East Bengal beat Al-Arabi 4-1 at Salt Lake to reach 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two group stage
East Bengal FC defeated Kuwait’s Al-Arabi SC 4-1 at Salt Lake Stadium on August 12, 2026, to secure a place in the group stage of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two. The ISL 2025-26 champions completed a second-half extra-time comeback under coach Antonio Lopez Habas to overturn a 1-0 deficit.
East Bengal trailed after Iwuala converted a penalty in the 76th minute, but Jay Gupta levelled from a Rashid free-kick when he rose highest to head into the top-left corner with the Al-Arabi goalkeeper getting only a slight touch. The match turned decisively in extra time as Mohammed Basim Rashid struck with a composed half-volley from near the edge of the box following a flick from the right side, and substitutes Chris Ikonomidis, David Lalhlansanga and Rohit Danu completed the scoring.
Rashid finished as East Bengal’s key performer, supplied the set-piece for Jay Gupta’s equaliser and then converted the extra-time chance to put his side ahead; the report rates him 9/10. The club’s goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill was given 8/10 after making several saves, including a first-half goal-line clearance that the report highlights.
David Lalhlansanga scored from a Chris Ikonomidis cross and later provided the assist for Rohit Danu’s late goal; the article identifies those three substitutes — Ikonomidis, David and Rohit Danu — as decisive contributors. Rohit Danu entered the match in the 89th minute for Bipin Singh and finished the game with the fourth goal from David’s pass.
Individual assessments in the match report include Jeakson Singh Thounaojam 6.5/10 and Daniel Ramirez Fernandez 5/10, the latter being substituted in the second half by PV Vishnu. Bipin Singh Thounaojam is rated 6/10 and is noted to have missed a significant chance in the first half before being replaced late in the match.
The report also comments on other players’ performances without numeric ratings: Hardik Bhatt maintained his positioning and avoided major errors; Anwar Ali is described as having managed his defensive duties but being responsible for the penalty that gave Al-Arabi the lead; Edmund is characterised as quick on the flank; PV Vishnu is said to have injected momentum after replacing Jesin TK. Chris Ikonomidis is described as "not fully match-fit" yet credited with the assist for David’s goal and is also later described as having "no impact" in the game in a separate line of the report.
East Bengal’s 4-1 victory, with goals from Jay Gupta, Mohammed Rashid, David Lalhlansanga and Rohit Danu, confirms their progression into the group stage of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two.
