East Bengal FC Vs Nejmeh SC Highlights, AFC Challenge League: EBFC Into Quarter-finals With 3-2 Win

The Group A encounter will kick off at 4:00pm IST, and can be live streamed on the Paro FC YouTube channel in India. However, it will not be live telecast on any TV channel in India.

East Bengal XI: Gill (GK); Yuste, Anwar, Lalchunghunga, Hijazi; Saul, Nandhakumar, Talal, Sauvik, Naorem Mahesh; Diamantakos

Nejmeh SC XI: Sabeh (GK); Al-Rida Ismail, Safwan, N. Darko; Abdulai Hussein Monzer, M. Zein, M. Abdula, Kourani; Ataya, El Zein, Opare

With the table toppers qualifying for the next stage, and the team who finishes second with a possible qualification chance into the next stage of the competition, this round 3 fixture turns into a must-win clash for East Bengal. 

The AFC Challenge League, which was previously known as the AFC President’s Cup is an yearly competition that is organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The event is conducted among the nations which do not receive direct qualification slots to the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite or the AFC Champions League two, based on AFC club rankings. 

Due to reasons unknown, the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 fixture between East Bengal and Nejmeh SC will get underway at 4:00 PM IST on Friday, November 1. 

The game was scheduled to start at 3:30 PM.

It seems there was some confusion. The game is already underway. East Bengal's social media handles have got it wrong. The game is going on and East Bengal are already dominating their Lebanese oponnents. Poor from East Bengal's social media team this and fans are furious in the comments. Anyways, we move towards the match.

15' East Bengal have begun on a high and they have taken a 2-0 lead in just the first fifteen minutes. The first goal came in the 8th minute for the Kolkata side and then Diamantakos then doubled the lead of East Bengal in the 15th minute.

18' First goal for Nejmeh SC!!!

Just 18 minutes into the game, we are seeing the third goal. This time Nejmeh have managed to get their opening goal. Opare is the scorer and Ataya is the man who comes up with the assist via a brilliant through ball.

26' Massive miss for East Bengal! All Talah had to do was to slot the ball into an empty goal but he just fires it over the goalpost. Really poor from Talah that too from inside the six-yard box. East Bengal should have gone 3-1 up but for now they wait. They are consistently putting Nejmeh's defence under pressure though.

38' Nejmeh are coming hard and making it difficult for the East Bengal defence. Some corners, some shots but, luckily for the Kolkata side, they are ahead in the game so far as we move towards the break. But Nejmeh are suddenly looking like the better side.

43' Second Goal For Nejmeh SC!!!

The consistent pressure finally gets the better of East Bengal defence. Nejmeh SC get a direct free kick from just outside the box that too from the centre. It was always going to be a threatening position and Hussein Monzer ensures the Lebanese side level scores. Monzer fires it towards the top right corner and East Bengal goalkeeper Gill has no chance. Nejmeh level scores.

There comes the whistle and we head towards the break with the game in balance. East Bengal started the game on a high scoring twice within first 15 minutes of the starting whistle. But the last 15 minutes or so before the break, it was all Nejmeh. They got the first goal in just the 18th minute and then consistently kept East Bengal's defence busy before a free kick gave them the equaliser. An interesting second half coming up for sure.

Second half begins and the players are back on the field. The scores were level at the end of the first half.

49' East Bengal miss just a minute after Nejmeh SC missed their chance. Both sides came close to getting the lead but ultimately both squandared their respective chances. Nandhakumar was the East Bengal player who should have registered himself on the scoresheet but has not.

52' After a tough end to the first half, East Bengal are playing better after the break. They have kept the ball and made some attacks as well, something that they were not doing in some last 15 minutes before the break.

58' Good saves from Amarinder Gill and East Bengal keep Nejmeh quiet. Yet again as the game progresses, the Lebanese side is upping the ante and keeping East Bengal defence on the toes.

65' After intense spell of pressure, East Bengal finally get to make an attack. Diamantakos makes a run but makes a foul and concedes a free kick to the opposition.

76' East Bengal score their third goal!!!

Diamantakos puts East Bengal ahead yet again. Totally against the run of play, East Bengal find their third goal of the evening, this one from penalty. Diamantakos fires it from the spot to score and he wrongfoots the opposition goalkeeper.

80' Nejmeh miss another chance. This could have been another chance for the Lebanese side. Ataya shows some moves on the right flank and then puts a brilliant cross for Bilal at the left edge of the box but Bilal misses to the right.

89' That third goal from East Bengal has taken the wings out of the Nejmeh midfield and attack. The attacks are not coming for the Lebanese side while the Indian side is defending deep and running ahead only on counters.

90+2' East Bengal could have sealed the game then and there but a great save from the Nejmeh SC goalkeeper Sabeh has kept the game alive. Talal cuts into the box from the left and takes a shot but a good diving save to the left denies East Bengal their fourth goal.

Just to be sure, six minutes of added time in the match. A win would take East Bengal to the quarterfinals.

90+7' It has been a physical game and there we have wasted around two minutes as both sides argued over who made the foul in the box. Luckily, the referee gives the decision in the favour of East Bengal goalkeeper Gill. So, no penalty for Nejmeh. And instead it is a drop ball in the D. A massive relief for East Bengal just seconds before the final whistle.

East Bengal win and qualify for the quarterfinals of the AFC Challenge League.

As tough a game as it could get for East Bengal but they have managed to win it. The stakes were high, so was the pressure but the Red And Gold Brigade have come up with a golden performance in Thimphu today. Scenes of celebration on the ground tell you how significant this win is for a team that has lost six straight game to start their ISL 2024-25 season.

It has been quite tough for East Bengal this season but today they have shown that there might just be a road to redemption which the Red And Gold Brigade can take. Nejmeh SC are a good side and they showed it today but East Bengal managed to be on the right side of the number that mattered, goals.

East Bengal began on a high smashing the first two goals within 15 minutes. However, Nejmeh pulled one back in the 18th minute. As the first half progressed, Nejmeh SC started attacking more and East Bengal defence was tested multiple times. The equaliser finally came just minutes before the half-time via a free kick. The second half saw East Bengal look even more clueless as they consistently lost ball but somehow the scoreline was not disturbed. A foul in the box gave East Bengal a penalty in the 77th minute and Diamantakos got his second and the decisive goal of the game.

TRIVIA

With the win, East Bengal get into the quarterfinals at the Asian level for the first time in 11 years. The last time they played a knockout game at the Asian level was the AFC Cup in 2013 in the semifinals.

East Bengal have topped Group A and will now head to the quarterfinals. We will also take your leave. It was a thrilling encounter. Thank you for following the match at OutlookIndia. Bye!