It will be an acid test for new East Bengal coach Eelco Schattorie when the team takes on Johor Darul Ta’Zim in its AFC Cup football opener here on Tuesday.
After sacking acclaimed Indian coach Armando Colaco, the struggling East Bengal brought in Schattorie during the middle of the season. The Group F match will be Schattorie’s first for the Kolkata team.
It will be interesting to see if the Dutchman succeeds in bringing out the best from the East Bengal players who have been a pale shadow of their past this season, having crashed out of the Federation Cup while struggling to post a victory in the I-League where it is currently fifth after six matches in the 11-team table. Schattorie said the defence has been a problem while the midfield is yet to get its flair. “We have to work on our defence, but I’m ready for the challenge. The target is to do well in the AFC Cup.” The 18-member squad will be without the injured forward Baljit Sahni.