East Bengal FC Drawn in Group A of AFC Challenge League
Clubs from Lebanon, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India Compete
East Bengal FC, an Indian Super League club, has been drawn in Group A of the AFC Challenge League alongside Nejmeh SC Lebanon, Bashundhara Kings Bangladesh, and Paro FC Bhutan. The draw took place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
Group A Overview
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Nejmeh SC (Lebanon): Former runners-up of the AFC Cup in 2005, Nejmeh SC qualified for the AFC Challenge League by virtue of being the 2023-24 Lebanese Premier League runners-up. *
Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh): Bashundhara Kings is the current Bangladesh Premier League champions, having won the title in the 2022-23 season. *
Paro FC (Bhutan): Paro FC is the current Bhutan Premier League champions, having won the title in the 2022 season. The AFC Challenge League is a continental club competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament is designed to provide a pathway for clubs from developing football nations to compete in AFC competitions. The winner of the AFC Challenge League will qualify for the AFC Champions League, the premier club competition in Asia. The AFC Challenge League will be held from August 11-26, 2023, in central Asia. The matches will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team playing each other once. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will qualify for the AFC Champions League. East Bengal FC will be making their debut in the AFC Challenge League. The Kolkata-based club has a rich history in Indian football, having won the National Football League (NFL) eight times. East Bengal FC will be hoping to make a strong impression in the AFC Challenge League and qualify for the AFC Champions League.
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