Indian Super League (ISL) outfit East Bengal will lock horns with Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr in an AFC Champions League 2 preliminary play-off match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday, August 14.

The East Bengal vs Altyn Asyr, AFC Champions League 2 match will start at 7:00 PM IST. Live streaming and telecast of the ACL 2 preliminary play-off clash will be available in India.

Under Spanish manager Carles Cuadrat, East Bengal qualified for the AFC Champions League 2 2024-25 preliminary stage after clinching the Kalinga Super Cup 2024.

The Red and Gold Brigade defeated Odisha FC 3-2 in the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 final  at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

According to rules, the Kalinga Super Cup will secure an Indian berth in the AFC Champions League 2, however, they will have to compete in the preliminary stage to advance to the group stage. 

For the unversed, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has replaced the previous structure of continental competitions from the 2024-25 season. Teams will compete for AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League 2 in place of AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, respectively.

Apart from East Bengal, Mohun Bagan Super Giant is the other Indian club that has qualified for the ACL 2 2024-25 competition.

While Mohun Bagan have already booked their place in AFC Champions League 2 group stage after winning the Shield in the 2023-24 season, East Bengal will have to defeat Altyn Asyr to earn a spot in the ACL 2 group stage.

East Bengal will be featuring in any continental club competition for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

Carles Cuadrat’s men have started the 2024-25 season with two impressive victories in the Durand Cup 2024.

East Bengal began their Durand Cup 2024 with a 3-1 win over Indian Air Force before beating Downtown Heroes by the same scoreline.

The Kalinga Super Cup champions have been active in the transfer window and have strengthened their squad by roping in several high-profile players, including the likes of Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Hector Yuste, Mark Zothanpuia and Provat Lakra.

On the other hand, Altyn Asyr have been one of the dominant teams in the Ýokary Liga, the top tier of Turkmen football. They have won the Ýokary Liga eight times in a row (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021).

In the ongoing season, they are currently placed second in the Ýokary Liga with 37 points from 16 matches.

Founded in 2008, Altyn Asyr has also won the Turkmenistan Super Cup on eight occasions, the Turkmenistan Cup (five times), and the Turkmenistan President's Cup (two times). 

The Signalmen have also been consistent in the continental club competition since making their AFC Cup debut in 2015.

Earlier in 2018, Altyn Asyr became the first Turkmenistan team to reach the final of the AFC Cup. They later succumbed to a 0-2 defeat against Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the final.

East Bengal vs Altyn Asyr head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between East Bengal and Altyn Asyr. 

Where to watch East Bengal vs Altyn Asyr AFC Champions League 2 live

The East Bengal vs Altyn Asyr, AFC Champions League 2 match will be telecast live on the Zee 24 Ghanta TV channel.

Live streaming of the East Bengal vs Altyn Asyr ACL 2024-25 preliminary play-off will be available on Zee 24 Ghanta’s YouTube channel.

Photo credit: Imago