Five Al-Shorta players to watch as East Bengal host them in AFC Champions League 2 on 13 October 2026
East Bengal will host Al-Shorta at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on 13 October 2026 in the AFC Champions League 2, and attention turns to five Al-Shorta players who could influence the outcome. The match is part of the group stage second matchday of the competition.
East Bengal opened their ACL Two campaign with a 2-2 draw against Al Hussein SC, taking a two-goal first-half lead through Ramirez and Anwar Ali before Al Mardi and Assaf scored late to force the comeback. Al-Shorta began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Al-Seeb, where Al Saedi struck in the 51st minute and the Iraqi defence preserved a narrow win. The fixture in Kolkata represents a key opportunity for Antonio Lopez Habas’ East Bengal to seek their first win in the competition against an experienced Al-Shorta side.
The Colombian defender on Al-Shorta’s books spent his early career at América de Cali and Real Santander before moves to Aguilas Doradas, and he is currently on loan at Al-Shorta. He was named among the substitutes for the Al-Seeb match in the AFC Champions League 2. The article describes him as the most valuable player in Al-Shorta’s squad, physically dominant in the box and proficient at clearing set pieces.
Ali, a 26-year-old striker, returned to Al-Shorta on a free transfer after a productive spell with Dibba Al Fujairah in the Emirates. He has scored notable solo goals for his country against Vietnam and Yemen at age 18 and has made over 60 appearances for Iraq with 21 international goals. Ali was part of Iraq’s squad at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and played a few minutes against Norway in the group-stage fixture.
Argentine attacking midfielder Barco earned acclaim in Bolivia with Guabira, where he recorded 34 appearances and 19 goal contributions and was described as a star performer under pressure. He made his Al-Shorta debut in the AFC Champions League 2 against Al-Seeb and provided the match-winning assist to Al Saedi for the 51st-minute goal in the 1-0 victory. Barco is characterised in the article as a fluid midfielder who occupies central half spaces.
Ngalamulume developed at and represented TP Mazembe, featuring in CAF Champions League matches against teams including Al-Hilal Omdurman and Young Africans before moving to Libya with Abu Salim SC. He subsequently joined Al-Shorta and has appeared for the DR Congo national team on a few occasions. The report states he will be tasked with controlling tempo and dictating the pace in midfield for Al-Shorta.
The unnamed Venezuelan defender impressed in the 1-0 win over Al-Seeb, helping Al-Shorta keep a clean sheet in that fixture. His career path included spells in Armenia and the Netherlands before a return to Monagas SC, where he played significant roles in domestic and continental matches and logged extensive minutes in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The piece also notes he featured for Venezuela in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers and “scored a goal in three games.”
East Bengal v Al-Shorta is scheduled to kick off at 7:15 PM on 13 October 2026 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan as part of the AFC Champions League Two group-stage second matchday. Al-Shorta enter the fixture as eight-time winners of the Iraqi league.
