East Bengal FC share spoils with Al-Hussein in AFC Champions League Two opener

Dani Ramirez and Anwar Ali score the goals for Red & Gold

East Bengal FC were held to a 2- 2 draw by Al-Hussein after a game of two contrasting halves in the AFC Champions League Two, as the torchbearers produced a dominant first-half display, with Dani Ramirez and Anwar Ali finding the back of the net to give the visitors a comfortable two-goal advantage.

However, the hosts Al-Hussein responded strongly after the break, scoring twice to complete a comeback and share the points in their home stadium, according to which both teams are currently in the top spot of the points table with one point each in their hands.

East Bengal got the two-goal cushion in the first half, relying on Anwar and Ramirez’s strike

East Bengal FC started the game on a positive note, while a buzzing atmosphere hosted the Red and Gold Brigade at the Amman International Stadium. From the first whistle of the game, the Indian outfit had the most number of possessions as they took the tempo of the play with the controlled midfield of Rashid and Jeakson, while Anwar Ali and Diego Živulić added more versatility to link up the zones in the first 20 minutes.

As East Bengal FC played multiple attacking transitions, they broke the deadlock away from home against Al-Hussein, where the Spaniard Dani Ramirez found the back of the net in the 9th minute, and from then on the game was dominated by Antonio Lopez Habas’s squad. Club captain MD. Basin Rashid got the ball at the edge of the penalty box in the first 10 minutes as he lobbed it towards Edmund Lalrindika in the right channel, where the East Bengal poster boy took a shot, and on the rebound Dani Ramirez scored the goal.

While the game looked like it was going in East Bengal’s favour, the hosts had their chance in the 18th minute when Pedro Alves Santana anchored a great shot, which was denied by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. Sameer Obaid had the best chance when Almardi’s goal-facing header found him, but he didn’t finish the chance as the Red and Gold Brigade didn’t finish their chance. Anwar Ali scored the second for the club in the 40th minute as Dani Ramirez registered an assist under his name.

And then, from there, in the whole first half, the Torchbearers commanded the play with a very calm and composed way of football.

Al-Hussein registered a strong comeback

As early as the second half started with its full phase, the hosts Al-Hussein created an ample number of chances to open their scoreline after conceding two early goals in the first 45 minutes, as they had the highest ball retention along with passing statistics while they enjoyed the play with pure possession, hoping to bag their first goal in this match.

While the Red & Gold Brigade slowed their pace with a two-goal comfortable lead, Bipin Singh came from the bench in the 58th minute, replacing Asif Khan, who started his first ACL Two match.

Al-Hussein’s attacking transitions finally paid off when they managed to score their first goal, relying on club captain Almardi’s finish as he lay down to convert the golden opportunity in the 62nd minute of the game. A misjudgment from Hardik Bhatt on the left wing opened the chance for the hosts as Kharouba got the loose ball and gave the crucial pass to Almardi, and he clinched the opener.

And that mistake from Hardik’s end got him substituted, as Antonio Lopez Habas gave Narender Gahlot a chance when he came off the substitution bench in the 66th minute to strengthen the right-back position.

East Bengal FC made three quick substitutions as Rohit Danu, David Himar and Raynier Fernandes got the chance to prove their worth in the tough clash, replacing Jay Gupta, Dani Ramirez and Edmund Lalrindika, who perhaps didn’t show that much promise in the game and also missed a clear-cut opportunity in the first half.

With the continuous pressure mounting, Al-Hussein somehow managed to score the equaliser in the 87th minute when Assaf, who had just come off the bench, scored a great goal with his right foot. A hard-fought battle between these two sides ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw, where the game was purely a two-half show, as East Bengal FC commanded the first half with their attacking display and then the hosts dominated the second half and managed to share points from this tie.

The Red & Gold Brigade will now face Al-Shorta on 13th October, 2026, from 19:15 IST, as the game will be hosted by Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.

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