All posts tagged: IWL champions

East Bengal target winning start in maiden campaign

East Bengal target winning start in maiden campaign

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 …

East Bengal FC ready for Group Stage debut

East Bengal FC ready for Group Stage debut

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 …

A bigger, more competitive season over the horizon

A bigger, more competitive season over the horizon

The much-anticipated Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2024-25 is set to kick off on January 10, 2025, marking the start of another thrilling chapter in Indian women’s football. The league is expanding with eight teams this season after two teams were promoted from the inaugural IWL 2 season. Fans can expect a highly competitive tournament with 56 matches taking place across the country over the next three months. These fixtures will not only determine the national champion but also offer the victorious team a golden opportunity to represent India at the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League. Defending Champions Odisha FC: Can they keep the momentum going? Odisha FC Women made history last season by clinching their maiden IWL trophy, breaking Gokulam Kerala FC’s long-standing dominance. Under head coach Crispin Chettri, they finished the 2023-24 season as champions, marking an impressive start for the club, which was only founded in 2022. This season, however, the Kalinga Warriors are facing a new challenge, as several key players have moved on, making way for a younger, fresher squad. Despite …