Indian Super League champions East Bengal FC have been drawn in Group D alongside Al Hussein SC of Jordan, Al Shorta SC of Iraq and Al Seeb Club of Oman in the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27.
The draw was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday, setting up a challenging continental campaign for the Kolkata-based club.
East Bengal secured their place in the group stage after a convincing 4-1 win over Kuwait’s Al Arabi SC in the preliminary stage last week. The qualification marks the club’s ninth appearance in the group stage of Asia’s second-tier club competition and their first since 2015, when the tournament was known as the AFC Cup.
The three clubs awaiting East Bengal in Group D all enter the competition as domestic champions or high-ranking sides. Al Hussein won the Jordanian Pro League in the 2025-26 season, while Al Seeb were crowned Oman Professional League champions. Al Shorta finished runners-up in Iraq’s Stars League.
The 32 participating teams have been divided into eight groups of four, with 16 clubs each from the West and East Zones. The top two teams from every group will advance to the Round of 16.
East Bengal will play each of their Group D opponents twice, home and away, in a double round-robin format. The group stage is scheduled to begin on September 15 and conclude on December 9.
The Round of 16 will be played from February 9 to 18, 2027, followed by the quarter-finals from March 2 to 18 and the semi-finals from April 6 to 14. The final is scheduled for May 15, 2027.
With a place in the knockout stages on the line, East Bengal will now turn their attention to preparing for their return to continental competition and a demanding group-stage schedule against clubs from Jordan, Iraq and Oman.
(Inputs from AIFF)
(Image courtesy:East Bengal FC)
