India’s reigning champions are back on the continental stage. East Bengal FC Women open their AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 Preliminary Stage campaign against Bangladesh’s Rajshahi Stars at Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu, and the Moshal Girls are the favourites to top Group A and book a second straight group-stage berth.
The Group A Picture
East Bengal share the group with Rajshahi Stars (Bangladesh League champions), hosts Sabah FA (Malaysia’s national league champions), and Rovers FC from Guam. It’s a single-legged, one-spot format — meaning even a single slip-up could end India’s continental dream early.
Squad Worries Before Kickoff
The timing isn’t ideal. East Bengal head into the tournament missing key attackers Fazila Ikwaput and Resty Nanziri to visa issues, while defender Abena Opoku is away on Ghana national duty for the opener. Star player Soumya Guguloth is also managing a knee injury and isn’t fully match-fit — a tough blow for a squad chasing back-to-back qualifications.
Fixtures Table
| Date | Fixture | Kickoff (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 17 (Mon) | East Bengal FC vs Rajshahi Stars FC | 1:30 PM |
| Aug 20 (Thu) | Rovers FC vs East Bengal FC | 1:30 PM |
| Aug 23 (Sun) | East Bengal FC vs Sabah FA | 5:30 PM |
Last Season’s Near Miss
This isn’t East Bengal’s first continental rodeo. In their AWCL debut last season, the Kolkata club opened with a 3-1 win over Iran’s Bam Khatoon before back-to-back losses to Nasaf and Wuhan Jiangda left them third in the group — just one point shy of the knockout stage.
Where to Watch in India
As of now, no official broadcaster or streaming platform has confirmed coverage of East Bengal’s preliminary-stage matches in India. Fans will need to watch for updates as the tournament kicks off.
For more football coverage on Indian clubs’ continental campaigns, check out Technosports’ football section.
For East Bengal’s full club history and honours, see the Wikipedia page for East Bengal FC (women).
