East Bengal’s AFC Challenge League campaign came to an agonizing end on Wednesday as they conceded two late goals to suffer a 1-2 defeat against FC Arkadag of Turkmenistan, crashing out of the quarterfinals with a 3-1 aggregate loss.
The Indian Super League (ISL) side had a perfect start, with Messi Bouli scoring in the opening minute of the second leg. However, their hopes suffered a major setback in the 33rd minute when defender Lalchungnunga received his second yellow card, leaving East Bengal with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Red and Gold brigade held on bravely until the final moments. But Arkadag’s relentless pressure paid off as Altymyrat Annadurdyyev struck twice—first from the penalty spot in the 89th minute and then in the eighth minute of stoppage time—to send the Turkmenistan champions into the semifinals.
East Bengal, who qualified for the third-tier AFC club competition by winning the 2024 Super Cup, topped Group A to reach the quarterfinals. After losing the first leg 0-1 in Kolkata on March 5, they needed a strong performance in the away fixture.
They got off to a dream start when Arkadag goalkeeper Rausl Charyyev could only parry Dimitrios Diamantakos’ shot, allowing Bouli to slot home the rebound. The Indian side nearly doubled their lead in the 17th minute when Diamantakos surged through the middle, but his low drive struck the post, with Richard Celis unable to capitalize on the rebound.
Arkadag, sensing an opportunity, started pushing forward. Shanazar Tirkishov went close but dragged his shot wide, while an injury to defender Ybrayym Mammedov forced an early substitution in the 30th minute.
Three minutes later, the match turned in Arkadag’s favor when Lalchungnunga brought down Yazgylych Gurbanov and was shown his second yellow card. Playing with 10 men, East Bengal still created opportunities, with Celis missing a crucial header off a Diamantakos cross in the 52nd minute.
The Turkmenistan side gradually took control in the second half. Shamammet Hydyrow forced a fine save from Prabhsukhan Gill in the 76th minute, as they kept pushing for an equalizer. Their breakthrough finally came in the 89th minute when Sauvik Chakrabarti fouled Tirkishov inside the box, allowing Annadurdyyev to convert from the penalty spot.
With the game heading towards extra time, Annadurdyyev sealed Arkadag’s victory with a composed finish in the 98th minute, ending East Bengal’s campaign.
It was a heartbreaking exit for Oscar Bruzon’s side, who fought bravely despite the numerical disadvantage. While they showed promise in patches, the inability to convert key chances and maintain discipline proved costly.
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