‘I miss East Bengal fans, Kolkata Biryani with Potato’: Hijazi Maher says after Reunion in Jordan

Former East Bengal player Hijazi Maher met the team as they are in Jordan for their AFC Champions League Two match against Al Hussein.

East Bengal enter the continental campaign with considerable momentum after an impressive run of results under head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. The Kolkata giants secured their place in the 32-team ACL Two group stage by defeating Kuwait’s Al Arabi SC 4-1 in the preliminary stage at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan last month.

Jay Gupta, Mohammed Rashid, David Lalhlansanga and Rohit Danu were on the scoresheet as the Red & Gold Brigade produced a commanding performance to overcome Al Arabi and book their place in the second-tier continental competition.

The result also extended what has been a highly successful period for East Bengal. The club won the ISL 2025-26 title and subsequently added the Durand Cup to their silverware collection. They also reached the finals of the IFA Shield and AIFF Super Cup last season, while losing only three matches in regulation time since July 2025.

East Bengal will now look to carry that consistency onto the Asian stage. The fixture in Amman is particularly significant as it marks the club’s 19th participation in an AFC men’s competition, the highest number of appearances by an Indian club.

And their former player Hijazi joined the team in Amman for a reunion with his former club. East Bengal coach Bino George also presented him with a shirt.

In an emotional conversation with the East Bengal Media Team, Hijazi reflected on the affection he received from the club and its passionate fanbase, and also revealed that he misses Kolkata food.

“I am very happy to meet my former teammates and support staff after such a long time. I welcome you all to Jordan. I miss East Bengal a lot! Both East Bengal and Al-Hussein are my former clubs. I wish both of them the very best, and may the better team emerge victorious,” he said.

“I miss the East Bengal fans a lot. I still receive hundreds of messages from them on Instagram. I am incredibly honored to have represented such a passionate fanbase over two seasons. The day we returned to Kolkata after our Super Cup victory will always be the best day of my career. It’s indeed difficult to find such unconditional love elsewhere. I miss the Kolkata food too – especially the Biryani with potato,” he added.