East Bengal held to 2-2 draw by Al-Hussein in AFC Champions League Two opener in Amman
East Bengal drew 2-2 with Al-Hussein at the Amman International Stadium on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, in their first match of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two group stage. Antonio Habas’ team led 2-0 at half-time through Dani Ramirez (9) and Anwar Ali (40) before Mahmoud Almardi (61) and substitute Ahmad Assaf (87) hauled the Jordan side level.
East Bengal began the match on the front foot, pressing and creating the opening goal when Dani Ramirez finished from close range in the ninth minute. The visitors maintained the initiative and doubled their lead just before half-time via Anwar Ali’s header from a corner. Al-Hussein reduced the deficit after the break through captain Mahmoud Almardi and levelled late when Ahmad Assaf, introduced from the bench, scored in the 87th minute.
Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill produced several important saves to help East Bengal keep a first-half clean sheet, but the team struggled to cope with Al-Hussein’s deliveries from wide positions. A turnover by Hardik Bhatt outside his own box led directly to Almardi’s 61st-minute strike, and Sandeep Mandi failed to track Assaf’s run that resulted in the equaliser. The match featured sustained pressure from the hosts in the second half that East Bengal were unable to fully repel.
The centre-back pairing of Anwar Ali and Diego Zivulic stood out defensively for East Bengal despite the late goals, playing their first professional game together and combining for a high volume of interventions. Zivulic registered 20 defensive contributions and 11 clearances, while Anwar made 16 defensive contributions and 10 clearances and also scored. Those figures underline the pair’s involvement in repelling Al-Hussein attacks even as the team conceded twice.
East Bengal’s full-backs, described as having little continental experience, struggled against Al-Hussein’s wide players and the resulting crosses, a vulnerability that the Jordan side exploited after half-time. The visitors did convert a set-piece chance — Anwar’s header from Ramirez’s corner — a return to form after failing to score from set-pieces in the 2026 Durand Cup. However, defensive lapses in wide areas proved costly.
Dani Ramirez, signed as a replacement for Miguel Figueira and identified in the report as a product of the Real Madrid youth academy, was allowed to play further forward and impacted the game offensively. He opened the scoring with a close-range finish and delivered the corner that led to Anwar’s goal; the report also notes Ramirez’s forward passing and his work tracking back to assist defensively.
The contest unfolded as a game of two halves: East Bengal dominated the opening 45 minutes, while Al-Hussein took control after the interval to force a draw. The match was described as chaotic at times, with East Bengal coming close to securing all three points before settling for one.
East Bengal leave Amman with one point from their opening AFC Champions League Two group-stage fixture, while Al-Hussein salvaged a point at home to start their campaign.
