East Bengal 2-3 Al-Shorta at Salt Lake Stadium in AFC Champions League Two opener on October 14, 2026
East Bengal FC lost 3-2 to Al-Shorta at Salt Lake Stadium in the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27 opener on October 14, 2026. Al-Shorta overturned a halftime deficit to claim the victory.
David Lalhlansanga scored twice for East Bengal to give the home side a 2-1 lead at the interval, and East Bengal pressed for a third in first-half added time with four attempts in four minutes. Edmund lifted a shot over the bar, David fired a long-range effort that Jalal Hassan saved, Anwar Ali headed a corner narrowly wide at 45+3′, and Edmund had a second attempt blocked.
The second half shifted quickly: Hussein Ali Jasim Al Saedi levelled from Ahmed Yahya’s cross, and Kingsley Kuku headed in Cristian Barco’s corner at 53′ to put Al-Shorta ahead. Three of Al-Shorta’s four goals followed a delivery from a dead ball or a similar crossing situation, and Kuku’s involvement was prominent—he won the first corner at 6′, scored the winner and was a regular reference point for their attacks.
East Bengal created more chances overall but could not convert them; beyond Lalhlansanga’s two goals there were nine on-target attempts that did not result in goals. Even after Abdoul Moumouni received a second yellow and was sent off—he had been booked at 39′—the numerical advantage failed to produce the needed finish, with Jay Gupta’s 90+2′ header saved low and other attempts thwarted.
Habas substituted Lalhlansanga with Lukasz Zwolinski at 79′, a change that drew attention because Lalhlansanga had been East Bengal’s only scorer. Al-Shorta, down to ten men after Moumouni’s dismissal, also spurned a clear opportunity when Ahmed Yahya shot wide from point-blank range in the 81st minute.
Goalkeeping proved decisive at key moments: Jalal Hassan made a series of saves for Al-Shorta, including stops from Lalhlansanga at 55′, a Dani Ramírez effort aimed at the top corner at 40′, and the late save from Gupta. At the other end, Prabhsukhan Gill produced a comfortable save from Moumouni at 66′ but could not prevent Al-Shorta’s three goals.
The result hands Al-Shorta three points from the group opener of the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27, while East Bengal finish their opening match with a defeat after generating enough chances to suggest they might have won had finishing and set-piece marking been different.