East Bengal Club joins Nejmeh, Bashundhara Kings, and Paro in AFC Challenge League

Indian Super League club East Bengal has been placed in Group A of the AFC Challenge League along with Nejmeh SC (Lebanon), Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh), and Paro FC (Bhutan). The matches for Group A will take place at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. East Bengal secured their spot in the competition by winning the Kalinga Super Cup earlier this year. Despite a 0-2 loss to Altyn Asyr FC (Turkmenistan) in the qualifying matches for the AFC Champions League Two, East Bengal will now compete in the AFC Challenge League.

As for EBFC's opponents, Nejmeh SC is the Lebanese Premier League champion. Notably, the former faced the latter in the AFC Cup group stage in 2010, losing both legs 0-3 and 0-4.

Bashundhara Kings and Paro FC are the Bangladesh Premier League and Bhutan Premier League champions, respectively.

A total of five groups will be seen in the tournament. There will be three groups of four teams each in the West Region, whereas the East Region will have two groups with three sides each.

Eight teams will progress from the group stage - the three group winners, along with the best-ranked runner-up from the West and the top two finishers from the two groups in the East.

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The double-legged quarter-finals will happen between March 5-13, followed by the semi-finals from April 9-17 whereas the final takes place on May 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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