East Bengal FC pulled off a sensational comeback to defeat Kuwait’s Al Arabi SC 4-1 in extra time in the AFC Champions League Two qualifier at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.
Rohit Danu completed the remarkable comeback in the 120th, converting Hmar’s assist to seal East Bengal’s passage to the group stage of the tournament proper. Substitute David Hmar made it 3-1 in the 117th minute, scoring from a rebound after Chris Ikonomidis’ effort was saved.
The win helped EBFC qualify for the group stage of the tournament. The ISL champion started positively, with Palestinian midfielder Basim Rashid’s powerful effort from outside the box forcing a fine save from Sulaiman Abdulghafoor. Al Arabi took the lead in the 76th after Sandip Mandi brought down Maleko inside the box. Nigerian forward Anayo Iwuala converted the resulting penalty. With a defeat looming large, the host found a dramatic equaliser when Jay Gupta headed home from a Rashid free-kick in the 90th.