East Bengal travel to Amman to face Al-Hussein in AFC Champions League Two, kickoff 9:30 PM IST
East Bengal FC travel to Amman to meet Jordan's Al-Hussein SC in the opening match of their AFC Champions League Two campaign at the Amman International Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 PM IST.
East Bengal qualified for the league’s preliminary round by winning the 2025-26 Indian Super League and sealed their place in the competition with a 4-1 victory over Kuwaiti side Al Arabi SC in their sole qualifying match. The club return to intercontinental competition for the first time after a decade and arrive in Jordan following a 2026-27 Durand Cup campaign that ended with a 4-1 final win over Mohun Bagan SG.
Off the field East Bengal have made a managerial change after Oscar Bruzon left at the end of the 2025-26 season; Antonio Lopez Habas, a two-time ISL-winning head coach, has been appointed and will oversee his first AFC Champions League Two match for the club. The team and coaching staff have highlighted maintaining momentum from the Durand Cup as a priority and regard a positive result in Amman as beneficial to their prospects in the continental competition and the domestic season.
Al-Hussein enter the fixture as three-time consecutive domestic champions but have struggled in the early domestic season, losing 5-0 to Al-Jazeera Club in their first league match and drawing 0-0 with Al-Baqa’a SC in their second. The club have described their recent start as disappointing and are seeking an improved result and morale boost against unfamiliar opposition.
In the previous edition of AFC Champions League Two Al-Hussein topped their group in the league stage but were eliminated in the Quarter Finals after a 3-1 defeat to Saudi side Al-Ahli. The Amman match will be Al-Hussein’s first appearance in this season’s tournament under head coach Ahmad Hayel.
The pre-match coverage includes confirmed starting lineups and other updates ahead of kickoff; the fixture brings together East Bengal making their away return to intercontinental competition and Al-Hussein aiming to arrest a poor domestic run. Supporters and followers have been directed to the matchday updates for the teams’ selections and last-minute news.
Kickoff at Amman International Stadium is set for 9:30 PM IST, where East Bengal begin their AFC Champions League Two campaign and Al-Hussein take their opening step in the tournament under Ahmad Hayel.