Kolkata, April 20: From next Monday, the Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2025-26 Phase 2 will kick off in Kolkata. It begins with a rescheduled fixture from Phase 1, the Kolkata Derby between East Bengal Women and Sreebhumi FC. The match will begin at 7:00 PM on 27 April.
In this phase, a few things have changed, including the venues and match timings. Phase 2 will be played across two venues, the National Centre of Excellence (NCE Ground) and the East Bengal Ground. The match timings have also been set at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM, with evening games to be played under floodlights.
A total of 29 matches will be played from 27 April to 18 May, with all eight teams facing each other in the second leg. Based on the Phase 1 results, defending champions East Bengal Women are at the top of the table. They have played 6 matches, securing all 18 points with a superior goal difference of +24.
Sethu FC are just behind them, having completed 7 matches and collected 16 points. Meanwhile, SESA Football Academy and Kickstart FC Women are in the relegation zone at the bottom of the table.
The teams finishing in seventh and eighth place will be relegated to IWL 2 next season. From IWL 2, the top two teams will qualify for the Indian Women’s League 2026–27.
The Indian Women’s League had never been played under floodlights before, despite having access to them during the 2023 season in Ahmedabad. The teams struggled with match timings in the peak summer heat and were forced to play in daylight. As time went on, players from different teams sent a letter to the AIFF, urging better focus on the country’s premier women’s league. In response, the federation promised improvements and better use of infrastructure.
Now, three years later, even in the summer heat, the IWL is finally set to host matches in the evening under floodlights, marking a step forward in the league’s growth and professionalism.
IWL 2025-26 PHASE TWO FIXTURES:
27 April 2026
East Bengal FC vs Sreebhumi FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
30 April 2026
Nita FA vs Kickstart FC — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Gokulam Kerala FC vs SESA Football Academy — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
East Bengal FC vs Sethu FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
Sreebhumi FC vs Garhwal United FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
3 May 2026
SESA Football Academy vs Kickstart FC — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Nita FA vs Garhwal United FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Sethu FC vs Sreebhumi FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
East Bengal FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
6 May 2026
Garhwal United FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Nita FA vs Sethu FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
SESA Football Academy vs Sreebhumi FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
East Bengal FC vs Kickstart FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
9 May 2026
Kickstart FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Garhwal United FC vs Sethu FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
SESA Football Academy vs East Bengal FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
Sreebhumi FC vs Nita FA — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
12 May 2026
Sethu FC vs SESA Football Academy — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Garhwal United FC vs Kickstart FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Sreebhumi FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
East Bengal FC vs Nita FA — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
15 May 2026
SESA Football Academy vs Nita FA — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Sethu FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Sreebhumi FC vs Kickstart FC — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
Garhwal United FC vs East Bengal FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
18 May 2026
SESA Football Academy vs Garhwal United FC — 3:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Kickstart FC vs Sethu FC — 7:00 PM — National Centre of Excellence
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Nita FA — 3:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
Sreebhumi FC vs East Bengal FC — 7:00 PM — East Bengal Ground
Watch IWL 2025-26 phase 2 live at AIFF’s Indian Football Youtube Chanel
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