MUMBAI: Barely had Mumbai City’s name been placed in Group D along with Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal during Thursday’s AFC Champions League group stage draw, excited Indian football followers on social media were already drooling over one juicy thought — ‘Brazilian superstar Neymar could soon be coming to India!’
The two other teams Mumbai City must battle are Nassaji Mazandaran (Iran) and Navbahor (Uzbekistan). But undoubtedly, because of Al Hilal’s star-studded squad, illuminated by last week’s €90 million ($98m) signing of Neymar, because of their pedigree as record four-time Champions League winners, their’s seemed to be the only name that resonated widely among Indian football’s burgeoning fan following over the course of Thursday’s draw ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
