AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Quarter-finals | East Bengal FC will face FK Arkadag

East Bengal FC will face the top-division Turkmeni League champions FK Arkadag in the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 quarter-final. East Bengal advanced to the knock-out after beating Nejmeh SC by 3-2 as they became the Group A champions. On the other hand, Arkadag has qualified for the knock-outs as the Group B winners.

🚨East Bengal FC will face Arkadag FC in quarter-finals of AFC Challenge League

March 5th, Kolkata
🇮🇳 East Bengal vs 🇹🇲 Arkadag

March 12th, Ashgabat
🇹🇲 Arkadag vs 🇮🇳 East Bengal#IndianFootball #EastBengal pic.twitter.com/6VIzkBgx8S

— IFTWC - Indian Football (@IFTWC) November 2, 2024

The battle of the winners will take place in two legs in March 2025. The first leg will be East Bengal's home match at the VYBK in Kolkata on 5 March 2025. Arkadag will host East Bengal on 12 March 2025 for the return leg at the Nusay Stadium in Ashgabat.

Pathway to the Quarter-final 

East Bengal FC

East Bengal may have been thriving to survive in the Indian Super League after losing 6 out of 6 games, but they are up and running in the AFC Challenge League under the newly appointed head coach Oscar Bruzon. 

The Red and Gold Brigade started their AFC Challenge League campaign with a 2-2 draw against Paro FC, the Bhutan Premier League champions. Later, East Bengal earned their first win of the season fiercely against Basundhara Kings, thrashing them by 4-0. 

🔝 effort from the boys! ❤️💛#JoyEastBengal #ChallengeLeague #EBFCInAsia pic.twitter.com/jDuCOd8jxz

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) November 2, 2024

To conclude their group-stage adventure, East Bengal FC defeated Lebanese side Nejmeh SC by 3-2 to confirm their knock-out qualification. Oscar Bruzon's men finished on top of Group A with 7 points in 3 matches and they are looking for another Asian glory. 

FK Arkadag 

FK Arkadag was founded in April 2023, but they have consecutively won two league titles in 2023 and 2024 to become the undisputed champions of Turkmenistan. 

Arkadag topped their group as well, and advanced to knock-outs as the Group B winners with 6 points in 3 matches. 

🇹🇲 All-conquering Arkadag have failed to win a match for the first time in their history, after 61 competitive victories in a row since 1 April 2023.

The club were founded by Turkmenistan's former dictator Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov but have faced allegations of match-rigging. pic.twitter.com/JqhY98lVQQ

— The Sweeper (@SweeperPod) November 1, 2024

The Turkmen champions commenced their journey by defeating Maziya Sports of Maldives by 2-1. They went on to defeat FC Abdysh-Ata by 2-0 in their second match. However, Arkadag lost their final group game by 2-3 against Kuwaiti side Al Arabi SC but proceeded as the group winners.