East Bengal come from behind to beat Al-Arabi 4-1 and reach ACL2 group stage
East Bengal FC recovered from conceding in the second half to beat Al-Arabi SC 4-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, in a 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two preliminary qualifier. Jay Gupta pulled East Bengal level to force extra-time; Mohammed Rashid, David Lalhlansanga and Rohit Danu scored in the additional period to complete the comeback.
The match raised pre-game questions because summer signing Effiong Nsungsi had not yet joined the squad, prompting Antonio Habas to start Jesin TK as the centre-forward. Jesin made intelligent runs into the final third but failed to convert big chances, while substitutes David and Rohit, introduced later, produced the finishing touch. Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill played a proactive role in initiating counter-attacks throughout the contest.
Habas organised East Bengal in a four-back system intended to draw Al-Arabi players forward and exploit space on the break. The Torchbearers generated several counter opportunities but lacked consistent end-product in transitions, with Jesin TK and Bipin Singh both squandering notable chances. East Bengal’s last two goals came from counter sequences, though the coaching staff signalled further work is needed to make those transitions more clinical.
Al-Arabi took the lead in the second half from a penalty, placing East Bengal under pressure late in normal time. Habas maintained a calm, motivational presence on the touchline and his substitutions altered the dynamic; Jay Gupta’s equaliser sent the game into extra-time and the replacements contributed goals thereafter. The manager also adjusted the system to enable a more aggressive attacking approach in the closing stages.
Mohammed Rashid captained East Bengal and was deployed with greater freedom than in his deeper midfield role last season, trading positions regularly with Dani Ramirez. That positional rotation allowed Rashid to get into the penalty area, where he scored a powerful goal in extra-time to put East Bengal ahead. The report states Rashid won duels, helped neutralise Al-Arabi’s midfield movement and continued despite playing through pain in extra-time.
David Lalhlansanga displayed composure to score an impressive goal, and Rohit Danu followed with a relatively simple tap-in created by David’s run and pass. Effiong Nsungsi remains absent from the squad but is described as poised to be East Bengal’s regular No.9; the coverage suggested Habas will have taken encouragement from the hard work and versatility shown by his forwards in this fixture.
The 4-1 victory secures East Bengal a place in the group stages of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two, a result the coverage calls the club’s first major win under Antonio Habas and a qualification into the next phase of the competition.
