All posts tagged: AFC Women’s Champions League

Inside Emami East Bengal Women’s Football model

Inside Emami East Bengal Women’s Football model

Published by Webster

Sporting revolutions are rarely driven by performance alone. They are sustained by capital, self-belief, and collective passion. East Bengal Football Club’s women’s team is now living proof of this reality, with their resurgence anchored in consistency rather than coincidence. East Bengal were crowned champions of the Indian Women’s League 2024–25, and the momentum has carried into the ongoing 2025–26 season, where they finished Phase 1 at the top of the table, an indicator of sustained excellence. On the regional stage, the club added further prestige by winning the SAFF Women’s Club Championship 2025, sealing the title with a dominant 3–0 win over hosts Nepal Armed Police Force in Kathmandu. Anchored by experienced internationals like Soumya Guguloth and Sandhiya Ranganathan, clinical finishers such as Fazila Ikwaput, and energetic youth like Sulanjana Raul, the squad blends experience with emerging talent. Add to that a reliable spine, from midfielders Karthika Angamuthu and Sangita Basfore to defenders Loitongbam Ashalata Devi and Ngangbam Sweety Devi, and East Bengal possess both balance and depth. Under head coach Anthony Andrews, this mix …

East Bengal target winning start in maiden campaign

East Bengal target winning start in maiden campaign

Published by Webster

Matchday Two of the inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship 2025 will feature a highly anticipated clash as Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions East Bengal FC Women begin their maiden SAFF campaign against Bhutan’s Transport United Ladies FC at the Dashrath Stadium on Monday afternoon (Kickoff: 1:45 PM IST). While this will be East Bengal FC Women’s first-ever SAFF appearance, Transport United Ladies enter the contest after a gritty 0–0 draw against Karachi City FC in the tournament opener on 5 December. East Bengal come into the championship on the back of a landmark continental outing in the AFC Women’s Champions League, where the Moshal Girls created history by becoming the first Indian club to win an AWCL group stage match, defeating Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC 3–1. Despite subsequent losses to defending champions Wuhan Jiangda (China) and Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf, the Kolkata side remained in the quarter-final race until the closing stages of their group campaign, a testament to their rapid growth and exposure to elite competition. Their opponents, Transport United Ladies, runners-up in the 2024 …

How Anthony Andrews led East Bengal to India’s first AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage win

How Anthony Andrews led East Bengal to India’s first AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage win

Published by Webster

Long before the first whistle blew in Wuhan and long before the red-and-gold flag was unfurled on a picturesque evening in the Chinese city, Emami East Bengal women already knew what they were walking into. When a club of this stature, a club that has carried a century of noise, rage, romance, and rebellion on its shoulders, qualifies for the AFC Women’s Champions League, they don’t just step into a competition. They walk into a storm of expectations. And this time, the storm wasn’t just from Kolkata. It was from the entire country. Because this is no ordinary phase for Indian women’s football. But when East Bengal qualified for the AFC Women’s Champions League, expectations outside the dressing room were modest. A few days after returning from Wuhan, head coach Anthony Andrews sat down for an exclusive conversation with The Bridge, reflecting on the journey that carried his team to Asia’s biggest stage. Indian clubs had struggled at this level before and Odisha FC’s difficult run in the previous edition made supporters wary. But inside …

Nasaf too strong as East Bengal’s FC Women’s Champions League campaign concludes

Nasaf too strong as East Bengal’s FC Women’s Champions League campaign concludes

Published by Webster

East Bengal FC Women’s continental adventure came to a close on Friday as they fell 3–0 to Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf in their final Group B match of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025–26 at the Hankou Cultural and Sports Centre. After starting the tournament with a historic 3–1 win over Bam Khatoon FC, the Red & Gold entered this fixture with a chance, albeit slim, to qualify for the quarter-finals. But Nasaf’s clinical finishing and a late decisive strike extinguished their hopes. The match started evenly, with both sides trading early half-chances. However, Nasaf grabbed the opener in the 17th minute when a pass from the right found Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva (29), who slotted home with composure. The goal stood after a VAR check for offside, prompting East Bengal coach Anthony Andrews to seek clarification from the referee. Despite the setback, EB showed resilience, attempting quick transitions through Soumya Guguloth and Resty Nanziri, but the final pass continued to elude them. The second half began with urgency, but Nasaf struck again in the 52nd minute through …

East Bengal target quarter-final berth against Nasaf- Updates, blog

East Bengal target quarter-final berth against Nasaf- Updates, blog

Published by Webster

East Bengal FC Women return to action in Wuhan for their final Group B match of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26, taking on Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf in a fixture that could define their continental journey. EBFC remain firmly in the quarter-final race despite their 2–0 defeat to defending champions Wuhan Jiangda earlier in the week. With three points on the board from their historic opening win over Bam Khatoon FC, the Red & Gold now look to finish strong and keep their knockout hopes alive. Nasaf arrives after a defeat against Bam Khatoon and earned a hard-fought 1–1 draw against Wuhan in their opener, and will view this game as their best chance to break into the top two. With both teams needing a result for survival, today’s clash promises intensity, high stakes, and plenty of drama in Wuhan. Stay with us for LIVE minute-by-minute updates. LIVE UPDATES: Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and …

