Al-Hussein and East Bengal II share points in AFC Cup opener
Al-Hussein and East Bengal II played out a 2-2 draw in the opening Group Stage match of the AFC Cup on Tuesday at the Amman International Stadium. Dani Ramirez opened the scoring in the ninth minute before A. Ali equalised for the visitors forty minutes in. The hosts took the lead again in the 61st minute through M. Al Mardi, only for Ahmad Assaf to net a late equaliser in the 87th minute. The result leaves both sides with one point each after one game.
East Bengal II came into the fixture with a more recent run of positive results, including a 4-1 victory over Al-Arabi in August. Al-Hussein had suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Al-Jazeera just eleven days earlier and drew 0-0 with Al-Bukaa on Sunday. The hosts started brighter, taking an early lead through Ramirez, while the visitors showed resilience to respond before half-time.
Al-Hussein dominated possession at 62 per cent but struggled to convert their advantage into goals. They registered 19 shots with just five on target, yielding a meagre 17 per cent accuracy rate. East Bengal II, by contrast, were far more efficient. Their four shots on target produced two goals, a conversion rate of 50 per cent. The visitors created three big chances of their own, matching their hosts despite registering just 69 attacks compared with 102.
Both sides made several changes as the match progressed, with Al-Hussein bringing on Pedro Henrique and Y. Abu Al Jazar in the 86th minute. East Bengal II also shuffled their pack, introducing J. Gupta and E. Lalrindika on the hour mark, while M. Khrouba came on later for the visitors. The game saw two yellow cards — A. Al Haj for the hosts and Jeakson Singh for East Bengal II — as tensions occasionally flared.
The draw means neither side has taken control of Group Stage-1. Al-Hussein sit second on one point from one game, while East Bengal II occupy the same position in the table. Both teams now look ahead to their next fixture, knowing that this opening encounter could prove pivotal in the group phase.
