East Bengal FC Women Begin Historic AFC Women’s Champions League Campaign Against Ho Chi Minh City

East Bengal FC Women will begin a significant chapter in their history on Sunday when they take on Vietnamese champions Ho Chi Minh City WFC in their opening Group B fixture of the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) at Kishore Bharati Stadium. 

The occasion will also mark the first time Kolkata hosts the group stage of the continental competition, placing the city at the centre of Asian women’s club football.

The Indian Women’s League champions, fondly known as the ‘Moshal Girls’, have been drawn in a challenging Group B alongside Ho Chi Minh City WFC, Korea Republic’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC and DPR Korea’s April 25 Sports Club, also known as 4.25 SC. With the top two teams from each group progressing, alongside the two best third-placed teams across the three groups, East Bengal will need consistency across all three fixtures to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

The campaign begins with a demanding assignment against a side that has considerably more experience in continental competition. Ho Chi Minh City WFC arrives in Kolkata as the reigning Vietnamese domestic champions and one of the established clubs in Southeast Asian women’s football. East Bengal, meanwhile, will be making its second appearance in the group stage and will be keen to turn its domestic success into a statement on the Asian stage.

East Bengal has earned its place in the group stage with an impressive performance in the preliminary round. The team won all its qualifying matches, scoring 18 goals without conceding once. That record reflects the side’s attacking potential as well as its defensive organisation.

However, the group stage will present a different level of competition. The Moshal Girls will face opponents with greater continental experience and a higher level of individual quality. Maintaining the defensive discipline displayed during qualification while improving their efficiency against stronger opposition will be central to their prospects.

The club has also strengthened its squad ahead of the tournament, bringing in six foreign players to complement its leading Indian performers. The additions are intended to provide greater depth and experience for a competition in which the margin for error is likely to be small.

Ugandan forwards Fazila Ikwaput and Resty Nanziri are expected to add attacking firepower, while Japanese defender Hitomi Tanaka will bring experience and stability to the backline. The tournament regulations allow clubs to register and field up to six foreign players at a time, giving East Bengal the opportunity to utilise its overseas signings as part of its continental campaign.

Huynh Nhu presents a major challenge

The opening fixture will place East Bengal's defence under immediate pressure. Ho Chi Minh City possesses a significant attacking threat in Huynh Nhu, Vietnam’s all-time leading goalscorer. Her return to the club after a successful spell in European football has further strengthened the Vietnamese side.

Nhu's positional awareness and finishing ability make her a player East Bengal cannot afford to give space inside or around the penalty area. Her movement and experience could test the Indian champions, particularly if Ho Chi Minh City establishes control and creates sustained attacking pressure.

One of the key individual contests could be between Nhu and East Bengal's Japanese defender Hitomi Tanaka. Tanaka's role in organising the backline and dealing with the Vietnamese forward's movement will be important. East Bengal will need its defensive unit to remain compact, communicate effectively and avoid allowing Nhu opportunities in dangerous areas.

At the other end, Ikwaput and Nanziri could play important roles in converting East Bengal's attacking opportunities. The team's 18-goal qualifying record offers encouragement, but the challenge will be to reproduce that attacking effectiveness against a more experienced opponent. Creating chances will matter, but taking them could prove decisive.

East Bengal will also need to press intelligently and disrupt Ho Chi Minh City's rhythm. An overly open contest could offer the Vietnamese champions opportunities to exploit spaces, making defensive organisation and discipline particularly important.

The Group B league will be played in a round-robin format, with matches scheduled for November 1, 4 and 7. Each matchday will feature a double-header at Kishore Bharati Stadium, giving Kolkata football fans the opportunity to watch some of Asia's leading women's club teams in action.

For East Bengal, the opening fixture is more than just the start of a continental campaign. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that its domestic dominance and strong qualifying performance can translate into results against established Asian opposition.

The revamped squad offers the Moshal Girls additional options, while the home setting provides an opportunity to begin the competition with momentum. Nevertheless, the quality of Group B means that every match will demand concentration, tactical discipline and clinical finishing.

A positive result against Ho Chi Minh City would provide East Bengal with a valuable platform ahead of its remaining fixtures against Hwacheon KSPO and April 25 Sports Club. The Indian champions have already shown what they can achieve in the preliminary round. The next challenge is to prove they can compete with Asia's best and take a step closer to the quarter-finals.