_p_18_) April 11, 2022
Unbelievable!! WHAT A NIGHT for INDIAN FOOTBALL!
— Sameer Vats (@V27_Sam) April 11, 2022
Just a hint of how great and beautiful Indian Football will become without Prafool and co.
— Animesh? (@AnimeshFooty) April 11, 2022
To be honest, Iraqi club played well & created many chances but didn't finished well.
— Prem naam hai mera (@KisanPremjit) April 11, 2022
Hard luck to them.Good for Mumbai City FC
We have some great players, why our Indian coach plays negative football? We need to change everything guys, pls
— ConfusedMulga (@robinsamson17) April 11, 2022
#ISL में हारने का सारा भड़ास निकाल रहे हैं @MumbaiCityFC वाले ???? BTW well played guys ?⚽?
— ??TeeKu?? (@tikaram_hembram) April 11, 2022
Murtada Fall ?
— SHEKAR (@Shekar____) April 11, 2022
The Islanders are currently second on the points table in Group B and will take on reigning UAE champions Al Jazira on Thursday, April 14.