Football
East Bengal face a tough draw in AFC Champions League Two
East Bengal are drawn in Group D alongside strong teams like Al Hussein, Al Shorta and Al Seeb at the AFC Champions League Two.
The East Bengal team ( Photo Credits: Durand Cup)
Indian Super League champions East Bengal were on Tuesday handed a challenging draw in Group D of the AFC Champions League Two with the Kolkata giants set to face Jordanian champions Al Hussein SC, Iraqi powerhouse Al Shorta SC and Oman's Al Seeb Club.
The group-stage campaign will begin on September 15 and will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format, with each team facing the other three twice. The schedule is yet to be announced.
East Bengal, who are the only representative from the country in the group stage, will be making their ninth appearance in the group phase of Asia's second-tier club competition and their first since 2015, when the tournament was known as the AFC Cup.
East Bengal earned their place after winning the 2025-26 Indian Super League before overcoming Kuwait’s Al-Arabi SC 4-1 in extra time in the preliminary stage.
FC Goa the other club in the preliminary stage however failed to make the cut going down to Turkmenistan outfit Arkadag.
East Bengal will now face three clubs with strong domestic and continental pedigrees.
Al Hussein are three-time consecutive Jordanian Pro League champions and bring a combination of tactical discipline and physical intensity.
Al Shorta are among Iraq’s most successful sides, having won the Iraq Stars League eight times.
They have also lifted the Iraq FA Cup once, completing the domestic double in the 2023-24 season, while winning the Iraqi Super Cup twice and the Baghdad Championship three times in succession.
Their experience and depth make them one of the strongest sides in the group.
Completing the group are Al Seeb, five-time Omani champions and winners of the 2022 AFC Cup.
The Omani club are known for their technical quality, defensive organisation and ability to compete effectively in regional tournaments.
The group stage is scheduled to conclude on December 9, with the Round of 16 to be played from February 9-18, 2027.
The quarter-finals will be from March 2-18, while the semi-finals are scheduled for April 6-14. The final is slated for May 15, 2027.
The Groupings
Group A: Al Wahda FC (UAE), PFC Nasaf (UZB), Kuwait SC (KUW), Al Khaldiya SC (BHR)
Group B: Al Jazira Club (UAE), Golgohar Sirjan SC (IRN), Al Muharraq SC (BHR), FC Arkadag (TKM)
Group C: Al Taawoun FC (KSA), Al Rayyan SC (QAT), Al Faisaly (JOR), Al Nahda Club (OMA)
Group D: Al Hussein SC (JOR), Al Shorta SC (IRQ), Al Seeb Club (OMA), East Bengal FC (IND)
Group E: FC Seoul (KOR), Melbourne Victory FC (AUS), The Cong-Viettel FC (VIE), Persib Bandung (IDN)/Manila Digger (PHI)
Group F: Adelaide United FC (AUS), BG Pathum United (THA), Lion City Sailors FC (SGP), Tai Po FC (HKG)
Group G: FC Machida Zelvia (JPN), Shanghai Shenhua FC (CHN), Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (CAM), Tampines Rovers FC (SGP)
Group H: Gangwon FC (KOR), Kuching City FC (MAS), Kitchee SC (HKG), Phnom Penh Crown FC (CAM).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)