East Bengal to meet Hwancheon KSPO in 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League after Korean side's opening loss
East Bengal women will face South Korea’s Hwancheon KSPO in an upcoming match in the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League after Hwancheon lost their opening game on April 25. The defeat has left the Korean side eager to secure a win in their next group-stage fixture against the Indian outfit.
Hwancheon KSPO are the women’s team of the Korean Sports Promotion Foundation and were formed as a women’s football club in 2011. They became the seventh side to join the WK League, the semi-professional women’s competition run by the Korean Football Association and the Korean Women’s Football Association, and have steadily progressed to reach continental competition for the first time in 2026-27. Coach Anthony and POTM Fazila Ikwaput on our win 🆚 Ho Chi Minh City WFC 🇻🇳 #JoyEastBengal #AWCL #MoshalGirlsInAsia pic.twitter.com/pRV0KJevFE
Hwancheon have a track record of holding their own in the WK League, reaching the semi-finals of the competition in 2012 and finishing as runners-up in 2017. Those results preceded a stronger recent run that saw them challenge at the top of South Korean women’s football.
After finishing as runners-up in the 2024 WK League, Hwancheon won the division for the first time in 2025. In 2025 they also completed a domestic treble, winning the WK League title and the cup competition as well, which helped secure their place in the AFC Women’s Champions League.
The KSPO manager is former South Korea international Kang Sun-mi, who scored 10 goals in over 30 appearances at senior international level. Kang spent time coaching Gangwon State University, worked as an assistant at KSPO for four years and was promoted to manager in 2025; under her guidance KSPO won the treble and their first-ever WK League title.
Kang’s approach at KSPO emphasises free-flowing attacking play, smart positioning and over-the-ball movement while maintaining discipline and avoiding recklessness. The manager is expected to press her players to respond to the April 25 setback by combining attacking intent with defensive organisation against East Bengal.
Choi Yoo-Jung scored Hwancheon’s only goal in the loss to April 25 and is described as a 34-year-old with experience and versatility, having made a few appearances for the South Korea national team and operating as a winger or striker, mostly playing up front for KSPO. Mun Eun-ju, a current South Korean women’s international, has been an asset for KSPO for the last five years, scored multiple goals at the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and scored against the India women’s side at the 2025 Pink Ladies Cup; she is noted for defensive work, possession recovery, intelligent passing and late runs into danger zones.
Following their opening defeat Hwancheon are expected to be highly motivated for the match versus East Bengal, described in the source as acting "like a wounded animal" seeking revenge. The Korean side are unlikely to dominate possession but will aim to stay compact defensively, disrupt East Bengal’s transitions and contest midfield battles to create an unpredictable challenge.
Hwancheon KSPO’s next confirmed opponent is East Bengal in the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage meeting, where the Korean side will seek their first win after the April 25 loss.
