KOLKATA — In one of the most thrilling continental nights at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium), East Bengal FC produced a stunning late resurgence to pull off a 4-1 extra-time victory over Kuwait’s Al-Arabi SC, punching their ticket to the group stage of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two.

Trailing until the 90th minute, the Red and Gold Brigade forced extra time with a clutch equalizer before scoring three unanswered goals in the added 30 minutes to dismantle the Kuwait Premier League runners-up.

Frantic First Half and Missed Chances

Under newly appointed head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, East Bengal lined up with an all-Indian defensive unit due to the absence of Spanish center-back Nacho Monsalve. The match commenced at a blistering pace as both sides pushed forward aggressively from the opening whistle.

Al Arabi sounded the first alarm in the 5th minute when Zeid Qunbar dragged a shot wide from distance. East Bengal responded in kind, testing Al Arabi custodian Sulaiman Abdulghafoor with long-range efforts from Basim Rashid and a curling attempt from Jesin Thonikkara.

The visitors came agonizingly close to taking the lead in the 23rd minute. Kenean Maleko sliced through the East Bengal defense and squeezed a shot past goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. Just as the ball trickled toward the net, Gill recovered brilliantly to claw it off the goal line.

Penalty Breakthrough and Late Equalizer

East Bengal squandered a gold-plated opportunity early in the second half. Countering swiftly in the 50th minute, Jesin set up Bipin Singh with a clean sight on goal, but Bipin dragged his effort wide of the far post.

The home side was punished for the miss in the 76th minute. Sandip Mandi brought down Maleko inside the penalty box, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Anayo Iwuala stepped up and stroked a low, powerful penalty into the bottom-left corner, giving Al Arabi a 1-0 lead despite Gill guessing the correct direction.

With elimination looming, East Bengal surged forward in desperation. Their persistence paid off in the 90th minute. Captain Mohammed Rashid swung in a precise free-kick, finding defender Jay Gupta, who powered a header past Abdulghafoor to spark wild celebrations in the stands and send the tie into extra time.

Extra-Time Domination Secures Qualification

Riding a wave of momentum, East Bengal completely dominated the extra 30 minutes:

  • 108th Minute: Captain Mohammed Rashid unleashed a spectacular half-volley from the edge of the box, striking the ball cleanly with his laces to beat the keeper and put the hosts ahead 2-1.

  • 117th Minute: Substitute David Lalhlansanga capitalized on space inside the penalty area, finishing calmly to double the cushion.

  • 121st Minute: David rounded the stranded goalkeeper and unselfishly squared the ball for Rohit Danu, who tapped into an empty net to round off a memorable 4-1 scoreline.

Looking Ahead

By securing this victory, East Bengal—the reigning Indian Super League champions—advance to the West Region group stage of the AFC Champions League Two. They join 15 other teams in a home-and-away round-robin format as they aim to make a deep run in Asia's second-tier club competition.