East Bengal lose 2-3 to Iraq’s Al Shorta in AFC Champions League Two despite Lalhlansanga brace

East Bengal lost 2-3 to Iraqi club Al Shorta in an AFC Champions League Two Group D match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on 13 October, despite two first-half goals from forward David Lalhlansanga.

The Kolkata side remain winless after two group matches, while Al Shorta, coached by Sami Trabelsi, made it two wins out of two, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and PTI.

How the match unfolded

Lalhlansanga gave East Bengal an early lead in the eighth minute, but Al Shorta equalised around six minutes later. Reports differ on who scored the visitors’ first goal: the AFC credited Ahmed Yahya, and PTI’s report described Yahya’s header from a Ruben Ramírez cut-back, though its opening paragraph credited Ramírez.

Lalhlansanga restored East Bengal’s lead around the 40th minute to send the hosts into the break 2-1 up. Al Shorta turned the match around early in the second half.

• 8′ – David Lalhlansanga (East Bengal)
• About 14′ – Ahmed Yahya (Al Shorta)
• About 40′ – David Lalhlansanga (East Bengal)
• 51′ – Hussein Al Saedi (Al Shorta)
• 53′ – Kingsley Kuku (Al Shorta); his header from a corner deflected off goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh’s arm, according to PTI and Khel Now
• 76′ – Al Shorta’s Abdoul Moumouni was sent off for a second yellow card after a tackle on Jay Gupta

East Bengal played the final 14 minutes against 10 men but could not find an equaliser.

Group D position

• Al Shorta: 6 points from 2 matches, top of Group D (PTI)
• East Bengal: 1 point from 2 matches, third in the group (PTI, Khel Now)
• East Bengal drew 2-2 with Jordan’s Al Hussein SC on matchday one on 16 September

What’s next

East Bengal next face Oman’s Al Seeb Club away on 27 October, according to Khel Now. The fourth team in Group D is Al Hussein of Jordan.

None of the published match reports carried quotes from either coach.

Sources: ThePrint (PTI), AFC, Khel Now