East Bengal Women hold on to beat Ho Chi Minh City 2-1 in AWCL 2026-27 Group B opener

East Bengal Women defeated Ho Chi Minh City WFC 2-1 in their AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 Group B opener on Sunday, surviving a second-half rally from the Vietnamese side to claim three points.

Fazila Ikwaput put East Bengal ahead from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after Football Video Support (FVS) detected a handball by Rielly Chesna, and she doubled the lead in the 34th minute by pouncing on Tanaka Hitomi’s header, holding off Chesna and finishing past Tran Thi Kim Thanh to send the Moshal Girls into the interval 2-0 up.

Ho Chi Minh City responded after the break, capitalising on a defensive miscommunication to pull a goal back in the 60th minute when Dau Nguyen Quynh Anh headed in a free-kick delivered by Tran Thi Thu Xuan, and the visitors pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not find the leveller.

The Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput continued her scoring run under head coach Anthony Andrews, missing a chance for a hat-trick when the Vietnamese goalkeeper and a defensive block denied her; her two goals place her among the leading scorers after Matchday 1 alongside Saratou Traore of Beijing Jingtan FC.

Despite the win, East Bengal’s defence showed vulnerabilities, particularly at set-pieces and in aerial duels, which allowed Ho Chi Minh City to regain momentum in the second half; the concession in the 60th minute exposed lapses in organisation that the coaching staff will need to address.

In the final third East Bengal created several opportunities they failed to convert, with Olivia Anokye, Resty Nanziri and other attackers missing promising chances, a lack of composure and decision-making that the team must improve to be more clinical against sturdier defences like those they will face next.

East Bengal’s opening victory offered attacking positives—combinations that produced two goals and the ability to withstand a late push—but the coaching staff must strengthen defensive focus, maintain midfield control for the full 90 minutes and work on finishing to sustain momentum in Group B.

East Bengal will next face South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC on November 4, 2026, at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan with kick-off scheduled for 8:00 PM IST; a more focused defensive display and improved transition play could help the Indian champions improve their position in Group B and move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.