Mohun Bagan banned from AFC competitions for two seasons
17 Dec 2025

Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant have been handed a two-season ban from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions.

The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the AFC imposed the punishment after the club refused to travel for their match against Sepahan SC.

The refusal was due to unavailability of visas for some foreign players in time, as per The Hindu.

Mohun Bagan's 2nd withdrawal and AFC's response
Withdrawal impact

This was the second time in a row that Mohun Bagan withdrew from an AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) group-stage match.

Last season, they had also skipped their trip to Iran for a match against Tractor Sports Club. However, back then, the club was let off considering it a force majeure situation.

This time around, the AFC wasn't as lenient with their decision.

AFC's ruling and consequences for Mohun Bagan
Punishment details

The AFC's ruling means that Mohun Bagan will miss out on the next two AFC club competitions they would have qualified for, keeping them out of continental football until the end of the 2027-28 season.

The committee also imposed a fine of $400,729 (₹3.62 crore) on the club, covering damages and losses claimed by both the AFC and Sepahan SC.

Mohun Bagan's absence deemed as withdrawal
Non-compliance

The disciplinary action was taken after Mohun Bagan failed to fulfill their game against Sepahan SC, which the AFC viewed as a withdrawal from the competition.

This led to their disqualification from the ongoing campaign and further sanctions.

The club had cited difficulties in securing visas for several foreign players including Jamie McLaren and Jason Cummings as reasons for not traveling.

AFC's stance on logistical challenges
Tournament integrity

The AFC maintained that logistical challenges do not justify non-compliance with competition regulations.

They stated that Mohun Bagan's absence undermined the integrity of the tournament and caused financial losses for both organizers and Iranian club Sepahan SC.

Of the total fine, $50,729 (₹45.84 lakh) has been allocated to cover costs claimed by affected parties.