East Bengal head coach Antonio Lopez Habas exudes confidence ahead of ACL Two 2026-27 clash against Al-Shorta SC

East Bengal will face off against the Iraq Stars League champions Al-Shorta SC in the ACL two clash in Kolkata.

East Bengal FC is preparing for another significant continental challenge on October 13, 2026, when they take on Iraqi Stars League champions Al-Shorta SC at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in the AFC Champions League Two 2026–27 campaign, before starting their title defence in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The Red and Gold Brigade will have home advantage in this, their second meeting in Group D.

Under the direction of head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, the Torchbearers will try to overcome the formidable challenge presented by the Iraqi team and win all three points by combining defensive stability with offensive intent.

Before the all-important clash against Al-Shorta SC, East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Lopez Habas and defender Jay Gupta have addressed the media.

Here, is the pre-match conference of East Bengal FC before they face off against Al-Shorta SC in ACL Two clash in Kolkata.

Antonio Lopez Habas on the preparation against Al-Shorta SC

East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Lopez Habas emphasised the fitness and preparation of the team before facing Al-Shorta SC of Iraq.

Habas stated: “Hello, good evening, everyone. The preparations are good for the Al-Shorta match. We’ve got the full team back after the FIFA break. The team is also very confident to face off against Al-Shorta SC.”

“We know that Al-Shorta is a very good team, but our advantage is that East Bengal will play the match in Kolkata in front of their home crowd. So we have to take this advantage in our favour and win this match against a tough opponent like Al-Shorta, as they have very good players.”

“We’ve only two injured players; other than that the whole team is fit and ready to play against Al-Shorta SC.”

“Yes, against Al-Hussein we made quite a few experiments in the second half which didn’t work in our favour, and the opponents also sacked their coach before the match. But this match will be different; we have to play both halves with equal determination and importance. In football, the first half is just as important as the second half, so there might be some adverse situations in the second half; for that, we may have to shift to our plan B as well.”

“I don’t want to focus on any one of the players of Al-Shorta SC; instead, we base our strategies based on the whole team. So that’s the point: they might have world-class strikers, but for me, every player is important, and we need to have plans for everyone,” he also added.

Habas comments about East Bengal’s new foreign signings and acknowledged the opponents as a strong one

East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Lopez Habas mentioned the importance of his foreign strikers before facing Al-Shorta SC in a thrilling ACL Two clash.

Also Read: AFC Champions League Two 2026-27: Player battles to watch out for in East Bengal FC vs Al-Shorta

The Spaniard stated: “No, I am not at all worried. Loba and Lukasz have had only nine training sessions so far. It’s a process, so they will improve day by day. They’ve performed well so far, and in the upcoming days they will get more game time to show their skills. And the match against Al-Shorta will be very important for all of us, including Loba and Lukasz.”

“We’ve got very good Indian players as well, and for me the Indian players are just as good as my foreign players. So I don’t think Al-Shorta will have any extra advantage with seven foreigners. You may have seven foreigners, but that doesn’t mean you have to play with all of them at the same time. That’s why I believe that we’ve a balanced team with Indians and foreigners.”

Antonio Lopez Habas comments on the strategy and workload management

The Spanish Gaffer said: “It’s a very good opportunity for East Bengal to play against teams like Al-Shorta, Al-Seeb, and Al-Hussein in a tournament like AFC Champions League Two. So we need to balance our workload management accordingly. Currently, we only want to focus on the Al-Shorta match.”

“I don’t think the result of the Kolkata derby will have any effect on this match; it’s a new match, and the aspect of the match is different, so we will approach this match with different ideas as well. The match will be 11 vs 11 and not between two coaches, he finished off with.”

Jay Gupta’s comments on the opponents

Jay Gupta stated: “Yes, we’ve analysed our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses very well. We’ve seen their first group stage matches well. It’s our home match, so we are very excited to face any team that comes our way.”

“No, I think it’s a privilege to play for the National team. I don’t think it will affect the workload. For every youngster, it’s a very good opportunity to showcase your talent and play against strong opponents like Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. So we need more matches like this under our belt to prepare well.”

“And as the coach has mentioned, we have to play our game with full determination in both halves, so we need to remain focused and play according to our plans, he also added.”

Jay Gupta shared his memories in the Saltlake Stadium

“I am very fortunate to play in different positions as per the requirements of my coaches so far. I will like to contribute more like this in future whenever needed, because the team’s success comes first rather than individual milestones.”

“For me, the Salt Lake Stadium is a lucky ground. Last year around this time during Durga Puja, I joined East Bengal. Got my first goal here in Kolkata in East Bengal colours too. So with the blessings of Ma Durga, I hope we can win the match and take all three points,” he also added.

“I don’t think Al-Shorta is the strongest opponent in the group. We will play in front of our home crowd and would like to win the match, as I believe that East Bengal is the strongest opponent,” he finished off with.

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