East Bengal looks for first win in AFC Champions League 2 vs Omani heavyweight Al-Seeb

East Bengal has a draw and a loss in the AFC Champions League 2 so far, but has scored nine goals in two games in the Indian Super League this season. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media

East Bengal FC will look for its first win in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two 2026-27 when it takes on Oman’s Al-Seeb in its third group-stage match at the Al-Seeb Stadium on Tuesday, October 27.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade will be keen to translate its domestic consistency into a positive result on the continental stage, having won its first MG Indian Super League fixtures comprehensively - 4-0 against Churchill Brothers in Goa and 5-1 against Inter Kashi in Pune.

“It’s a crucial match for both teams because both of us need to win to stay alive in this tournament. It’s a great opportunity for us to become the first Indian club to win an ACL Two game. We have to be focused through the 90 minutes and avoid defensive lapses,” Antonio Lopez Habas, East Bengal’s head coach, said.

East Bengal began its ACL Two Group D campaign with a 2-2 draw against Jordan’s Al-Hussein SC in Amman last month, before suffering a narrow 2-3 defeat to Iraq’s Al-Shorta SC in Kolkata. It now heads into this crucial encounter on the back of a demanding run of fixtures on the road.

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Standing in East Bengal’s way is the reigning Oman Professional League champion, Al-Seeb.

“We could’ve won a match in the ACL Two before, but we suffered due to concentration lapses. We are a well-settled unit and have played a lot of games this season. We’ve been creating a lot of chances. It’s all about capitalising on your strengths and rectifying your past errors,” East Bengal’s midfielder Dani Ramirez said.

The Omani club has an impressive track record at the continental level, having won the AFC Cup in 2022. The fixture will mark only the second historical meeting between East Bengal and Al-Seeb. The two sides previously faced each other in the Scissors Cup in 1995 in Kozhikode, where East Bengal lost 0-1.