“A milestone for country and club”: East Bengal FC Women head coach Anthony Andrews afrer historic AWCL 2026-27 quarter-final qualification
East Bengal makes history with AFC Women’s Champions League quarter-final qualification
East Bengal FC Women’s head coach Anthony Andrews addressed the media following the Moshal Girls’ 2-0 defeat against 4.25 SC in their final Group B encounter of the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League at Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata.
Despite the loss, the Red and Gold Women scripted history by becoming the first Indian club to qualify for the knockout stages of the continental competition.
Goals from Han Jin Hong and Oh Sol Song handed the North Korean outfit a victory. However, East Bengal secured their quarter-final berth as one of the two best third-placed teams, finishing the group stage with three points and a goal difference of (-4).
During the post-match press conference, Andrews expressed immense pride in his players’ achievement while acknowledging the areas that need improvement to compete against Asia’s elite clubs.
Here is the report from East Bengal FC Women head coach Anthony Andrews’ post-match press conference following the Moshal Girls’ clash against 4.25 SC in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27.
Anthony Andrews proud of East Bengal Women’s historic qualification
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Reacting to the historic achievement, Andrews congratulated everyone involved in Indian football and expressed his pride in the team’s determination throughout the group-stage campaign.
Andrews stated: “Firstly, congratulations to everybody, all the Indians. Without you, this tournament would not have been possible. Congratulations to everybody. Obviously, I am very proud of this team and the way we defended our lives. However, there are a lot of areas we need to work on.”
“The competition demands much more, and we know that we are lacking in several areas. I hope we learn from these games and continue to improve with every tournament and every match,” he added.”
Andrews explains East Bengal’s early defensive struggles against 4.25 SC
East Bengal conceded within the opening two minutes against 4.25 SC, making their task considerably more difficult. Andrews acknowledged the quality of the North Korean outfit and admitted that his players needed time to settle into the contest.
He further highlighted the defensive errors that cost his side, while praising the players for their determination in the second half.
Andrews explained: “Obviously, we know our strengths and weaknesses, and we were aware that 4.25 SC are a much superior team to us. They know how to move the ball faster, and we know our limitations as well. The moment we conceded that goal, I was just thinking, ‘No more.’ But it kept happening.”
“Two errors happened, one from a set piece and another in open play. But we kept going, and in the second half, we went in and fixed the problems. The girls defended their lives, and I am happy with that, he added.”
Andrews reflects on overcoming last season’s heartbreak
East Bengal Women narrowly missed out on qualification for the knockout stages last season after conceding a last-minute goal. Andrews revealed how overcoming that disappointment and securing qualification this time meant a lot to the entire team.
He also explained that his team understood the importance of limiting the damage against stronger opponents.
Anthony said: “Last year, everybody knew the heartbreak of conceding a last-minute goal, which shattered us throughout the year. We kept pushing to win the IWL title. Maybe on the screens or to the people, it looks very easy that the coach is winning and East Bengal are winning. But honestly, it is very, very difficult to keep performing every single year and compete against the best teams.”
“Realistically, the last two games were out of our control. The only thing in our control was to concede as few goals as possible and hit them on the counterattacks. I think the girls understood the situation. We have overcome what happened last season and fulfilled our responsibilities on the pitch in the second half. I am happy with that, he also added.”
Andrews identifies areas East Bengal must improve ahead of the quarter-finals
With East Bengal now preparing for their maiden AFC Women’s Champions League quarter-final appearance, Andrews acknowledged the significant difference in quality and decision-making between Indian football and the leading Asian women’s teams.
He further highlighted the importance of grassroots development and building a stronger foundation for Indian women’s football. However, the East Bengal coach also emphasised the importance of defending their Indian Women’s League title.
Andrews remarked: “IWL and AFC are different games altogether. How do we prepare? It is a big challenge because the IWL has different rules, while the AFC competition has its own set of rules. There are a lot of areas we need to improve as a team.”
“The quality we have and the quality of teams from South Korea, Japan, Australia and North Korea are visibly different on the pitch. Their decision-making is faster than ours. It is a process; it is not going to happen in two or three months. We need to work from the grassroots and focus on youth development, which we currently lack.”
“At this moment, I just want to see what is coming ahead in the IWL because we also need to defend our title. That is something very close to our hearts, and we will try to win it for the third time, he also added.”
Andrews gets emotional after East Bengal Women make history
The East Bengal head coach was visibly emotional after the final whistle, and he explained how much the historic qualification meant to him personally.
Andrews also recalled last season’s heartbreaking elimination and praised the contribution of the players, backroom staff and management in achieving this milestone.
He revealed: “This was one of my dreams as well. As a coach, it is always a challenge. When you win once, people say you have the best team. When you win for the second time, they say the same thing. But to keep winning and performing consistently is very difficult.”
“Last year, that heartbreak was very close to my heart because five seconds changed everything for all of us. This time, I did not want to take that risk. We really worked hard. The backroom staff, players and management, everybody was there to help us achieve the best possible result on the pitch, he added.”
Andrews calls for more matches and better organisation in the IWL
Andrews also highlighted the need to expand the Indian Women’s League and increase the number of competitive matches to improve the standard of women’s football in the country.
He further criticised the approach of organising shorter competitions and urged all stakeholders to work together to create a stronger domestic structure.
The East Bengal coach also thanked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for hosting the tournament and providing Indian clubs with an opportunity to compete at the continental level.
Anthony stated: “Firstly, we need more teams in the IWL, more teams and a greater number of games. If you see South Korea, they also have eight teams in their country, but they play four rounds, which increases the number of matches.”
“For us in women’s football, we just want to organise tournaments for the sake of organising tournaments. The sooner you finish, the better. If we stop this approach, things will happen. Then you can expect good things from every club, and we will have better players in the country as well, he also added.”
Andrews urges Indian football stakeholders to support women’s football
East Bengal Women have now etched their names into Indian football history. Despite ending their Group B campaign with a defeat, Anthony Andrews and his players have achieved their ultimate objective by securing a historic quarter-final berth in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27.
Concluding his press conference, Andrews called upon all stakeholders to come together and invest more in women’s football, emphasising that the progress of domestic clubs would eventually benefit the Indian national teams.
Anthony Andrews said: “My humble request to everyone involved in women’s football is to come together and help the women’s game. The girls are really, really hard-working. We have seen the national team’s performances at the U-17, U-20 and senior levels. If we keep supporting the clubs and organising good tournaments, it will eventually help the national team as well, he concluded.”
Who will East Bengal face in the knockout stages of the AWCL 2026-27?
East Bengal FC will be unseeded in the draw and will be on the road to face either defending champions or Group A toppers. Naegohyang Women’s FC of DPR Korea, Group C toppers PFC Nasaf from Uzbekistan, or the best second-placed side, Melbourne City FC, who are an Australia-based team.
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