East Bengal FC beat Ho Chi Minh City 2-1 at Kishore Bharati Krirangan in AFC Women's Champions League Group B
East Bengal FC defeated Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC 2-1 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in a Group B match of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 on Sunday. Fazila Ikwaput scored both goals for East Bengal as the hosts withstood a second-half reply from Dau Anh.
The opening stages featured chances at both ends, with Ngo Thi Hong Nhung unleashing a volley that struck the bar and Resty Naziri scuffing a close-range effort wide. East Bengal took the lead in the 20th minute when Fazila Ikwaput converted a penalty after Football Video Support showed Rielly Chesna handling the ball while attempting to stop the forward. Eight minutes later Olivia Anokye’s piledriver from distance hit the top of the crossbar.
Ho Chi Minh’s head coach Nguyen Duc Canh made a double change just after the half-hour mark, but East Bengal went further ahead before those alterations could take effect. Ikwaput pounced on Tanaka Hitomi’s powerful header in the 34th minute, fended off Chesna and slotted past the advancing Tran Thi Kim Thanh to make it 2-0 going into half-time.
Ho Chi Minh improved after the break but were unable to trouble East Bengal custodian Elangbam Panthoi, with Duc Canh replacing captain Huynh Nhu and Chesna with Dau Nguyen Quynh Anh and Chuong Thi Kieu 11 minutes into the second period. That switch provided momentum for the visitors: Tran Thi Thu Xuan’s free-kick on the hour caused chaos in the East Bengal box and Dau bravely dove to head home and pull a goal back.
In their pursuit of an equaliser Ho Chi Minh left gaps at the back and almost paid when Anokye found Ikwaput in the 74th minute for a seemingly simple tap-in, only for Cu Thi Huynh Nhu to produce an outstanding sliding block. Ho Chi Minh were unable to manufacture another chance before the final whistle and East Bengal held on to claim maximum points.
East Bengal will next face Hwacheon KSPO WFC of Korea Republic, who lost 2-1 to 4.25 SC earlier in the day, while Ho Chi Minh will meet the DPR Korea side in their next Group B fixture.
