East Bengal AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Schedule: Complete Fixture List, Date and Timings, Venue

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East Bengal will play in the upcoming AFC Challenge League 2024-25, the third tier of Asian club football competition, which is scheduled to begin on October 26.

The Kolkata-based club find themselves in the tournament after a defeat in the AFC Champions League 2 Qualifiers. As a result, they will compete in the AFC Challenge League, aiming to gain direct qualification to next season’s Champions League 2 group stage.

East Bengal have been pitted in Group A along with Lebanese club Nejmeh SC, Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings, and Bhutan’s Paro FC. Despite their poor domestic form, East Bengal will back themselves to get a positive result from the continental tournament, with rule changes such as unlimited foreign players providing them with an added advantage.

East Bengal AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Full Schedule: Group Stage

The AFC Challenge League 2024-25 group stage will take place between October 26 and November 2, with both East and West region clubs playing three matches. East Bengal FC will face the Bhutan Premier League 2023 champions Paro FC on Saturday, October 26. They will then face Bashundhara Kings on Tuesday, October 29, followed by the final group stage game against Nejmeh on Friday, November 1.

Also read: East Bengal announce 26-member squad for AFC Challenge League

East Bengal AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Full Schedule: Knockout Stages

If East Bengal manage to qualify from their group to the knockout stages, they will play a two-legged quarter-final match in March next year. This will be followed by another two-legged semi-final in April, finally culminating in a final game on May 10, 2025.

Also read: ISL 2024-25: East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzon rues miss-chances after Odisha defeat, vows to come back strongly

Which Venue will East Bengal Play in AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Group Stages?

The hosting rights for the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 West Region Group A are with Bhutanese side Paro FC. So, East Bengal will play their group stage games at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu. The beautiful stadium, with a capacity of 15,000, will be the perfect picturesque venue for East Bengal to compete in the group stage.