AFC Challenge League: East Bengal fall short in first leg of quarter-final

Turkmenistan’s FC Arkadag got the better of East Bengal FC 1-0 in the quarter-final first leg of the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.

The second leg will be played on FC Arkadag’s home turf on March 12. In the group stage, East Bengal topped Group A with seven points, and FC Arkadag were Group B winners with six points.

Gurbanov's winner

In a match where the visitors enjoyed the better of the exchanges in the first session before a more organised East Bengal made repeated forays in the second, the lone goal came in the 10th minute.

Midfielder Yazgylych Gurbanov made the best use of a through pass to make his space through the centre of East Bengal's defence before unleashing a shot for which the goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill had no answer. Gill, however, made a creditable save a little later.

Misfiring East Bengal attack

East Bengal, who recently crashed out of contention for a playoff spot in the Indian Super League, were beaten but not disgraced. After playing second fiddle to their rivals for most of the first half, the home side did display some proficiency in their attacks to test the rival defence.

Players like Messi B, Mahesh Singh Naorem and substitute Vishnu PV were able to take the ball deep inside the FC Arkadag area on more than one occasion. But the Turkmenistan club’s rearguard proved stronger every time to the disappointment of the local fans.