East Bengal Women to host Ho Chi Minh City in AFC Women’s Champions League group opener on Nov 1, 2026
East Bengal Women will meet Ho Chi Minh City WFC at the Kishore Bharati Krinangan in Kolkata on Sunday, 1 November 2026 in the opening match of the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League group stage. The game kicks off at 8:00 PM IST and will be shown live on FanCode.
East Bengal have qualified for the AFC Women’s Champions League group stage for the second consecutive season after missing out at the group stage in their previous campaign, and will field a side coached by Anthony Andrews. The club’s squad, known as the Moshal Girls, will attempt to use home advantage while balancing defensive organisation with the need for creativity and efficiency in the final third. Ho Chi Minh City arrive as Vietnam’s most decorated women’s club and are aiming to end their club’s run without continental silverware by asserting themselves in the group. Both teams are expected to bring strong squads for the opening fixture.
Ho Chi Minh City’s stated game plan in the preview is to play entertaining, attacking football while maintaining a compact defensive shape; the club will prioritise dominating the group stages to chase AFC Women’s Champions League success. The preview describes the Vietnamese side as heavyweights who will look to outplay East Bengal on their own ground, with a dominant win seen as a confidence boost and dropped points in the opener deemed potentially costly.
East Bengal’s available personnel are described as fully fit for the group stage start, while Ho Chi Minh City are likely to travel with their strongest selection. The article presents a projected East Bengal XI: Panthoi Chanu (GK), Astam Oraon, Sarita Yumnam, Adama Alhassan, Abena Opoku, Priyangka Devi, Shilky Devi, Sathi Debnath, Sulanjana Raul, Soumya Guguloth, Olivia Anonkye. Ho Chi Minh City’s projected setup is listed as a 4-2-3-1 with Doan Thi Ngoc Phuong (GK), Do Thi Thuy Kieu, Nguyen Thi Diem Huỳnh Như, Churong Thi Kieu, Phan Thi Ngoc Tram, Tran Thi Thu Thao, Tran Nguyen Bao Chau, Tran Thi Thuy Trang, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan, Joelma Church, Hunyh Nhur.
Olivia Anonkye is highlighted as a key figure for East Bengal after scoring five goals in the preliminary matches that secured the club’s place in the group stage. The preview notes Anonkye’s role as the focal point of East Bengal’s attack, citing her link-up play, off-the-ball movement and positioning inside the penalty area as attributes the team will rely on to convert chances.
The fixture represents the first-ever meeting between East Bengal and Ho Chi Minh City in an AFC Women’s Champions League match. The preview frames the opening game as important for shaping control of the group, with a win providing momentum and a loss complicating the path through the group stage.
The AFC Women’s Champions League arrives in India for the first time, and tickets for the East Bengal v Ho Chi Minh City match are reported as live on @district_india with further information provided through the organiser’s ticket link; for match viewing the fixture will be broadcast live on FanCode at 8:00 PM IST on 1 November 2026.