East Bengal Rise from the Ruins in Bhutan, but not yet out of Woods

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East Bengal - the down and out, struggling Kolkata club has reign supreme in the AFC Challenge League group stages, thus confirming a berth in the quarterfinals of the inaugural AFC competition.

East Bengal FC secured a spot in the knockout stage of the 2024/25 AFC Challenge League by defeating Lebanon's Nejmeh SC 3-2. This victory in their final Group A match on Friday ensured they topped the group with seven points, advancing to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Nejmeh SC must wait to see if their six points will be enough to qualify as the best runners-up from the West Zone.

Oscar Bruzon's men knew they had to win, and they made the perfect start against Nejmeh. Madih Talal's corner was accidentally headed into the net by Baba Musah in the eighth minute. The Indian team capitalised on Nejmeh's sluggish start and doubled their lead in the 15th minute. Dimitrios Diamantakos scored his third consecutive goal by converting a low cross from Mahesh Naorem.

Nejmeh SC, who had won their previous two matches, quickly responded. Rabih Ataya set up Collins Opare to score past Prabsukhan Gill just three minutes later. The Lebanese side regained confidence and equalized two minutes before half-time when Hussein Monzer executed a flawless free-kick into the top corner, setting up an exciting second half. The decisive moment came when Talal was fouled in the penalty area by Ali Ismail. Referee Songkran Bunmeekiart awarded a penalty, which Diamantakos converted with ease in the 77th minute to restore East Bengal's lead. This goal proved crucial as it helped East Bengal maintain their advantage until the end.

And it is what the Red and Gold brigade was craving for a long time. After eight defeats across all competitions in a row, even the most optimistic East Bengal supporters wouldn't have expected a lot in Thimphu, and it didn't look too rosy either after the first half of the first match against Paro FC, when they were losing 1-2.

But the next five halves for the Kolkata team has been a revelation for them. They have netted eight goals in the last 225 minutes of football in Bhutan, gaining seven points in process. East Bengal, dead and buried a week ago, have risen from the grave and are now set to continue their voyage in the continental journey.

A turbulent period has marred East Bengal all season. The serial loss started with a poor evening in Shillong when they suffered a defeat at the hands of Shillong Lajong, thus being eliminated from the Durand Cup. And that's how the serial downfall started. After three consecutive defeats in the ISL, coach Carles Cuadrat was shown the door. Bruzon's journey started with a Kolkata derby defeat, and then a loss in Bhubaneswar against Odisha FC.

But despite that, there were visible marks of improvement in the East Bengal team, and even Bruzon was pretty confident about the progress. And the excellent outing in Bhutan has proved Bruzon right.

As Bruzon expected, his boys have started to play fearless and attacking football, which was missing from the start this season. The movements of players, attacking prowess and the galvanized mentality are visible, which in turn have provided results. Another massive relief will be the form of Dimitrios Diamantakos, who has netted 4 goals in three matches. If East Bengal are to bid a strong comeback, the Greek's form will be climacteric.

The players were visibly emotional on Friday - some with tears of relief while others were screaming in joy. It is a magnificent moment for the club and the supporters along with the players, but they can't get complacent now. With just two league matches in the entirety of November, Bruzon will find ample time to sharpen up his squad, hopefully, agile and ready to take on the upcoming ISL challenge. The performance in Bhutan has definite reasons to be hopeful, but East Bengal are not out of the woods yet.

Despite the temporary rejoicing in the AFC Challenge League, their bigger issue still needs a strong antidote. But for now, the players can afford to have a day or two for celebrations.

As East Bengal take on Mohammedan in their next ISL encounter on November 9, the club and the supporters shall hope for the 2.0 version, one which may propel them to newer heights this season.