East Bengal held 0-0 by Al-Seeb in Oman, left needing favourable results to reach ACL Two knockouts
East Bengal were held to a 0-0 draw by Al-Seeb in Oman in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two group stage on 3 November, leaving the Indian club with two points from three matches. The result means East Bengal sit in a vulnerable position as the group reaches its midpoint.
Both teams created chances in the match but East Bengal failed to convert, leaving them without a win so far in the group stage. After three games East Bengal have two points, Al-Hussein sit three points clear of them in second place, while Al-Shorta top the group with seven points. The draw increases the pressure on Antonio Habas’ side to improve results in the remaining fixtures.
East Bengal’s immediate objective is a home victory over Al-Seeb at the Salt Lake Stadium, which would be their first win in the 2026-27 ACL Two and provide a boost in confidence. The club will then host Al-Hussein on 24 November before finishing the group campaign away to Al-Shorta. Habas has been urged to prepare the team for two difficult fixtures in the closing stages of the group.
The club cannot afford further dropped points across their final three matches if they are to finish in the top two. East Bengal need to win at least one of the games against Al-Hussein and Al-Shorta, and the article specifies that picking up four points from those two fixtures would be the ideal outcome. Combining a home win over Al-Seeb with four points from the subsequent two matches would leave East Bengal on nine points at the end of the group stage.
Qualification is not entirely in East Bengal’s hands and other results must go their way. The suggested scenario requires Al-Shorta to beat Al-Hussein at Al-Hussein’s home in the upcoming clash; if that occurs and East Bengal defeat Al-Seeb, East Bengal and Al-Hussein would be level on five points after four game weeks. That would set up the Salt Lake Stadium meeting on 24 November between East Bengal and Al-Hussein as a decisive penultimate group-stage match.
If East Bengal beat Al-Hussein in that penultimate match they would move three points clear of Al-Hussein going into the final game and could secure a top-two finish with one point from their away trip to Al-Shorta. Conversely, if East Bengal fail to defeat Al-Seeb in the home game they would require Al-Hussein to lose to Al-Shorta and then need to beat Al-Hussein in the fifth match to hold a one-point advantage heading into the final round.
Under that alternative route, East Bengal’s qualification would additionally depend on Al-Seeb defeating Al-Hussein in the final group game for East Bengal to finish second. The club’s control over progression is therefore limited and rests on a combination of their own results and favourable outcomes elsewhere.
East Bengal’s immediate schedule now lists the home match against Al-Seeb, the Salt Lake Stadium fixture with Al-Hussein on 24 November, and the concluding away game at Al-Shorta; securing maximum points across these remaining matches is presented as the clearest path to a top-two finish and a place in the knockout rounds.