East Bengal concede a 2-0 defeat against Wuhan Jiangda in the AFC Women’s Champions League
Chinese star Wang Shuang steered her team, Wuhan Jiangda, to a convincing 2-0 victory against East Bengal, scoring a brace in their AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage match in Wuhan, China, on Thursday. Wuhan Jiangda, last season’s Champions League winner, drew 1-1 with Uzbek side Nasa in its opening group stage match. In their next outing against Indian champion East Bengal, Wang Shuang stood out by scoring once from open play and once from the penalty spot. Wuhan Jiangda started strongly, pressing forward from the start. Within eight minutes, Shuang scored after receiving a cross from Song Fei and steering the ball past Panthoi Chanu. Up against a women’s football heavyweight, East Bengal chose to strengthen the rearguard, but another defensive error cost it dearly. Panthoi’s late challenge on Shuang saw the forward go down, and referee Kim Yu Jeong pointed to the spot. Shuang, an Asian Games silver medallist and a four-time Chinese Women’s Footballer of the Year, used all her experience, sending Panthoi to the wrong side, doubling the lead. The win helped Wuhan Jiangda climb to the top of its group stage standings with four points from two matches, while East Bengal is second with three points after two rounds after second round. They need at least a draw against Nasaf in their next match on 23rd November to ensure a berth in the quarterfinals.
East Bengal start in style in the AFC Women’s Champions League
East Bengal started their campaign in the AFC Women’s Champions League (AFC WCL) in style, trouncing Iran’s Bam Khatoon in Wuhan, China, on Monday. Shilky Hemam, Fazila Ikwaput, and Resty Nanziri scored to give the Red and Golds a crucial opening victory. The match started brightly for East Bengal. In the fourth minute, Hemam struck from the edge of the box after Ikwaput’s efforts were blocked. The early breakthrough allowed the Indian side to control possession and dictate the tempo. Bam Khatoon responded with long-range attempts from Sara Didar and Fatemeh Geraeli, but they failed to trouble goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu. East Bengal doubled its lead in the 32nd minute when Amnah Nababi delivered a precise pass to Ikwaput, who calmly finished past Raha Yazdani. Just before halftime, Bam Khatoon pulled one back through Mona Hamoudi’s penalty after a Jyoti Chouhan handball. The Iranian side showed more intent in the second half, but their efforts from distance lacked conviction. East Bengal regained control late in the game. Ikwaput hit the post in the 79th minute and forced Yazdani into a save soon after. Nanziri sealed the result in the 87th minute with a stunning long-range strike that dipped over the goalkeeper. Coach Anthony Andrews will now prepare his side for the next Group B fixtures against China’s Wuhan Jiangda on November 20 and Uzbekistan’s Nasaf on November 23. With the top two teams qualifying directly for the quarterfinals, East Bengal’s strong start boosts its chances of progressing further in the competition.
