Now Reading: East Bengal face tough AFC Champions League 2 group
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East Bengal face tough AFC Champions League 2 group
ISL champions East Bengal have qualified for the AFC Champions League Two for the first time in over a decade after a 4-1 win over Kuwait's Al Arabi SC in the preliminary…
ISL champions East Bengal have qualified for the AFC Champions League Two for the first time in over a decade after a 4-1 win over Kuwait's Al Arabi SC in the preliminary stage. The team, now coached by Antonio Lopez Habas, is drawn in Group D alongside Jordan's Al Hussein SC, Iraq's Al Shorta SC and Oman's Al Seeb Club.
East Bengal will open their campaign away against Al Hussein on September 16 in Amman. The Jordanian champions have won three consecutive domestic titles and reached the last eight of the ACL 2 last season. Al Shorta, eight-time Iraqi league winners, boast World Cup captain Jalal Hassan. Al Seeb have won four of the last five Omani titles and were AFC Cup champions four years ago.
The Kolkata side will play three home matches at the Salt Lake Stadium, including against Al Shorta on October 13 and Al Seeb on November 3. East Bengal will begin their ISL title defence later this year.
Indian Opinion Analysis
East Bengal return to continental competition after a gap of over 10 years, a sign of the club's revival under new ownership and investment. The group features three domestic champions, all with significant Asian tournament experience. Al Hussein, Al Shorta and Al Seeb all have multiple players in their national teams, meaning East Bengal will face opponents used to high-pressure international football. The schedule's travel load is heavy: Amman, Baghdad and Seeb are long-haul trips. East Bengal's best chance of advancing may be winning all three home games at Salt Lake, where the crowd can be a factor. The first match on September 16 in Amman will set the tone.
Watch for East Bengal's performance against Al Hussein on September 16 to gauge whether they can be competitive at this level.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
