Explained: Can East Bengal qualify for the AFC Women’s Champions League quarterfinals?

East Bengal FC’s women’s team will chase a historic first-ever knockout-stage qualification for the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) in front of their home crowd on Saturday.

The Moshal Girls face North Korea’s 4.25 SC in their final group match at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata at 8:00 PM IST.

After a 2-1 win over Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and a 1-4 loss to South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC, the IWL champions sit on three points in the group stage.

On the other hand, the North Korean side remains unbeaten with two wins and will present a tough challenge for East Bengal in this decisive encounter.

Qualification Scenario

AWCL is Asia’s premier club competition, featuring the continent’s 12 best teams divided equally into three groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed sides, advance to the quarterfinals.

East Bengal currently sit third in their group and rank as the second-best third-placed team with three points, and are just a point away from the quarterfinals.

Australia’s Melbourne City currently rank as the best third-placed team from Group C with a massive +5 goal difference and are expected to finish in that position, leaving potentially just one remaining spot up for grabs.

However, a win or draw against 4.25 SC will confirm East Bengal’s place in the last eight, but a defeat might push the qualification battle into goal difference.

In Group A, Iran’s Bam Khatoon and Myanmar’s Ayeyawady FC Women face each other to decide third place.

If that match ends in a draw and East Bengal lose, the Indian side will still qualify. But if there is a winner in that clash, the race will once again come down to goal difference.

Current Goal Difference for the three teams:

East Bengal: -2

Bam Khatoon (Iran): -8

Ayeyawady FC Women (Myanmar): -9

East Bengal suffered heartbreak last season as well, finishing 9th after levelling on goal difference with a Philippines club but missing out on qualification because they had scored fewer goals.

The team will be determined to avoid a similar fate this time and will push hard to secure at least a point, or at the very least prevent a heavy defeat.