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AFC Women's Champions League 2025-26: East Bengal FC target quarter-final spot – Preview
East Bengal will take on defending champions and hosts Wuhan Jiangda FC in their second fixture.
East Bengal FC train ahead of their AFC Women's Champions League encounter (Photo credit: East Bengal)
Fresh off a statement 3-1 victory over last season's quarter-finalists, Iran's Bam Khatoon FC, East Bengal FC Women will have a defining moment in their maiden AFC Women's Champions League campaign when they confront defending champions and hosts Wuhan Jiangda FC in their second Group B fixture at Wuhan's Hankou Cultural and Sports Centre on Thursday.
The Red & Gold Women currently sit atop Group B with 3 points and require 1 point from their last 2 matches in order to advance to the quarter-finals.
The opening fixture of Group B at the same venue on Monday afternoon saw EBFC Women assert their dominance with clinical finishing and defensive resolve.
Shilky Devi, captain Fazila Ikwaput and Resty Nanziri scored for the Kolkata-based club. The win marked an Indian club's first-ever group stage win in the competition, eclipsing Odisha FC's efforts from the 2024-25 edition.
Wuhan Jiangda, meanwhile, were held to a 1-1 draw by Uzbekistan's PFC Nasaf in their first game. The five-time Chinese Women's Super League champions clinched the inaugural AWCL crown last season via a penalty shootout triumph over Melbourne City FC in the final.
The two teams will face each other for the first time tomorrow.
Speaking on the eve of the match, EBFC Women's Head Coach Anthony Andrews said, "It's not going to be an easy game for us, but we are prepared. We've got good 48 hours to recover in these freezing conditions. We are very focused on our target and I hope we can execute our plans successfully against the defending champions."
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