India’s East Bengal saw off a spirited second-half display from Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City to secure a 2-1 win in their opening Group B match at AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 football tournament in Kolkata on Sunday.
Fazila Ikwaput (20’, 34’) opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot before doubling their advantage 14 minutes later. Dau Nguyen (60’) netted for the visitors on the hour mark.
The opening minutes set the tone as both sides exchanged chances with Ngo Thi Hong Nhung unleashing a volley that struck the bar before Resty Naziri scuffed a close-range effort wide.
East Bengal edged ahead in the 20th minute through Fazila Ikwaput’s well-taken penalty after Rielly Chesna was caught handling the ball.
Ikwaput pounced on Tanaka Hitomi’s header in the 34th minute and fended off Chesna to slot past the advancing Tran Thi Kim Thanh to give East Bengal a 2-0 lead to take into the interval.
Vietnamese champions Ho Chi Minh improved after the break but were still unable to trouble East Bengal custodian Elangbam Panthoi.
However, as the match approached the hour mark, Tran Thi Thu Xuan’s free-kick caused trouble inside East Bengal’s box with Dau diving for a header to pull one back for the visitors.
In their push for the equaliser, Ho Chi Minh left gaps at the back and were nearly made to pay by East Bengal in the 74th minute when Anokye picked out Ikwaput for a tap-in that was denied by Cu Thi Huynh Nhu, who produced an outstanding last-minute block.
Despite their efforts, Ho Chi Minh were unable to find another opening before the final whistle as East Bengal held firm to claim maximum points.
EBFC will face the Republic of Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC in their second Group B match on Wednesday.
East Bengal, the reigning Indian Women’s League champions, booked their place in the group stage for the second successive season by topping Group A of the AWCL preliminary round in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, in August.
The Moshal Girls are aiming to become the first Indian football team to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League.
All group winners and runner ups, along with the two best-ranked third-placed sides, will advance to the knockout stage.
