Now Reading: East Bengal drawn with Al Hussein, Al Shorta in AFC Champions League Two
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East Bengal drawn with Al Hussein, Al Shorta in AFC Champions League Two
East Bengal has been placed in Group D of the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27 alongside Jordan’s Al Hussein, Iraq’s Al Shorta and Oman’s Al Seeb, Sportstar reports. It is the Kolkata…
East Bengal has been placed in Group D of the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27 alongside Jordan’s Al Hussein, Iraq’s Al Shorta and Oman’s Al Seeb, Sportstar reports. It is the Kolkata club’s first appearance in the group stage of Asia’s second-tier men’s club competition since 2015, when it was known as the AFC Cup. East Bengal is India’s sole representative in the tournament this season.
The club qualified by winning the 2025-26 Indian Super League and then edging Kuwait’s Al-Arabi SC 4-1 in extra time in the preliminary round. Al-Arabi led from a 75th-minute penalty, but Jay Gupta equalised in the 90th minute. Mohammed Rashid, David Lalhlansanga and Rohit Danu secured the comeback in extra time.
Each team will play the other twice, home and away, in a double round-robin format. The group stage runs from September 15 to December 9, 2026. The round of 16 is scheduled for February 2027, with the final on May 15, 2027.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The draw is unremarkable for a club of East Bengal's ambition, though the group is evenly matched. Sportstar's framing of a 'tough' group undersells India's only representative, Al Hussein and Al Shorta are experienced but not invincible. The real test will be whether East Bengal can replicate its knockout resilience in a league format. Watch for the September 15 opener as a gauge of fitness and squad depth against Gulf sides.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
