East Bengal FC beat Ho Chi Minh City 2-1 in AWCL opener; coach Anthony Andrews says ‘I’m incredibly proud of this group’
East Bengal FC defeated Ho Chi Minh City WFC 2-1 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on November 1, 2026, in their opening match of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 Group B. Fazila Ikwaput scored both goals for East Bengal in the victory.
The result gave the Moshal Girls a winning start to their AWCL campaign and moved East Bengal into second place in the group standings after Matchday 1. Player of the Match Fazila Ikwaput and head coach Anthony Andrews spoke to the media at the post-match press conference.
Fazila’s brace proved decisive despite Ho Chi Minh City WFC reducing the deficit in the second half through Dau Nguyen Quynh Anh. East Bengal held on to secure all three points in their group opener.
On the team’s performance, East Bengal head coach Anthony Andrews said, “I’m incredibly proud of this group. We really worked hard to achieve this. However, there are other areas where we need to improve as a team. But at this moment, I just want to sleep with these three points and see what comes next.”
Andrews also pinpointed specific areas for improvement and the immediate recovery plan, saying, “In terms of the areas where we need to work, finishing is one of them. I think we will work on that. But I am happy at this moment that we got three points. We have two nights to recover from this, and we will see what best we can do.”
Addressing contribution from the squad and the supporters, Andrews added, “But, like I said, I am happy with all the players, whoever played and whoever came off the bench. They gave 100% on the pitch and stuck to the plan. So, I am incredibly proud of the team, and I hope that we continue in the next two games.” He commented on the fans: “Coming back to your second question about the fans, I think I would not like to say anything at this moment. This was an opportunity for them to come and support the girls.” He concluded with praise for the wider setup: “I am incredibly proud of the whole team. The work behind the team is reflected on the pitch, and I hope that we continue doing what we are doing. It’s still a long way to go. Like I mentioned earlier, we have to improve on what we did last season.”
Fazila Ikwaput reflected on the collective effort and the club’s objective, saying, “I feel good, and we are just hoping for a game-changing performance from the whole team because, without them, we would not have performed well. This is only one of the three points, and we are looking forward to the next two games.” She set out the side’s target: “Our target right now is to qualify for the knockouts. Last year, we missed out, but this is where we want to go. We want to keep working hard. Thank you so much, coach, for your time,” she concluded.
Both coach Andrews and Fazila emphasised recovery and preparation for the next fixtures, with the immediate focus on the next two games as East Bengal pursue qualification for the AWCL knockout stage.