East Bengal Draw Tough Group in AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27: Full Schedule, Opponents and Quarterfinal Route

East Bengal have been handed a challenging but exciting assignment in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27, with the Indian club drawn in Group B alongside Hwacheon KSPO WFC of South Korea, Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC of Vietnam and North Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club.

The draw gives East Bengal another opportunity to make an impact on the continental stage after securing qualification for the group phase for a second consecutive season. With the tournament expanding the exposure and competitive opportunities available to women’s football clubs in Asia, the Kolkata-based side will be hoping to go further this time after an early exit in their previous campaign.

For the Moshal Girls, the group stage will be played in Kolkata, giving East Bengal the advantage of familiar surroundings and home support as they attempt to qualify for the knockout rounds.

East Bengal had to navigate the preliminary stages to reach the main competition.

Their route to the 2026-27 group stage included victories over Rajshahi Stars from Bangladesh, Rovers from Guam and Sabah from Malaysia. Those results secured their place among the teams competing in the main group phase.

The achievement is significant for Indian women's football because East Bengal are appearing in the AFC Women's Champions League for the second successive season.

Their first campaign showed both the promise and the difficulty of competing against Asia's established women's clubs. East Bengal began that tournament with an impressive 3-1 victory over Iranian side Bam Khatoon, raising hopes of a deep run. However, defeats against China's Wuhan Jiangda and Uzbekistan's Nasaf brought their campaign to an early end.

This time, East Bengal will be looking to use the experience gained from that campaign to handle the demands of continental football more effectively.

Who are East Bengal’s opponents?

The biggest challenge in Group B could come from Hwacheon KSPO WFC of South Korea. South Korea has a well-established women's football structure, and Hwacheon KSPO represents the level of opposition East Bengal will have to overcome if they want to make a serious push for the knockout stages.

Vietnamese side Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC will provide another difficult test. Vietnamese women's football has continued to develop on the continental stage, making this an important fixture for East Bengal, particularly because it will be their opening game of the group campaign. The third opponent is 4.25 Sports Club from North Korea, adding another layer of unpredictability to the group.

With teams from four different footballing cultures in the section, East Bengal will face contrasting tactical approaches across three matches.

East Bengal will begin their group-stage campaign against Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC on November 1. The Kolkata club will then face Hwacheon KSPO WFC on November 4, before completing the group stage against 4.25 Sports Club on November 7.

All three matches will be played in Kolkata, giving East Bengal the benefit of home conditions throughout the group phase. The schedule also means there is little room for a slow start. With the three matches coming in quick succession, East Bengal will need to manage player fitness, recovery and squad rotation carefully.

Their opening fixture against Ho Chi Minh City could be particularly important. A positive result would immediately put the Indian side in a strong position before they face what could be a tougher test against Hwacheon KSPO.

The qualification format gives East Bengal a realistic pathway into the knockout rounds. The top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the quarterfinals. They will be joined by the two best third-placed teams from the three groups.

That means East Bengal do not necessarily need to finish in the top two to continue their continental journey. However, relying on a third-place qualification would be risky. With only three group matches, every point and potentially every goal could prove decisive when the best third-placed teams are compared.

A strong opening result would therefore be extremely valuable.

Group A and Group C also feature strong teams

The other groups underline the level of competition East Bengal are entering. Group A consists of Naegohyang Women’s FC from North Korea, Japan’s INAC Kobe Leonessa, Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC and Myanmar’s Ayeyawady FC Women.

Group C features Melbourne City FC from Australia, Beijing Jingtan Football Club from China, Kaya FC-Iloilo from the Philippines and PFC Nasaf from Uzbekistan. East Bengal's Group B therefore represents a genuine opportunity, but there are no straightforward matches.

The Indian club will need to match the physical intensity and tactical discipline of its opponents while making the most of its home advantage.

East Bengal’s second successive appearance also matters beyond the club itself.

Indian women's football has been searching for greater exposure to high-level international competition, and the AFC Women's Champions League provides a platform for domestic champions and leading clubs to measure themselves against the strongest teams in Asia.

For East Bengal, playing three continental matches in Kolkata also creates an opportunity to bring greater attention to women's football in the city. The club now has the chance to turn qualification into a deeper run.

The objective will be clear: start strongly against Ho Chi Minh City, compete with Hwacheon KSPO, and finish the group stage strongly against 4.25 Sports Club. If East Bengal can collect enough points across those three games, a place in the quarterfinals is within reach.

Their previous campaign ended early despite a promising opening victory. This time, the Moshal Girls return with continental experience, home advantage and another chance to prove that Indian club football can compete on Asia's biggest women's stage.

November 1, November 4 and November 7 could therefore become three of the most important dates yet for East Bengal Women and potentially another significant chapter in the growth of Indian women’s football.