East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat and player Nandhakumar Sekar during a press conference on the eve of their AFC Champions League 2 preliminary stage playoff match, in Kolkata, on August 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
East Bengal FC will be looking to make its return to the international arena after a long absence with a favourable result when it hosts Turkmenistan’s Altyn-Asyr FC in the knock-out Preliminary 1 tie of the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.
East Bengal, which has not played in any continental club competition since the 2014-15 season, will be eager to qualify for the group league stage of ACL Two.
The host will be counting on a vociferous home support as it looks to overcome the challenge of the formidable Turkmenistani opponent. The East Bengal fans will be hoping that the team will raise its performance under the guidance of Carles Cuadrat, the Spanish head coach who is rebuilding the side. “Clearly we are the underdogs but we will fight and hope that the crowd helps us in our stadium,” Cuadrat said.
“I am a very pragmatic coach and know what I am doing. 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. Plus this will be a first match for a lot of our players in an AFC competition and they have many players who have played over 20 games,” he added while looking back at his previous assignment as BFC coach when he met the same opponent in the inter-zonal semifinals of the AFC Cup (the same tournament which is rechristened as ACL Two).
East Bengal, which has started the season winning both its Durand Cup group league matches, will be looking to continue the momentum against Altyn-Asyr.
A win will definitely boost the Red and Golds spirit ahead of a long season. Being runners-up in the Turkmenistan Higher League in 2023, Altyn-Asyr will be looking to come up with its best and find a place in the group stage.
Kick off: 7 p.m.
