East Bengal secured a spot in the AFC Challenge League quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Lebanon’s champions, Nejmeh SC, at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu, Bhutan. Their star striker, Dimitrios Diamantakos, scored a brace as the Kolkata giants advanced to the knockouts of an Asian tournament for the first time in 11 years.
This tournament has brought new energy to East Bengal’s players, staff and fans. Despite being winless in six Indian Super League (ISL) games, they have qualified for the quarter-finals of this prestigious tournament, remaining undefeated across all three group matches.
Despite getting injured in the last game against Bangladesh’s Basundhara Kings, Hector Yuste recovered in time to earn a spot in the starting line-up. This was the first positive news for East Bengal fans. They began with a blistering pace, carrying the momentum from their 4-0 win over Basundhara. In the eighth minute, they took the lead off a precise corner from Madhi Talal, but it was an own goal by Nejmeh’s Baba Musah.
Seven minutes later, East Bengal’s Greek forward, Dimitri Diamantakos, scored his third goal of the tournament. Mahesh Naorem Singh set him up with a beautiful pass, and Diamantakos found the net with a first-time finish. But in the 18th minute, the Lebanese champions responded, as Collins Opare scored from a brilliant through pass from Rabih Ataya.
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In the 26th minute, East Bengal had a golden chance to make it 3-1, but they squandered it. Star French midfielder Talal only needed to tap the ball into an empty net, but he blasted it over the bar. The miss proved costly, as the Lebanese side kept piling on pressure afterwards.
Yuste began to struggle, making several sloppy tackles. In the 36th minute, he received a yellow card. Then, five minutes later, he pulled down Opare just outside the penalty box. That gave Nejmeh a free-kick, and midfielder Hussain Monzer converted with a stunning right-footed curler into the top-right corner, leaving East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill rooted to the spot. The first half came to an end with a 2-2 scoreline.
The Lebanese side came out strong in the second half, and within two minutes, they nearly took the lead. Hassan Kourani failed to keep a superb cross from Ali Ismail on target. East Bengal responded with a chance of their own, but they missed it as well. Nandhakumar Sekar wasted a golden opportunity from a perfectly timed pass by Naorem. Provat Lakra came in for Yuste, despite carrying an injury from the opener against Paro FC.
The game remained open and intense, with both teams pressing hard. In the 76th minute, East Bengal was awarded a penalty against the run of play. Diamantakos did not falter, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament to give the red-and-gold brigade a much-needed 3-2 lead.
After that, Oscar Bruzon’s men held their nerve until the final whistle. With this victory, they have now secured a spot in the quarterfinals through automatic qualification. They also finished on top of their group with seven points from three games.
Also Read: Emphatic AFC Challenge League Brings New Hope for East Bengal