'Make our fans proud': Dani Ramirez eyes win as East Bengal target Al-Shorta after historic ACL Two draw

KOLKATA: East Bengal’s Spanish attacker Dani Ramirez believes that his team’s stunning 2-2 draw at Jordanian champions Al Hussein SC will help them grow in confidence in Asia’s second-tier club football.Ramirez scored one and provided assist to Anwar Ali’s goal as Antonio Lopez Habas’ team became the first Indian club to register a point in an away game in the rebranded AFC Champions League Two. It could’ve been more remarkable for them had they not conceded a goal at the death to let their 2-0 lead slip away.Ramirez, however, insisted after the match in Amman that they would go for a win when they host Iraq’s Al-Shorta in their next match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Oct 13."I hope we can win our second ACL Two group match against Iraq's Al-Shorta on 13 October in Kolkata, and make our fans proud.“We still need to improve in a few areas, and that introspection started in the dressing room right after the match. That said, this performance will give us a huge confidence boost, and we will carry these lessons into the next match,” Ramirez told the club’s media team.Only three foreigners, playmaker Mohammed Rashid and Croatian defender and debutant Diego Zivulic being the other two, were available for East Bengal ACL2 Group D opener. But they are likely to face Al-Shorta at home with the possibility of three more foreign attackers —Australia’s Chris Ikonomidis, Ivory Coast’s Ake Arnaud Loba and Polish striker Lukasz Zwoliński, being available for selection.“We played well as a unit (in Amman), and with our fans backing us at home, I am confident we can deliver a positive result,” Ramirez maintained.Al-Shorta are leading the Group D after the first-round action, following their 1-0 win over Oman’s Al Seeb.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.