Five fan favourite foreigners to have played for East Bengal FC

Jamshid Nassiri scored 72 goals for East Bengal

East Bengal's Red and Gold stripes are much more than simply the team's colours in Indian football. They are also a representation of passion, tradition, and an unwavering commitment to the beautiful game. Numerous international players who have made an enduring impression on the pitch and won the hearts of the passionate East Bengal fans have graced the historic Kolkata club throughout the years.

Besides the Indian stalwarts, many foreign players who have worn the red and gold shirt over the years have made major contributions to the club's legacy and left a long lasting effect on its ardent fans. These players, who comprised everything from skilled goal scorers to midfield magicians and brave defenders, gave the Torchbearers more possibilities and victories, and they went on to become important figures in the team's extensive history.

In this article, we will delve into the top 5 foreign players who are still well-recognized by many East Bengal fans.

5. Do Dong-hyun

Do Dong-hyun signed a one-year deal with East Bengal on June 27, 2015 for the 2015-16 I-League season under coach Biswajit Bhattacharya. In the 2015 Calcutta Football League, he scored 12 goals in 10 games to help the Red and Gold Brigade to win the title, including a brace in the 4-0 derby win over Mohun Bagan, where he scored both goals from free kicks, after which he became the Torchbearers' fans' favorite.

Do Dong won the hearts of many East Bengal supporters because to his inventiveness in the middle of the field and enthralling free kicks. He also contributed to their 3-1 victory against Sporting Club de Goa and scored several significant goals, including scoring a brace in the Kolkata derby.

4. Penn Orji

From 2010 through 2013, Penn Orji was a crucial member of Trevor James Morgan's East Bengal squad. In those three seasons, Orji played a key role in East Bengal's midfield and enthralled the crowd with his brilliant abilities. At East Bengal, the Nigerian midfielder won three CFL championships as well as two Federation Cups.

Because of his exceptional ability to manage the play in the middle, the playmaker captured the hearts of many East Bengal supporters. Because of the trophies he helped East Bengal win during the three seasons he wore the East Bengal shirt. Orji's agility, authority, and prowess are still talked by many Red and Gold supporters even till now.

3. Cristiano Junior

While playing in the 2003–2004 NFL season, the late Brazilian striker signed with East Bengal. He was a club player for only six weeks, yet he left a lasting impression among the fans. The Red and Golds' NFL season got out to a rough start, but once Junior joined the team in the middle, he completely changed the dynamic of their contest playing alongside Bhaichung Bhutia.

In his first season in India, the Brazilian scored 15 goals, took home the golden boot, and also assisted his team in winning the championship because of which many East Bengal fans adore him so much and think him as a saviour for their club. East Bengal also won the NFL (later I-League) championship for the last time at that time.

2. Jamshid Nassiri

Jamshid Nassiri played football competitively with East Bengal for a significant amount of his career. Nassiri, an Iranian, scored 72 goals for East Bengal, ranking him second among all-time foreign goal scorers and 14th overall. He created a formidable strike force for the team in the 1980s with Majid Beshkar.

He is still adored as an East Bengal legend by many of the fans because of the versatslity he brought in the team when playing for the Red and Gold side. Jamshid Nassiri is a name which no East Bengal fans can ever forget because of agile personality he had, and the contributions he laid both on and off the pitch for the Torchbearers.

1. Chima Okorie

Chima Okorie is one of the most favourite foreigners who has made a significant impression on East Bengal supporters all over these years. Chima went on to score 131 goals for East Bengal over the course of three seasons, passing K. P. Dhanaraj's 127 goals to become the club's all-time leading scorer until Bhaichung Bhutia overtook him.

Fans who saw Chima Okorie play football at the time would remember him for repeatedly bulldozing his way through struggling defenders before hitting the net. His holdup play was so effective that fans still remember it. Many fans still vows to say that they never seen an better experienced foreign player than Chima to play for the Red and Gold jersey.

Notable addition: Bright Enobakhare

Bright Enobakhare is a name that springs to mind when we think about renowned international favorites for East Bengal. The shorter time he spent with the Torchbearers, the deeper the impression he made on the hearts of East Bengal supporters.

He made his club debut on January 3, 2021, and scored his first goal in the same game as his team defeated Odisha FC in the ISL. Fans urged Enobakhare to play in the upcoming season when he scored an incredible solo goal in the very next game to assist his club tie against the FC Goa.

However, East Bengal wasted a lot of time looking for new investors before the next season, and their new arrangement with Bright was for naught. Many East Bengal supporters still desired Bright to be a part of their 100-year history, but arrangements did not go as expected.