Kolkota: East Bengal FC have been drawn in Group E of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025 Preliminary Stage, alongside Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) and Phnom Penh Crown FC (Cambodia). The draw was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
The reigning Indian Women’s League champions will travel to Cambodia for the centralised round-robin qualifiers, scheduled to take place from August 25 to 31.
A total of 19 clubs from across Asia will compete in the Preliminary Stage, which features five groups — four comprising four teams each and one with three. Only the five group winners will progress to the Group Stage.
They will then join the seven highest-ranked clubs based on the AFC Women’s Club Competition Rankings 2024-25 — including Melbourne City, Suwon FC Women, Tokyo Verdy Beleza, defending champions Wuhan Jiangda WFC, Ho Chi Minh CWFC, Bam Khatoon, and a yet-to-be-named side from the UAE.
