All posts tagged: women's football

East Bengal crowned champions of inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship | Football News

East Bengal crowned champions of inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship | Football News

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East Bengal FC clinched the title of the inaugural edition of the SAFF Women’s Club Championship with a dominant 3-0 win over hosts APF FC in the final at the Dasrath Stadium on Saturday. Ugandan star striker Fazila Ikwaput scored a brace while India international Shilky Devi Hemam netted once to complete the flawless campaign for the Moshal girls. Fazila also won the golden boot with nine goals in five games. Anthony Andrews’ side scored 14 goals and conceded none in their five matches during the tournament. After playing a 0-0 draw in the group stage against the same opponents, East Bengal came determined to score early in the final and got their breakthrough in the 22nd minute. A long ball from Sarita Yumnam put APF defence under pressure and Damai headed the ball towards an unmarked Fazila who made no mistake in opening the goal charts. Shilky doubled East Bengal’s lead in the 35th minute with a brilliant header after receiving Ashalata Devi’s cross from the right flank. East Bengal scored within the first …

Why Arsenal’s UWCL win is a stunning achievement

Why Arsenal’s UWCL win is a stunning achievement

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Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius struck a late winner as the London team shocked holders Barcelona 1-0 on Saturday to claim their second Uefa Women’s Champions League title and first in 18 years to the delight of their 5,000 travelling fans. Arsenal beat Real Madrid, Lyon, and finally, Barcelona on their way to a second UWCL title. Between them, Lyon and Barcelona had won the last nine editions of UWCL and Arsenal ended that streak. Already the only English side to become European champions back in 2007, Arsenal extended that tally in 2025. Remarkably, Arsenal recovered from a poor start to the season that led to the departure of former manager Jonas Eidevall and the appointment of Renee Slegers. The knockout stage wins were thrilling comebacks as Arsenal overturned a 2-0 first leg loss to then dismantle Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, it was an away comeback as they beat powerhouses Lyon 4-1 at their home to advance 5-3 on aggregate. We can’t stop watching 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Cw9OnLopB3 — …

‘You’ll get time to live normal life… (right now) just go mad’

‘You’ll get time to live normal life… (right now) just go mad’

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The Indian women’s football team, currently preparing for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, had a special visitor in the form of Sunil Chhetri to boost their morale. Currently playing for the Indian men’s football team after reversing his decision to retire from international football, Sunil Chhetri gave a rousing speech to the Blue Tigresses. In the sattar-minute-esque speech, Chhetri urged the players to “go crazy” in their pursuit to keep playing football at the top level. “Kal main athra saal ka tha (Yesterday, I was 18 years old!) Today, I’m 41! Your coach (Crispin Chhetri) and I were in same team once. The reason I am saying this is to tell you that time flies. Fast! If you really want it bad, take all the margins. There will be no difference between sleeping at 10 pm and sleeping at 10.45 pm in one night. But do this for a year, and you see the difference. If you eat a samosa one day, won’t make too much of a difference. But don’t eat it …

More women than men at LA Olympics, boxing legend Mary Kom says ‘current generation will get opportunities’ | Sport-others News

More women than men at LA Olympics, boxing legend Mary Kom says ‘current generation will get opportunities’ | Sport-others News

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The Los Angeles Olympics are more than three years away. But already, the Games have secured a place in the history books — for the first time, there will be more women competing at the Olympics than men. Following years of steady rise in their participation numbers, the scale tipped in the favour of women athletes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday decided to shrink the men’s football competition from 16 teams to 12. At the same time, the Olympic body expanded the women’s tournament by four teams, taking the total to 16. The addition of two teams in women’s water polo and one extra weight category in women’s boxing, taking the total to 12 and 7 respectively, meant that women will have more spots (5,655) than men (5,543) over 36 sports. ‘Momentous decision’ “It’s a momentous decision, one that will encourage a lot of women to get into sports,” boxing legend Mary Kom, who won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, told The Indian Express. “The current generation will get …

Sethu FC downs Odisha FC, HOPS FC snatch late draw against Kickstart FC

Sethu FC downs Odisha FC, HOPS FC snatch late draw against Kickstart FC

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Sethu FC delivered a commanding performance to outclass Odisha FC 3-1 in their 2024-25 Indian Women’s League encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on March 27, 2025. A first-half brace from Amnah Nababi (7’, 13’) and a goal from Moussa Zouwairatou (41’) sealed the win for Sethu, while Lynda Kom Serto (90+6’) scored a late consolation goal for Odisha. The victory ended Sethu’s four-match losing streak, taking them to third place with 13 points from 10 matches. Odisha FC, on the other hand, slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat, dropping to sixth place with 11 points from 10 games. In another Indian Women’s League clash, HOPS FC secured a 1-1 draw against Kickstart FC at the Ambedkar Stadium, thanks to a late equalizer by Ghanaian defender Constance Achiaa (84’). Kickstart FC had taken the lead through Renu (10’), but they failed to hold on. HOPS FC remain at the bottom of the table with five points from 10 games, while Kickstart FC sit just above the relegation zone with 10 points from as many matches. …

