East Bengal FC is on the verge of a historic return to the international football arena. After a long absence, the Kolkata giants will host Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FC in the Preliminary 1 tie of the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. This match represents a significant opportunity for East Bengal to reignite its continental campaign and secure a place in the group league stage of the ACL Two.
The club’s passionate fanbase will be hoping for a strong performance from their team under the leadership of Spanish head coach Carles Cuadrat, who is meticulously rebuilding the squad. Cuadrat acknowledges the challenge ahead, stating, “Clearly, we are the underdogs but we will fight and hope that the crowd helps us in our stadium. Altyn Asyr was a very tough team for us when Bengaluru FC played them in 2018. They won 5-2 against us in two legs.”
Despite the daunting task, East Bengal has started the season on a positive note, winning both their Durand Cup group-stage matches. This momentum will be crucial as they aim to overcome Altyn-Asyr. The Turkmen side, having finished as runners-up in the Turkmenistan top-division League in 2023, will be determined to secure their own spot in the group stage.
Altyn-Asyr boasts a consistently strong performance in both domestic and AFC tournaments, drawing upon a talent pool exclusively from their national players. For East Bengal, this match will serve as a valuable test for their squad, which is still undergoing pre-season training. Cuadrat emphasizes the significance of this match, stating, “We know it will be a difficult test for us as we are meeting a team qualified for top competitions every season. It will be a good test for us to prove that we also have that kind of standard and can represent the country in a top competition like the ACL 2.”
While East Bengal’s attack is potent, featuring players like French playmaker Madih Talal, Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos, Spanish midfielder Saul Crespo, Brazilian Cleiton Silva, and Indian internationals Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh, the absence of Spanish defender Hector Yuste due to visa issues presents a challenge. The team will rely on the form of Jordanian centre-back Hijazi Maher and the efficiency of domestic defenders like Lalchungnunga, Mark Zothanpuia, and Mohammed Rakip.
A loss in this crucial match would see East Bengal drop to the third tier of the continental club competition, forcing them to compete in the AFC Challenge Cup. However, Cuadrat maintains a positive outlook, stating, “The good thing is that we have qualified for the group stages in Asia, whether we play in the ACL 2 or the AFC Challenge Cup. We need to be ready for this competition. If we can’t win this one, then we have another option to play in another Asian competition. The important thing is that East Bengal will fight for four trophies this season.”
The match is scheduled for a 7pm IST kick-off, and it promises to be an intense and exciting encounter as East Bengal strives to secure its place in the AFC Champions League 2.
