East Bengal Collapse After Early Lead as Hwacheon KSPO Claim 4-1 Win in AFC Women’s Champions League

Fazila Ikwaput gave the Indian champions an early advantage in Kolkata, but a second-half surge from the South Korean side leaves East Bengal needing a result against 4.25 SC to secure their quarter-final place.

East Bengal FC suffered a damaging 1-4 defeat against South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC in their AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 Group B encounter at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Wednesday. Despite taking an early lead through Fazila Ikwaput, the Indian Women’s League champions were unable to withstand Hwacheon’s response, conceding three goals in a decisive second-half spell.

Ikwaput put East Bengal ahead in the 17th minute, but Lee Su-bin restored parity nine minutes later. The visitors took control after the interval, with Wie Jae-eun converting a penalty in the 53rd minute before Mun Eun-ju extended the advantage three minutes later. Wie completed her brace in the 76th minute to seal a convincing victory.

The result leaves East Bengal third in Group B with three points from two matches, level on points with second-placed Hwacheon. The Indian side had begun its campaign positively, defeating Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City WFC 2-1 in its opening fixture. However, Wednesday’s defeat means its progression to the knockout stage will now be decided in the final group match.

Hwacheon started the contest with greater attacking intent, creating early opportunities through Choi Jeong-min and Lee Su-bin. East Bengal goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu Elangbam was called into action and kept the visitors from making their early pressure count.

The hosts gradually found opportunities of their own. In the 15th minute, captain Shilky Devi Hemam released Ikwaput into a promising position, but the Ugandan forward could not convert the chance. She made amends just two minutes later.

East Bengal took the lead after Astam Oraon’s clearance found Ikwaput, who used her pace to get past defender Kim Ji-hyeon before driving a finish into the bottom corner. The goal gave the home side an important advantage and briefly shifted the momentum in its favour.

However, Hwacheon responded quickly. In the 26th minute, Lee Su-bin's indirect free-kick initially struck the East Bengal defensive wall. The South Korean side retained possession, and Lee's follow-up effort took a deflection off Resty Nanziri before rolling into the net.

The equaliser ensured the teams went into the break level, setting up a crucial second half.

Hwacheon take control after the break

The match turned decisively in Hwacheon's favour within the opening 11 minutes of the second half.

In the 53rd minute, a Football Video Support review resulted in a penalty being awarded following a foul by Hitomi Tanaka on Choi Jeong-min. Wie Jae-eun stepped up and converted from the spot to put the visitors ahead for the first time.

The goal unsettled East Bengal, and Hwacheon capitalised almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Choi broke down the left flank and delivered a cross into the penalty area. Mun Eun-ju was well positioned to finish from close range, doubling the South Korean side's advantage and leaving the hosts with a difficult task.

East Bengal needed a response, but Hwacheon continued to find space in attacking areas. The visitors added a fourth goal in the 76th minute when Kim Hyeon-a played a through ball for Wie. The forward timed her run effectively and finished to complete her brace.

Having led the contest in the first half, East Bengal were now facing a three-goal deficit. The second-half performance underlined the difference between the teams in their ability to capitalise on key moments.

Quarter-final qualification still in East Bengal's hands

Despite the heavy defeat, East Bengal remain in contention for a place in the quarter-finals. Their final Group B fixture will be against DPR Korea's 4.25 SC on Saturday, with the opposition already having secured qualification.

The equation is relatively straightforward for the Indian champions: a draw would be enough to secure their place in the knockout stage.

East Bengal could also progress as one of the two best third-placed teams across the groups, should they fail to finish in the top two.

Nevertheless, the defeat to Hwacheon makes the final fixture considerably more important. The team will need to address the defensive lapses that allowed the South Korean side to score four times, particularly the sequence immediately after the interval.

Ikwaput's goal and the positive opening spell offered evidence of East Bengal's attacking potential, but sustaining that performance across the full match remains essential at this level.

The Indian champions now have one final opportunity to secure their progression. Against an already-qualified 4.25 SC, East Bengal must produce a disciplined performance and ensure Wednesday's second-half collapse does not define their continental campaign.