East Bengal's AFC Scoring Legends Led by Bhaichung Bhutia
Following a 2-2 draw with Al-Hussein in the AFC Champions League Two, a look at East Bengal FC's all-time top scorers in continental competitions, with
East Bengal FC began their AFC Champions League Two campaign with a 2-2 draw against Jordan's Al-Hussein on September 19, 2026. New signing Dani Ramirez and defender Anwar Ali scored first-half goals before the Jordanian club mounted a comeback.
The result marks East Bengal's return to continental football. The Indian club raced to a two-goal lead in the first half. Al-Hussein, a three-time Jordanian champion, responded with strikes in the 61st and 87th minutes, the latter from Jordanian international Ahmed Assaf. The match highlighted a history of East Bengal players finding the net in Asian tournaments.
The All-Time Top Scorer
Bhaichung Bhutia is the club's most prolific marksman in AFC competitions with 11 goals. His most remarkable performance came during East Bengal's historic 2003 ASEAN Club Championship victory. After an opening loss, Bhutia scored all six goals in a 6-0 win over Philippine Army, becoming the first Indian to score a double hat-trick in an AFC tournament. He added one goal in each of the three subsequent knockout matches to finish as the tournament's top scorer. Bhutia netted again in the 2004 AFC Cup and scored his final continental goal for the club in the 2005 edition.
Historic Campaign Contributors
Several players have made significant contributions across different eras. Debashish Roy sits second with eight goals, all scored during the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship qualifiers and main tournament. He netted a hat-trick in a 9-0 win over Club Valencia and scored seven times in the qualifying stage alone.
Two players share the third spot with six goals each. Nigerian striker Chidi Edeh was key during East Bengal's run to the 2013 AFC Cup semi-finals, scoring a hat-trick against Yangon United in the round of 16. Brazilian forward Cristiano Junior also scored six times, all during the 2004 AFC Cup group stage.
The Five-Goal Club
Three players have scored five AFC goals for East Bengal. The list includes former Indian national team captain Carlton Chapman, who scored a hat-trick in the 1993-94 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. Former player and manager Biswajit Bhattacharya netted all five of his goals in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship qualifiers. Australian forward Tolgay Özbey rounds out the group, with all his goals coming during the 2011 AFC Cup.
| Player | Nationality | AFC Goals | Key Tournament(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhaichung Bhutia | India | 11 | 2003 ASEAN Club Championship, 2004-05 AFC Cup |
| Debashish Roy | India | 8 | 1985-86 Asian Club Championship |
| Chidi Edeh | Nigeria | 6 | 2013 AFC Cup |
| Cristiano Junior | Brazil | 6 | 2004 AFC Cup |
| Carlton Chapman | India | 5 | 1993-95 Asian Cup Winners' Cup |
| Biswajit Bhattacharya | India | 5 | 1985-86 Asian Club Championship |
| Tolgay Özbey | Australia | 5 | 2011 AFC Cup |
The club's continental campaign continues under head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. East Bengal's next fixture in the AFC Champions League Two is against Iraq's Al-Shorta on October 13, 2026.
