East Bengal FC’s Fazila Ikwaput and Soumya Guguloth both scored hat-tricks as the footballing powerhouse beat Sesa Football Academy 9-0, bagging their largest-ever victory in the Indian Women’s League on Tuesday.
Fazila (9′, 22′, 25′, 72′) scored four goals, Soumya (6′, 54′, 86′) netted three, while Sulanjana Raul (17′) and Resty Nanziri (40′) added one each as the newly-promoted Sesa Academy suffered their heaviest-ever defeat in the national leagues, both IWL and IWL 2.
With this massive victory, defending champions East Bengal climbed to the second spot with a perfect record of nine points from three matches. They still have a game in hand against leaders Nita FA, who have 10 points.
Sesa FA are yet to earn any points after four games.
The goal
spree began in the sixth minute, thanks to left-back Sushmita Lepcha, who initiated the first two productive moves.
She delivered a low ball that initially seemed harmless, but Sesa failed to clear it. Soumya picked it up just outside the box, dribbled past a couple of pink shirts, turned swiftly to the right, and fired a right-footed shot past Sesa FC’s Beatrice Nketia.
Three minutes later, Sushmita sent a long ball from the deep, which Fazila latched onto and chipped over the goalkeeper Beatrice for her first and East Bengal’s second goal.
East Bengal displayed equal prowess from the right flank, creating the next two goals through winger Soumya and right-back Sarita Yumnam.
In the 17th minute, Beatrice failed to collect Soumya’s cross, and 18-year-old Sulanjana Raul slammed home the loose ball from eight yards, making it 3-0.
Sarita Yumnam then lofted a first-time cross towards the far post, where an onrushing Fazila headed it downwards into the net past a rooted Beatrice in the 22nd minute.
Just 25 minutes into the game, Fazila completed her hat-trick, netting East Bengal’s fifth goal. This time, the goal came through the middle.
Captain Shilky Devi Hemam split Sesa’s high-line defence and found the Ugandan, who calmly went around Beatrice and placed the ball into an empty net.
Resty Nanziri, with ample space in the 40th minute, smashed home the sixth goal. The Ugandan midfielder carried the ball from the left flank, ignored her teammates, evaded Janhabi Kishan’s challenge with ease, entered the box and fired into the far corner with the outside of her boot for a sensational goal.
The second half followed a similar script. East Bengal added a seventh goal in the 54th minute, capitalising on another long ball from Sushmita to Fazila. The latter eased her way into the box from the left and squared it for an unmarked Soumya to score from point-blank range.
(With PTI Inputs)
