East Bengal became the first Indian club to reach the AFC Women's Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday, November 7. Despite a 0-2 loss to 4.25 SC, the team got through as one of the best third-placed sides. This historic achievement marks a major step for Indian women’s football clubs.
East Bengal's wait for a historic continental breakthrough is finally over. The Moshal Girls have become the first Indian club to reach the AFC Women's Champions League quarter-finals, achieving the feat a year after narrowly missing out on goal difference.
East Bengal Women made history on Saturday, November 7, despite going down 0-2 to North Korea's 4.25 SC in their final Group B fixture at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The defeat did little to dampen the celebrations, as the Indian side secured a quarter-final berth as one of the two best third-placed teams across the three groups.
The qualification marks a significant step forward for a team that has steadily established itself among the leading forces in Indian women's football. After winning their maiden Indian Women's League title in 2024-25, East Bengal have continued to make their presence felt beyond domestic competition, reaching the continental group stage for a second successive season.
Their breakthrough was all the more satisfying given how close they came last year. In their debut AFC Women's Champions League campaign, East Bengal reached the group stage but missed out on the quarter-finals on goal difference. This time, they managed to cross that final hurdle and put an Indian club on the continental knockout-stage map for the first time.
A DEFEAT THAT COULD NOT STOP HISTORY
East Bengal's campaign had been built around a crucial 2-1 victory over Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City WFC, which ultimately proved decisive. They had also suffered a 1-4 defeat to South Korea's Hwacheon KSPO before facing an unbeaten 4.25 SC side in their final group fixture.
The North Korean outfit made an immediate impact, taking the lead in the second minute through Han Jin-hong's header. East Bengal goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu kept her side in contention with important saves, but Oh Sol-song doubled the advantage in the 43rd minute. East Bengal held firm after the break, ensuring the deficit did not grow and keeping their qualification hopes alive.
4.25 SC finished top of Group B with nine points, while Hwacheon KSPO came second with six. East Bengal advanced with three points, joining the best third-placed teams in the quarter-final line-up.
THE NEXT CHAPTER AWAITS
The quarter-final draw will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on December 3. East Bengal will be unseeded and face either defending champions Naegohyang Women's FC, Group C winners PFC Nasaf or the best second-placed side, Melbourne City FC.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for March 27 and 28, 2027. For East Bengal, the achievement is already a landmark. Now, the Moshal Girls have a chance to take Indian women's club football into territory it has never reached before.