Depleted E Bengal take on Al Qadsia

KOLKATA, MARCH 23
Virtually out of AFC Cup contest after being beaten twice, home and away, East Bengal’s third encounter against Al Qadsia of Kuwait in Group D at Yuva Bharati Krirangan(YBK) tomorrow is now a formality to complete the Asian circuit engagement
for being Federation Cup winners in India.
Earlier, the Kolkata giants were drubbed 1-4 by Al Ittihad of Syria in the first play at home and then were thrashed 0-3 by Al  Nejmeh of Lebanon in the away match.
So much so that the star-studded East Bengal, perhaps having its worst season after losing three matches and drawing one in last four ONGC I-League engagements. They were considered out of reckoning in the 14-team country-wide league championship.
Beaten in five, out of last six matches, they played, the red and gold might find it tough to project a desirable show against the middle-east opponents at the artifical turf in YBK.
No one is sure what kind of exhibition could be seen on the artificial turf with soaring temperature hovering between 38-40 degree celsius.
The Federation Cup winners have lost their touch since the start of the second leg of the I-League.
Al Qadsia challenge for East Bengal for the moment looks a tough one, but then the Kuwait champions have had a slow start in their AFC Cup campaign by just amassing two points from two matches played so far.
East Bengal have exposed fragile defence, which was rated high and considered as an advantage when they won the Federation Cup.
The hosts will miss Nirmal Chettri due to double yellow card, while Baichung Bhutia was still nursing his nagging hamstring injury.
Al Qadsia are yet to open their winning account and will hope take advantage of the depleted East Bengal to move up the ladder in the group standings.