“Never do I play for draw, idea is to win”, Antonio Habas confident as East Bengal gear up to face Al Hussein in ACL 2 clash

Kolkata : East Bengal FC look to keep the early-season momentum going as Antonio Lopez Habas’s team begins its AFC Champions League Two campaign against reigning Jordanian champions Al Hussein in Amman on Wednesday.

Last month, East Bengal qualified for the revamped second tier of Asian club football by brushing aside Kuwait’s Al Arabi SC and followed it with their Durand Cup triumph with another dominating performance against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan SG.

“We are excited to participate in the ACL Two group stage. It’s a unique chance to compete at the highest level in Asia, and we want to inculcate the same mindset in the players. We want to continue the winning momentum that we’ve achieved over the past two months. We want to replicate that success in the game against Al-Hussein,” Habas said during a press conference in Amman.

The reigning Indian champions landed in Jordan with only three foreigners — Dani Ramirez, Mohammed Rashid and Croatian newcomer Diego Zivulic, but Habas kept his faith in the domestic firepower.

David Lalhlansanga and Edmund Lalrindika’s performances against Al Arabi and Mohun Bagan have proved that they are capable of carrying the team’s ambitions on big occasions.

“I think East Bengal now have (got) the level of playing (in away matches). Never do I play for a draw and the idea is always to win the match. Because the moment you stop thinking about the possibility of winning, it will finish your career as a coach,” Habas said.

However, captain Rashid stressed that there should be no fear of the opposition. Instead, it was a moment to rejoice for East Bengal.

“This match will not be an easy match because we’ll face a team that has prior experience of playing at the continental level over the past two-three years. However, we believe in each other and in our abilities to deliver a good performance. Football is an 11v11 sport. We are playing in this tournament now because we deserve to be here and we have to push ourselves to show that East Bengal can do well at this level.”

Al Hussein have had a turbulent build-up. Their head coach Ahmad Hayel stepped down just days before the match. The assistant coach Bashar Bani Yaseen had to take charge against East Bengal.

Bani Yaseen, on his part, says it’s a good mix of youth and experience:

“We have great confidence in the players. They have extensive experience with clubs and the national team. We have a good mix of experienced and young players, and the healthy environment provided by the club gives us greater confidence to deliver our best performances and results.”

Al Hussein are hosting East Bengal at a time when the home team’s house seems to be in disorder. Having lost three of their last five matches, the Jordanian champions have parted ways with their head coach Ahmad Hayel and and his assistant Bashar Bani Yaseen will be in charge of them in their Group D opener at the Amman International Stadium.

The club’s latest Professional League fixture ended in a goalless draw against Al-Baqa’a, while they also suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Al-Jazeera at the beginning of their league campaign. Al Hussein’s continental season also began with disappointment. They lost 3-0 to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in the qualifying playoff for the AFC Champions League Elite before subsequently losing the Jordanian Super Cup final 2-1 to Al-Faisaly. Their route to that final had included a 5-0 semifinal victory over Al-Ramtha.

Despite their recent struggles, Al Hussein remain a team East Bengal will have to approach carefully. The Jordanian champions have experience of competing in Asian football and will be playing their opening continental fixture at home.

East Bengal are reportedly relying on a relatively young squad, something that has contributed to inconsistency and difficulties in handling pressure during challenging moments. At the same time, Al Hussein have several experienced players capable of influencing the game. Their predicted XI includes goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila, captain Abdallah Nasib, Mahmoud Shawkat, Youssef Qashi, Mahmoud Theeb and Aref Al Haj.

The interim coaching arrangement, however, means there could be tactical adjustments compared with the team’s previous matches.

East Bengal Team News

East Bengal has received some positive news ahead of the contest, with Jesein TK and Basim Rashid reported to be fit and available. The Indian side also has attacking options in David Lalhlansanga, Jesein and Edmund Lalrindika. However, East Bengal will be without Chris Ikonomidis, Boris Singh and Ake Arnaud Loba, leaving Bruzon with some selection decisions to make.

A projected East Bengal XI is expected to feature Prabhsukhan Gill in goal, with Hardik Bhatt, Diego Zivulic, Anwar Ali and Sandip Mandi forming the defensive line. Jeakson Singh and Basim Rashid could operate in midfield, while Bipin Singh, Dani Ramirez and PV Vishnu provide attacking support for Edmund Lalrindika. The balance between East Bengal’s midfield and attack could be particularly important in an away fixture where managing possession and transitions will be crucial.

For East Bengal, the match marks another opportunity to establish themselves on the Asian stage. The club have already negotiated one knockout fixture to reach the league phase, and their recent domestic success has provided additional confidence. But Al Hussein offers a different type of challenge, particularly with the home advantage and experience of playing continental football. The first objective for both teams will be to make a positive start in Group D. With only the top two sides progressing to the Round of 16, points collected early in the campaign could prove valuable later.

For Indian football, East Bengal’s participation also provides another opportunity to test an Indian club against established opposition from the West Asian region. The Amman International Stadium will host the opening chapter of their campaign. With East Bengal carrying domestic momentum and Al Hussein attempting to recover from a difficult start under interim management, Wednesday’s encounter promises to be an intriguing contest.

When and Where to watch Al Hussein vs East Bengal ACL 2 match in India? 

Al Hussein vs East Bengal ACL 2 game Kick-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM IST, with the match taking place at 7:00 PM local time in Jordan. In India, the game will be available to stream on FanCode, with no television broadcast listed.