East Bengal FC to Compete in AFC Challenge League
Group A Draw
East Bengal FC has been placed in Group A of the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League. They will compete against Nejmeh SC from Lebanon, Bashundhara Kings from Bangladesh, and Paro FC from Bhutan.
Group Stage Details
The group stage matches will be held from October 26 to November 2, 2024, at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan. The matches will follow a single round-robin format.
Qualification and History
East Bengal FC qualified for the AFC Challenge League by winning the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup. This is their first appearance in a continental club competition group stage since the 2015 AFC Cup. Their best performance was reaching the semi-finals in the 2013 AFC Cup.
Opponents
Nejmeh SC, the 2023-24 Lebanese Premier League champions, were runners-up in the 2005 AFC Cup. Bashundhara Kings, the 2023-24 Bangladesh Premier League champions, are making their fifth consecutive group-stage appearance. Paro FC, the 2023 Bhutan Premier League champions, are debuting in a continental club competition group stage.
Future Rounds
The top teams from the group stage will advance to the quarter-finals in March 2025. The semi-finals will be held in April 2025, and the final is scheduled for May 10, 2025.
Doubts Revealed
East Bengal FC -: East Bengal FC is a famous football club from Kolkata, India. They play in the Indian Super League.
AFC Challenge League -: The AFC Challenge League is a football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for clubs from Asia.
Nejmeh SC -: Nejmeh SC is a football club from Lebanon, a country in the Middle East.
Bashundhara Kings -: Bashundhara Kings is a football club from Bangladesh, a neighboring country of India.
Paro FC -: Paro FC is a football club from Bhutan, a small country near India.
Thimphu -: Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan, where the group stage matches will be held.
Kalinga Super Cup -: The Kalinga Super Cup is a football tournament in India. East Bengal FC won this cup to qualify for the AFC Challenge League.
continental club competition -: A continental club competition is a football tournament where clubs from different countries in the same continent compete against each other.
quarter-finals -: The quarter-finals are the round in a tournament where eight teams compete to advance to the semi-finals.