India's record in AFC Women's Club competitions

Indian clubs have had a mixed record in the AFC Women’s club competitions.

The AFC Women’s Champions League Preliminary stage is set to kick off on August 25. The biggest continental competition in women’s club football will feature some of the best clubs in Asia. India will also have a representative in East Bengal, the defending champions of the Indian Women’s League

Indian clubs have not had a particularly great experience in the competition. None of the Indian clubs have gone past the group stage. For East Bengal, this campaign is an opportunity to turn things around and advance beyond the group stage. However, for that, they will have to ace the preliminary stage first. Moving further in this article, we will look into the performance of Indian clubs in the AFC Women’s Champions League over the years.

Also Read: Phnom Penh Crown FC vs East Bengal Preview, team news, lineups & prediction | AFC Women’s Champions League

Underwhelming campaigns for Gokulam Kerala

Only two clubs from India have qualified for the AFC competitions. Gokulam Kerala have the most experience of playing in continental competitions. The Malabarians qualified for the Asian Club Competitions three times. During this time, the competition was still in its infancy. The first edition featured four teams in total. Jordan’s Amman, Iran’s Shahrdari Sirjan, Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor, and Gokulam Kerala.

The Malabarians finished third after beating Bunyodkor in the last match by a score of 3-1. They qualified again in 2022 and were scheduled to play in a competition with seven teams. However, they were disqualified after FIFA suspended the All India Football Federation on the basis of undue influence from third parties. The miss was crucial as Gokulam Kerala were more prepared than the season before and was looking to make a better impact.

However, they got the chance the next year. In the eight-team league, this time with heavyweight countries like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, the Malabarians tried hard, finishing second in their group to Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. They beat Thailand’s Bangkok WFC in the process. That would be the last time Gokulam featured in the continental competition, as they surrendered their Indian Women’s League crown to Odisha after three successive league title victories.

Group stage debacle for Odisha FC

Odisha FC qualified for the preliminary stage, where they were drawn with Jordan’s Etihad and Singapore’s Lion City Sailors. They breezed past the two to finish top of the group and qualify for the main group stage, where they were placed in the same group as Chinese Taipei’s Taichung Blue Whale, Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.

It was a devastating outcome as they lost the first game by 17 goals to Urawa Red Diamonds. They then succumbed with a score of 3-1 to Ho Chi Minh City, before finishing with zero wins in the group stage after losing 4-0 to Taichung Blue Whale.

East Bengal will have their task cut out in the Preliminary group stage with the likes of Hong Kong’s Kitchee and Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown. However, the real test lies after the preliminary stage, where they will be facing the giants of Asia. Can they compete and hold their own in Asia?

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