East Bengal Drawn Alongside Bashundhara Kings in AFC Challenge League

Group A Teams

• East Bengal FC (India)
• Nejmeh SC (Lebanon)
• Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh)
• Paro FC (Bhutan)

Tournament Information

The AFC Challenge League is a continental competition for countries that are not yet at the level of the AFC Champions League or AFC Cup. The tournament was launched in 2008, and East Bengal has never participated in it before.

The top two teams from Group A will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the top two teams from Group B.

The winner of the tournament will qualify for the AFC Cup, the second-tier club competition in Asia.

Nejmeh SC

Nejmeh SC is a Lebanese professional football club based in Beirut. The club was founded in 1945 and is one of the most successful clubs in Lebanon, having won 14 league titles and 5 cups.

Nejmeh SC qualified for the AFC Challenge League by virtue of being the third-placed team in the 2022 Lebanese Premier League.

Bashundhara Kings

Bashundhara Kings is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in Dhaka. The club was founded in 2013 and is owned by Bashundhara Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh.

Bashundhara Kings qualified for the AFC Challenge League by winning the 2022 Bangladesh Premier League.

Paro FC

Paro FC is a Bhutanese professional football club based in Paro. The club was founded in 2007 and is the most successful club in Bhutan, having won 3 league titles and 3 cups.

Paro FC qualified for the AFC Challenge League by winning the 2022 Bhutan Super League.

Other News

East Bengal FC will begin their AFC Challenge League campaign on March 17, 2023, when they face Bashundhara Kings. The match will be played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

East Bengal FC are hoping to qualify for the AFC Cup for the first time in their history.