East Bengal Faces Altyn Asyr FC in AFC Champions League Showdown

East Bengal will compete against Altyn Asyr FC from Turkmenistan in the AFC Champions League Two preliminary stage on August 14. Qualifying through the Super Cup victory, East Bengal aims to progress in the tournament. The event features multiple matches and stages leading up to the final on May 17 next year.

East Bengal is set to face Turkmenistan-based club Altyn Asyr FC in the preliminary stage of the upcoming AFC Champions League Two on August 14, as announced on Wednesday.

The Red and Gold Brigade, which finished ninth in the ISL last season, secured their spot by winning this year's Super Cup, defeating Odisha FC 3-2 in a thrilling final. The August 14 fixture will mark East Bengal's home game debut in this competition.

In addition to East Bengal's matchup, Bahrain's Al-Ahli will clash with Al-Kuwait in another preliminary fixture. A total of 32 club sides, with 27 teams hailing from 21 Member Associations, will compete for a place in the group stage, which kicks off on September 17.

Furthermore, three teams eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite preliminary stage will also join the AFC Champions League Two group stage. Notably, another ISL contender, Mohun Bagan Super Giants, will directly enter the group stage as League Shield Winners.

The 32-team group stage will be divided into eight groups, with matches proceeding in a round-robin home-and-away format from September 17 to December 5. The tournament will then advance through pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and conclude with the final on May 17 next year.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)