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Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan kicked off their AFC Cup football campaign with a commanding 5-2 victory over Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of the Maldives in Guwahati on Wednesday.
Mohun Bagan scored through Sony Norde, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Glen Cornell in their Group G home leg match at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium.
Norde struck the opening goal for Mohun Bagan when he sent his powerful free-kick into the back of the net in the 19th minute.
The Kolkata giants, having failed to make the grade at the top tier Asian Champions League, scored their second goal through a Jeje Lalpekhlua strike in the 33rd minute.
Mohun Bagan went 3-0 up two minutes later through Glen Cornell to leave the visitors staring at embarrassment.
After the change of ends, luck smiled on Maziya as Imaaz Ahmed reduced the margin with a tap-in.
However, Bagan continued their good run of form with another goal, again through Jeje in the 69th minute.
Barely three minutes later, Cornell added to his goal tally scoring the team's fifth.
Thanks to an own goal by Raju Gaikwad in the 77th minute, Maziya further reduced the goal deficit.
The reigning I-League champions are playing at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium as the SaltLake stadium in Kolkata (their home ground) has been shut down for matches in preparation for next year's Under-17 FIFA World Cup as none of the other stadiums nearby fulfill AFC standards.