Gokulam Kerala thrash Sribhumi, East Bengal dominate Nita FA

Gokulam Kerala thrash Sribhumi, East Bengal dominate Nita FA

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The Indian Women’s League (IWL) witnessed contrasting fortunes for two of its top teams on Monday, January 20, 2025. Gokulam Kerala FC, spurred by an extraordinary four-goal performance from Fazila Ikwaput, crushed Sribhumi FC 5-1 to bag their first win of the season. Meanwhile, East Bengal FC maintained their dominant run, defeating Nita FA 4-1 to consolidate their position at the top of the table. Fazila’s show powers Gokulam Kerala to first win Sribhumi FC 1–5 Gokulam Kerala FC Gokulam Kerala FC finally broke their winless streak with a stunning 5-1 victory over Sribhumi FC at the Bibhutibhusan Stadium. Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput was unstoppable, scoring four goals, including the fastest goal in IWL history in just 17 seconds. Sribhumi briefly leveled the score in the 38th minute through Queenable Akousa Amankrah’s header, but Fazila restored Gokulam’s lead three minutes later. Shubhangi Singh added to the tally with a spectacular long-range goal, while Fazila completed her hat-trick and added another with clinical finishes in the second half. The win lifted Gokulam Kerala to second place …

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

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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.” …

16-year-old Tanvi Nair roped in by Odisha FC Women’s team

16-year-old Tanvi Nair roped in by Odisha FC Women’s team

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The Odisha FC Women’s team has added new Indian firepower to its ranks with the signing of 16-year-old midfielder Tanvi Nair, the club announced on Thursday. Born on March 8, 2008, Tanvi started playing football with her brothers and neighbors. Her journey in professional football began in 2020 with Bengaluru FC, where she spent four formative years as a youth player. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐢 🌟#OFCW is thrilled to announce the signing of 16-year-old midfield sensation, Tanvi Nair 🔥 🏆 Best Midfielder – Karnataka Women’s League 2024🏆 Champion – KSFA ‘A’ Division 2023#OdishaFC #IWL pic.twitter.com/H0ubWm2Z6t — Odisha FC Women (@OdishaFCW) December 26, 2024 A player with ‘incredible technique’ During her time with Bengaluru FC, Tanvi played an integral role in the team’s success, helping it secure the KSFA ‘A’ Division Championship in 2023, which ensured that they for the prestigious Karnataka Women’s League. Her exceptional performances earned her the Best Midfielder award in the recently concluded 2024 Karnataka Women’s League. Additionally, she captained the Blues’ women’s team. Tanvi will now play her trade for …

India Exits After Shoot-Out Loss to Nepal

India Exits After Shoot-Out Loss to Nepal

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In a chaotic semi-final at the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024, India’s senior women’s team bowed out after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out defeat to Nepal at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. Despite leading 1-0 through a long-range strike by Sangita Basfore in the 62nd minute, a series of interruptions and disputes marred the match, ultimately swinging momentum in Nepal’s favor as they advanced to face Bangladesh in the final. The second half was filled with contentious moments, beginning with a red card to Nepal’s Rekha Poudel in the 51st minute. Nepal’s players and fans vehemently protested the decision, leading to a 12-minute pause in play as tensions escalated in the stands. Shortly after India’s opening goal, even greater confusion erupted. As the Blue Tigresses celebrated near their bench, Nepal’s players took a quick restart, sending the ball into an open Indian net. However, the referee disallowed the “goal,” sparking further protests that led Nepal’s players and officials to temporarily leave the pitch. It took over an hour to resolve the dispute as spectators, players, and officials …

To address Indian football’s height issue, AIFF turns to Rajasthan | Football News

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Indian football has historically struggled to find tall players, but now the national federation is targeting specific regions in the country to address the issue. Most of the country’s top players — including the recently-retired Sunil Chhetri and current sensation Lallianzuala Chhangte — haven’t been among the tallest. It’s a disadvantage in set-pieces and a midfield lacking muscle often gets easily run over. To rectify this anomaly, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is looking west — towards Rajasthan, to be precise. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said he has tasked club officials in Rajasthan to scout for tall players in the state that doesn’t have a rich football history. “During one of my trips around the country watching football, I spotted that players from Rajasthan would stand out because of their height. That made me explore the idea of keeping an eye on them. So I spoke to officials of the Rajasthan state association to look for 14-15-year-old boys and develop their skills. There is a high probability that they will be close to 6’3″ …