East Bengal To Face Nejmeh SC, Bashundhara Kings, Paro FC In AFC Challenge League Group Stage
New Delhi: East Bengal has been placed along side Nejmeh SC (Lebanon), Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh) and Paro FC (Bhutan) in Group A of the upcoming AFC Challenge League 2024-25, in the draw organized at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, August 22.
East Bengal secured a spot in the third tier of men’s AFC club competitions by winning the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup but narrowly missed advancing in the AFC Champions League Two qualifiers after a 2-3 defeat to Altyn Asyr FC.
This marks East Bengal’s return to the group stage of a continental club competition for the first time since its appearance in the 2015 AFC Cup. The club’s most notable performance in such tournaments was in 2013 when it reached the semifinals of the AFC Cup.
Nejmeh SC, who finished as runners-up in the 2005 AFC Cup, qualified for the AFC Challenge League after clinching the 2023-24 Lebanese Premier League title. East Bengal has faced Nejmeh before in the 2010 AFC Cup group stage, suffering two heavy defeats: 0-3 away and 0-4 at home.
Bashundhara Kings earned their place in the tournament by emerging as champions of the 2023-24 Bangladesh Premier League. This marks the club’s fifth consecutive appearance in the group stage of an AFC club competition.
Paro FC progressed to the group stage proper after winning against Church Boys United of Nepal in the qualifying round and became the first-ever Bhutan Premier League champions to qualify for a continental club competition group stage.
The league will be played in five groups: three in the West with four teams, and two in the East with three each. Matches are scheduled to take place from October 26 to November 2 in a centralized, single round-robin format.
Group A is slated to be hosted by Paro FC at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.
The best three group winners, the highest-ranked runners-up in the West, and the top two finishers of each group in the East will qualify for the double-legged quarterfinals running from March 5 to 13, 2025. This will be followed by the semifinals on April 9 to 17, 2025, while the finals will be fought for the championship title on May 10, 2025.