East Bengal Make History as First Indian Club to Reach AFC Women’s Champions League Quarter-finals

The Moshal Girls secure a historic knockout berth despite a 0-2 defeat to North Korea’s 4.25 SC in Kolkata, advancing as one of the two best third-placed teams in the 2026-27 campaign.

East Bengal FC Women have created history by becoming the first Indian club to qualify for the knockout stages of the AFC Women’s Champions League. Despite suffering a 0-2 defeat to North Korea’s 4.25 SC at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, the Moshal Girls did enough across their group-stage campaign to secure a place in the quarter-finals of Asia’s premier women’s club competition.

The achievement marks a significant breakthrough for Indian women’s club football, taking an Indian team into the last eight of a continental competition that brings together some of the strongest sides in Asia.

East Bengal finished their Group B campaign with one victory and two defeats. Their final result against 4.25 SC did not go their way, but the margin of defeat proved crucial. The Kolkata club maintained a goal difference sufficient to qualify as one of the two best third-placed teams across the groups.

For head coach Anthony Andrews and his players, the qualification represents a reward for a campaign in which they had to recover from setbacks and navigate a difficult group featuring opposition from Vietnam, South Korea and North Korea.

East Bengal began their AFC Women’s Champions League campaign with an important 2-1 victory over Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. The result gave the Indian side three valuable points and established a platform for their push towards the knockout rounds.

However, the challenges became considerably tougher in their subsequent fixture against South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC. East Bengal suffered a 1-4 defeat, leaving their qualification hopes dependent on the final group-stage encounter and the overall standings among the third-placed teams.

That made the meeting with 4.25 SC particularly important. The North Korean side represented another difficult test, and East Bengal needed to remain competitive while protecting the goal difference that could determine their continental future.

The Moshal Girls eventually lost 0-2. While the result was disappointing, it was not enough to end their campaign. Their earlier victory over Ho Chi Minh City and the overall goal difference across the three matches ensured that East Bengal progressed into the quarter-finals.

From group-stage challenge to continental breakthrough

Qualification is significant not only because of the result itself, but also because of what it represents for Indian women's football.

No Indian club had previously reached the knockout stages of the AFC Women’s Champions League. East Bengal have now crossed that barrier, establishing a new benchmark for Indian representation in the competition.

The achievement also provides a platform for the club to measure itself against some of Asia's leading women's teams. For a side competing in an increasingly demanding continental environment, reaching the last eight is an important step in gaining experience at this level.

East Bengal's campaign has demonstrated both the possibilities and the challenges facing Indian clubs in Asian competition. The 2-1 win against Ho Chi Minh City showed that the Moshal Girls could compete and secure results, while the defeats against Hwacheon KSPO and 4.25 SC highlighted the quality of the opposition they faced.

The ability to qualify despite those setbacks underlines the importance of the overall group-stage performance rather than a single result.

East Bengal will enter the quarter-final draw as an unseeded team. Their potential opponents include Beijing Jingtan of China, Naegohyang of North Korea and Melbourne City of Australia. The quarter-final draw is scheduled to take place in January 2027, after which East Bengal will know their opponent and the next destination in their continental journey.

The venue could also become an important factor. A meeting with Melbourne City would take the Indian side to Australia, while a tie against Beijing Jingtan would involve a trip to China. A potential encounter with Naegohyang could present a different logistical challenge, with the possibility of the match being played at a neutral venue rather than in North Korea.

Regardless of the opponent, East Bengal will be entering the knockout rounds with the opportunity to test themselves against another leading Asian club in a high-stakes encounter.

The Moshal Girls' qualification is a milestone that extends beyond East Bengal. It gives Indian women's club football its first representative in the knockout stage of the AFC Women's Champions League and offers a tangible example of what can be achieved on the continental stage.

The club's progress will also bring greater attention to the standards required to compete against established Asian teams. Sustaining performances across group matches, improving defensive consistency and converting opportunities against stronger opposition will be essential as East Bengal prepare for the quarter-finals.

There is still a long way to go before the club can challenge for the continental title, but reaching the last eight is already an achievement that will remain part of Indian football history.

The 0-2 defeat to 4.25 SC may have ended the group stage on a difficult note, but it could not take away the significance of what East Bengal had accomplished. The Moshal Girls have broken new ground for Indian women's football. Their journey in the AFC Women's Champions League is far from over.