Top goal scorers for East Bengal FC in AFC competitions ft Bhaichung Bhutia
East Bengal FC draw their first match in the AFC Champions League Two.
East Bengal FC are on their return to continental football, and found themselves down a 2-goal lead to Jordanian club Al-Hussein.
The AFC Champions League Two tie between East Bengal and Al-Hussein ended 2-2 after Al-Hussein made a comeback from 2-0 down. The goal for the Red & Gold brigade was scored by new signing Dani Ramirez in the 1st goal of the match, followed by his Centre-back Anwar Ali, who scored in the 40th minute of the game.
It was only in the 61st minute of the game that the 3 time Jordanian league champions were able to find the net. Al-Hussein completed their comeback with a late 87th-minute goal by Jordanian international Ahmed Assaf.
East Bengal had a very great first half, where they would have loved to convert most, if not all, of their chances. Dani Ramirez and Anwar Ali etched their name in the goalscoring records in AFC tournaments for East Bengal alongside many other legends.
In this article, we will take a look at the top goal scorers for East Bengal FC in AFC tournaments and games.
Carlton Chapman – 5 goals
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Chapman was a former Indian National Team captain who is still regarded as one of the biggest legends of Indian Football. He played for East Bengal FC in two stints, first in 1993-1995 and then ended his playing career at the club during his second stint between 1998 and 2001.
Chapman managed to find the net 5 times in AFC competitions during his time with East Bengal. His first 3 goals came in the first round of the 1993-94 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup against Iraqi side Al-Zawar’a. The match ended in a historic 6-2 win for the Torchbearers, as Chapman scored a Hat-Trick.
He would go on to score a brace against Blue Lagoon of Maldives. The match was played in the first round of the 1994-95 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup.
Biswajit Bhattacharya – 5 goals
Biswajit is a retired manager and former Indian International who used to play for East Bengal in the 80’s, alongside players such as Debashish Roy & Jamshid Nassiri.
All 5 of Biswajit’s goals came in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship qualifiers, where East Bengal played 5 matches and topped the group. He actually managed to find the back of the net in only two matches. In their match against PIA (Pakistan International Airlines), Biswajit scored 1 goal in their 2-0 victory.
In East Bengal’s match against New Road Team, India managed to score 4 goals out of the team’s total of 7 goals.
Tolgay Özbey – 5 goals
Tolgay is a former Australian footballer who played for East Bengal for only 2 seasons before making a switch to rival club Mohun Bagan.
Özbey scored all 5 of his goals in the 2011 AFC Cup, where East Bengal finished last in their group without getting any wins. His first goal came in the team’s 4-4 draw against Thai club Chonburi FC, where he scored in the 8th minute and then followed his goal by another in the 22nd minute of the game.
The Australian’s next goal came in East Bengal’s 4-1 defeat to Indonesian side Persipura Jayapura. His final two goals in the 2011 AFC Cup came in the team’s 3-3 draw with Hong Kong club South China.
Chidi Edeh – 6 goals
Chidi Edeh is a Nigerian footballer who has played for multiple teams in Indian football, such as East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan, Dempo FC, & Aizwal FC.
In East Bengal’s historic run to the Semi-Finals of the 2013 AFC Cup, the Nigerian was one of the most important players, as he scored 6 total goals in the tournament. His first goal came away against Singaporean club Tampines Rovers FC. Chidi would also go on to score a goal in the reverse fixture in Kolkata.
His next goal would be against Vietnamese club Xuan Thanh Saigon Cement, when East Bengal would defeat them 4-1 in Kolkata. Chidi would make history by scoring a Hat-Trick against Yangon United FC in the Round of 16 match, as East Bengal would qualify for the quarter-finals of the continental tournament.
Cristiano Junior – 6 goals
Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnio, also known as Cristiano Jr., was a Brazilian football player who used to play for East Bengal FC for only 1 season.
In his one and only season with the club, Cristiano participated in the 2004 AFC Cup. In the 2004 AFC Cup, East Bengal would go on to top Group E with the help of the Brazilian scoring 6 goals in the group stages.
The Brazilian would help East Bengal secure a 3-2 victory in their first match by scoring a brace against Geylang United. He would then score another brace against Malaysian club Negeri Sembilan, as the Torchbearers would go on to win 4-2.
His next goal would be in East Bengal’s 3-0 victory over the Maldivian club Island FC. The Brazilian’s last goal would be in the reverse fixture against Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia.
Debashish Roy – 8 goals
Debashish Roy is one of the most renowned names in Indian Football history. The former striker for the Blue Tigers is a legend for the Red & Gold Army.
All of his 8 goals in AFC competitions were scored in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship & in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship Qualifiers.
His first goal would be against the Bangladeshi side, Abahani, where East Bengal won 1-0. In their next game against PIA (Pakistan International Airlines), East Bengal would defeat PIA 2-0, as Debashish would score his 2nd goal of the qualifiers.
After this match, Debashish went on a hot streak, as he scored 2 against Nepali club New Road Team (East Bengal wins 7-0) and would score a Hat-Trick in the Torchbearer’s 9-0 victory against Maldivian side Club Valencia.
Despite his 7 goals in the qualifiers, the striker wouldn’t stop scoring, as he would bag his final goal – which was the only goal scored by East Bengal in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship, against Saudi side Al-Ahly, which would not be enough as The Red & Gold would lose the match 2-1.
Bhaichung Bhutia – 11 goals
The all-time top scorer for East Bengal also is the top scorer for the team in AFC competitions.
In 2003, East Bengal made history by winning the 2003 ASEAN Club Championship. In that tournament, East Bengal actually lost their first match 1-0, which would put them in a tricky situation in their next match against the Philippine Army.
Despite the pressure, East Bengal would win 6-0 against the team, and Bhaichung would go on to score all 6 of the goals for the team in the game, becoming the first Indian to score a double Hat-Trick in any AFC competition.
He would then go on to score once in all 3 remaining knockout games, finishing as the top scorer of the tournament. Bhaichung’s next goal would be in the 2004 AFC Cup, when he would score 1 goal in East Bengal’s 4-2 victory over Negeri Sembilan. His last goal for East Bengal in AFC competitions would be in a 3-2 defeat to Nebitçi Football Team from Turkmenistan in the 2005 AFC Cup.
When is East Bengal’s next match in ACL 2?
East Bengal will next play Al-Shorta on 13th October, 2026.
Who is the head coach of East Bengal?
The Head Coach of East Bengal FC is Antonio Lopez Habas.
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