East Bengal to face Altyn Asyr in AFC Champions League 2 prelims

East Bengal, who won the Kalinga Super Cup in January to fetch a spot in the AFC Champions League Two preliminary round, are set to face Altyn Asyr FC from Turkmenistan. The match has been scheduled on August 14, 2024, and will be played at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The winner of this clash will book themselves a place in the AFC Champions League Two group stages. Notably, two more teams will be in the quest for a group-stage spot (West Zone) apart from East Bengal and Altyn Asyr. Bahrain's Al Ahli will take on Kuwait SC in the other fixture and the winner of the two games will eventually go through.

East Bengal will be back to the continental event after a wait of 10 seasons, with their last participation coming in the 2014-15 season. East Bengal have certainly been a prominent side at the AFC Cup. Their best feat in the competition came in 2013 when they became only the second side after Dempo SC to reach the semi-finals of the AFC Cup.

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AFC proposed new structure in 2023

The Asian Football Confederation proposed a new club competition structure in 2023. According to them, there will be three competitions in total - AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two and AFC Challenge League.

In the ACL Two, there will be a total of 32 clubs participating, making it a memorable first season for the competition. 27 teams from 21 member associations have been placed directly in the group stages. This includes 12 teams from the West Zone and 15 teams from the East Zone. Three teams which will be eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite's preliminary stage will add to these 27, making it 30. The other two will be playing in the ACL Two prelims come August.

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