East Bengal’s AWCL Dream Begins: Can The Moshal Girls Go One Better This Season?

India’s reigning champions are back on the continental stage — and this time, they want more than just a respectable finish.

East Bengal FC, the Moshal Girls, kick off their AFC Women’s Champions League Preliminary Stage campaign against Bangladesh’s Rajshahi Stars at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. A spot in the AWCL 2026-27 Group Stage is on the line, and East Bengal enter as favourites in a tricky Group A.

Group A Lineup

Joining East Bengal are Rajshahi Stars (Bangladesh League champions), hosts Sabah FA (Malaysia National Women’s League champions), and Rovers FC from Guam (Women’s G League champions). Only one team advances, so a single slip could end the continental dream early.

Squad Concerns Ahead Of The Opener

East Bengal will be missing key attackers Fazila Ikwaput and Resty Nanziri due to visa issues, while defender Abena Opoku is away on Ghana national duty. Soumya Guguloth is also managing fitness after a knee injury. On the flip side, Rajshahi’s star Ritu Porna Chakma faces her own setback — an unresolved International Transfer Certificate issue from her time in Myanmar.

East Bengal: Overview

Last Season’s Near Miss

In their AWCL debut last year, East Bengal opened with a thumping 3-1 win over Iran’s Bam Khatoon, only to fall to Nasaf and Wuhan Jiangda in back-to-back matches — finishing third, just one point shy of the knockout spot.

Women’s club football continues to grow across Asia, with the AFC Women’s Champions League standing as the continent’s top club competition — a tournament format that brings together national league champions from across Asia to compete for continental glory, similar in structure to Wikipedia’s overview of the AFC Champions League. khelnow

No official broadcaster has confirmed live streaming for Indian fans yet. For more football and continental tournament updates, check out TechnoSports’ sports coverage.

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