Habas criticises missed chances after East Bengal fall 2-3 to Al Shorta in ACL Two
East Bengal head coach Antonio Lopez Habas expressed disappointment after his side lost 2-3 to Al Shorta SC at Salt Lake Stadium in the AFC Champions League Two on October 14, 2026. The Kolkata club had taken an early lead but conceded two quick second-half goals and were unable to recover.
David Lalhlansanga scored both of East Bengal’s goals and the team opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but Al Shorta reversed the game after the interval. East Bengal had previously drawn 2-2 with Jordan’s Al Hussein SC and remain without a win in the competition; the defeat to Al Shorta was their first loss in the group fixtures and four group matches still remain. The top two sides from the group will advance to the round of 16 after the sixth round concludes.
Habas and assistant coach Carlos Agustín Fonseca Teijeiro addressed the media after the match, with Habas attributing the defeat to squandered opportunities. “I don’t agree with the scoreline, though. East Bengal don’t deserve to lose, as we had ten proper chances of scoring but couldn’t deliver. We were ahead in the first half but conceded two quick goals in the second half within a few minutes and ended up losing the game, where we were dominating for most of the time in the first half.” He added: “I told my players to pay attention after conceding those two quick goals and stay focused, but somehow we couldn’t capitalise on the chances that we had created.”
On the specific chances that went begging, Habas said the team had multiple clear openings and that Al Shorta made theirs count. “We had 5-6 one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper, but somehow it didn’t work in our favour. They were a strong opponent with quality players, got the chances to score, and they delivered.” “But as such, nothing to differentiate between the team; the missed chances in the first half cost us the match, he also added.”
Habas praised David Lalhlansanga’s individual contribution while expressing wider dissatisfaction with the team’s overall showing. “Very happy with his performance, he is a fantastic player, scored two goals, but not satisfied with the overall performance of my team.”
On the causes of the turnaround after half-time, Habas cited lapses in concentration rather than physical or tactical shortcomings. “I don’t think we were defeated on the physical or tactical aspect. We were brilliant in the first 45 minutes of the game and in the last 30 minutes of the game as well, but conceded two goals due to a lapse in our concentration, as in the Al-Hussein match.” He also commented on his foreign recruits: “I think this is not the end of the road for us in this competition; we need to rectify our mistakes need to be more focused during counterattacks and set pieces. I am happy with my new foreign strikers but they need to develop more and adapt quickly to the situations and score the vital goals for us when needed, he also added.”
Habas appealed to supporters to remain behind the club during difficult moments. “We need our supporters to support the team in tough times too. I would request all East Bengal fans to support the team during disappointing moments, just as they do during winning moments.” He followed that with: “You need to always back your team because the supporters are the main pillars of a club like East Bengal FC. So, please keep supporting us as you always do.”
Habas confirmed the team's immediate focus would shift to the Indian Super League, noting East Bengal are the reigning champions and will begin their ISL campaign away to Churchill Brothers FC in Goa on October 18. He concluded: “Our focus is now on the ISL. We will face Churchill Brothers FC in our first match, which will be an away fixture for us. We would like to win the match with the right attacking approach and start our campaign with a strong statement. We would like to continue playing this way and keep attacking.” The club’s next AFC Champions League Two Group D away fixture is scheduled against Al-Seeb Club on October 27, 2026, in Oman.