East Bengal target winning start in maiden campaign

East Bengal FC Women eye historic AWCL quarter-final spot in decisive clash against Nasaf

Published by Webster

East Bengal FC will face Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf in the penultimate fixture of Group B in the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League at Wuhan’s Hankou Culture & Sports Centre tomorrow afternoon (Kickoff – 12:30 PM IST). The Indian Women’s League champions will need either a draw or a win to script history and become the first Indian club to reach the quarter-finals of the continental competition. EBFC Women currently sit second in the group, level on points with Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC but ahead on goal difference (0 vs -1). Even a defeat will leave the Kolkata-based side with a chance to progress to the knockouts as one of the two best third-placed teams, but they must not concede more than 2 goals and hope for Wuhan to defeat Bam Khatoon later in the day. EBFC Women announced their arrival with a commanding 3-1 victory over Bam Khatoon on their AWCL group stage debut. Shilky Devi, Captain Fazila Ikwaput and Resty Nanziri scored in the win. However, their momentum was halted just three days later …

East Bengal take on Wuhan Jiangda- Scores, blog, updates

East Bengal take on Wuhan Jiangda- Scores, blog, updates

Published by Webster

East Bengal FC Women return to action on Thursday with their quarter-final aspirations within touching distance as they prepare to take on reigning champions Wuhan Jiangda FC in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26. The Kolkata side opened their maiden campaign with a landmark 3–1 win over Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC, becoming the first Indian club to claim a group-stage victory in the competition. With three points already secured, EBFC need just one more from their remaining two fixtures to seal a place in the knockout stage. Their opponents, Wuhan Jiangda, were restricted to a 1–1 draw by Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf in their opener, adding further weight to this high-stakes Group B matchup at the Hankou Cultural and Sports Centre. LIVE UPDATES: Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

East Bengal FC ready for Group Stage debut

East Bengal FC ready for Group Stage debut

Published by Webster

East Bengal FC is set to script a new chapter in Indian women’s football history as they begin their maiden AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage campaign tomorrow in Wuhan, China. The Red and Gold Brigade, who qualified as Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions, will compete in a demanding Group B alongside Wuhan Jiangda FC (China PR), Bam Khatoon FC (Iran), and PFC Nasaf (Uzbekistan). East Bengal earned their spot after topping their preliminary group, finishing above Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) and Phnom Penh Crown FC (Cambodia). A 1–0 win over Phnom Penh Crown and a gritty draw against Kitchee gave them four points, enough to progress to the main competition. The qualification run showcased the team’s discipline and composure under pressure, with Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput, who scored 24 goals in the IWL, delivering in key moments. With two-time IWL-winning coach Anthony Andrews at the helm and AIFF Goalkeeper of the Year Panthoi Chanu guarding the posts, East Bengal arrives in Wuhan with both pedigree and ambition. East Bengal’s group is one of the toughest …

East Bengal FC crowned IWL champions, become first West Bengal club to reach top tier of Asian football

East Bengal FC crowned IWL champions, become first West Bengal club to reach top tier of Asian football

Published by Webster

Almost twenty-one years since an East Bengal team last won a league title in Indian football, the club’s women’s team sealed the Indian Women’s League trophy with a careful and tight 1-0 victory over defending champions Odisha FC. To add further salt, Odisha are now prime placed to suffer relegation, their fate not entirely in their own hands with one game left. Soumya Guguloth scored the winning goal in the 67th minute. In their third season in the women’s top division, East Bengal halted all challenges with ease. They have beaten all teams, bar one — Gokulam Kerala — in the league this season and will no doubt look to amend that statistic heading into the final game of the season on April 18 when they will also be officially handed the trophy in Kalyani. Despite thoroughly dominating the first half, East Bengal’s sudden freeze in front of goal extended into this game, too. Their forward trio of Maurine Achieng, Soumya Guguloth and Elshaddai Acheampong were guilty of not finishing good chances throughout the first …

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

Published by Webster

The 2024-25 Indian Women’s League (IWL) season is set to kick off with a thrilling encounter between defending champions Odisha FC Women (OFCW) and Gokulam Kerala FC on January 10, 2025, at EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala. The match promises to be a high-stakes battle between two of the league’s top contenders, with both teams looking to make an early statement. Odisha FC Women enter the season as the defending champions, having dominated the 2023-24 IWL season with 31 points from 12 matches. Under the guidance of Coach Crispin Chettri, the team secured 10 wins and one draw, dethroning Gokulam Kerala FC, who finished second with 29 points. Despite losing a few key players, Odisha FC remains a formidable force, thanks to the arrival of several promising young talents. Coach Chettri shared his thoughts on preparing for the season, saying, “This year, we have a very young side with only a few players remaining from last season. But we are growing as a team every day, and we are confident we can defend our title.” …