Three Al-Arabi SC players to watch as East Bengal prepare for AFC Champions League Two qualifier
East Bengal FC will meet Al-Arabi SC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in an AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage match on August 12, 2026, with the winner advancing to the 2026/27 AFC Champions League-2.
East Bengal arrive on the back of their maiden Indian Super League title in 2025/26 and their first top-tier triumph in almost 22 years, but the squad that won the ISL has undergone major turnover. The Red and Gold were last on the Asian stage in the 2024/25 AFC Challenge League, where they were eliminated by FK Arkadag in the quarterfinals. Oscar Bruzon and his entire technical staff, along with four of the six foreigners who featured in the title-winning campaign, have departed; Antonio Lopez Habas has taken charge and the club brought in nine domestic signings and five foreign players, of whom only three are expected to be available for the qualifier. The match will be streamed live on FanCode.
Al-Arabi SC enter the tie as one of Kuwait’s leading sides after finishing runners-up in the 2025/26 Kuwaiti Premier League and winning the 2025/26 Kuwait Crown Prince Cup with a 3-0 victory over Al-Kuwait SC in the final. The Qatari opponents have played several friendlies to prepare for the qualifier but had a disappointing previous continental showing, failing to make it past the group stages of the 2025/26 AFC Challenge League. The club finished the 2025/26 Kuwaiti Premier League 14 points behind leaders Al-Kuwait SC.
Sulaiman Abdulghafoor is Al-Arabi’s captain and goalkeeper, described in club material as a long-serving figure and leader from the back. The article states he has been with the club since 2010 and that, as a one-club player, he first joined in 2003 through the youth ranks before promotion to the senior side. It adds he has now spent 23 years with Al-Arabi and that, with an option to remain until 2028, his total time at the club could reach 25 years. He is noted for commanding set-piece situations, organizing the defense, a noted record in penalty shoot-outs and comfort playing with both feet.
Anayo Iwuala is profiled as Al-Arabi’s pacey Nigerian winger and primary creative outlet, effective in 1v1 situations and against low blocks due to his low centre of gravity. The piece reports he scored in three of the four games he featured in during Al-Arabi’s last Asian campaign, including the preliminary stage, and records for the 2025/26 Kuwaiti Premier League list him with five goals and seven assists, three of those goals coming in the championship round.
Zaid Qunbar is presented as a central figure in Al-Arabi’s attack despite the club signing Brazilian Lucas Shallon ahead of the season. The article notes Qunbar scored three times in four pre-match friendlies, including a brace against Turkish side Amedspor, and states he registered 11 goal contributions (six goals and five assists) in the 2025/26 Kuwaiti Premier League and 10 goals and eight assists across all competitions. Identified as a 23-year-old traditional number nine with aerial strength, intelligent runs and a high defensive work rate, Qunbar has also featured for the Palestine national team alongside East Bengal captain Mohammad Rashid.
East Bengal and Al-Arabi will contest the AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage fixture on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with the winner progressing to the 2026/27 AFC Champions League-2.