East Bengal Women secured a 2:0 victory over Sabah Women in the AFC Women's Champions League preliminary stage on Saturday. The match took place on 23rd August at their home ground, and the result keeps them in contention for a place in the main draw. By then, the hosts had already built a comfortable cushion with their second-half goals.
The opening breakthrough came in the 67th minute when East Bengal finally broke through. It wasn't a moment of brilliance so much as patience paying off — they waited for the right moment and punished Sabah when it appeared. The goal shifted the momentum entirely, and Sabah found themselves chasing the game for the final quarter-hour.
The second goal arrived in the 87th minute, a clean finish that sealed the result. And here's the thing about these preliminary matches: teams that control the tempo tend to score late when the opposition starts to tire. East Bengal had the energy to push forward again, and Sabah, having spent the evening defending, simply didn't have the legs to respond.
The home side's recent form suggested they were ready for this challenge. After a 0:3 defeat to Nasaf and a 0:2 loss to Wuhan Jiangda in November, they had bounced back with wins against Rovers Women and Rajshahi Women. To be fair, those results came against weaker opposition, but confidence matters in football.
Sabah came into this match with more experience at this level. They had played three games in October 2024, including a heavy 0:7 defeat to Wuhan Jiangda, and more recently a 2:1 win over Rajshahi and a 13:0 victory against Rovers Women. The contrast in their recent results showed what this match might reveal.
The two-goal margin means East Bengal Women have now demonstrated they can compete with teams from across Asia. In the preliminary stage, every point counts, and a clean sheet against a side with more tournament experience sends a clear message.