Kolkata, December 24: After a long and demanding journey across the AFC and SAFF stages, East Bengal FC Girls finally returned to Indian soil, and marked their homecoming with a hard-fought 1–0 victory to kick off their Indian Women’s League 2015-26 campaign over Sethu Madurai FC at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
East Bengal FC Women showed intent right from the start and dominated large phases of the first half with sustained attacking pressure.
In the 33rd minute, Resty delivered a sharp ball from the left side of the box. Sulanjana collected it well and placed it back inside the area for Soumya. With the Sethu keeper slightly off position, East Bengal looked set to score, but the Sethu Madurai defence reacted just in time to avert the danger.
Eight minutes later, East Bengal came agonisingly close again. From a quick attacking move, Resty sent a neat back pass to Sulanjana inside the box from the left. Her shot, however, missed the target by inches, sailing just over the crossbar.
On the brink of halftime, Fazila almost broke the deadlock with a powerful header, but luck once again deserted the Moshal Girls as the ball went narrowly wide. Both sides launched attacks in the opening half, though East Bengal Women posed the greater threat and controlled the tempo.
The second half saw Sethu Madurai FC respond with intent. In the 59th minute, Nirmala Devi unleashed a shot from the right side of the box aimed at the far post. The ball deflected off the top corner and went out, serving as a warning for the East Bengal defence.
The decisive moment finally arrived in the 77th minute. Soumya Guguloth breaking the deadlock with a stunning long-range strike. Her thunderous effort found the net, and with that the Moshal Girls took a deserved 1–0 lead.
East Bengal continued to push for a second goal late in the game. In the 87th minute, substitute Astam Oraon who had just come on in place of Sulanjana, attempted a header from inside the box, but her effort narrowly missed the target.
Despite late pressure, East Bengal FC Women held firm to see out the match and secure a crucial win on home soil. After months of international commitments, the Moshal Girls’ return to India was marked by resilience, discipline, and a moment of individual brilliance, a perfect way to begin their title defense campaign.
IWL 2025-26: Sethu FC vs East Bengal FC highlights
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