East Bengal FC Women underlined their title credentials yet again, stitching together a fifth straight win in phase 1 of the 2025-26 Indian Women's League (IWL) with a ruthless 5-0 dismantling of Kickstart FC at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday.
The defending champions' dominance has been near-total so far, with the Moshal Girls sitting pretty at the top of the table on a 100% record, boasting 22 goals scored and only 1 conceded from their five outings.
From the opening whistle, East Bengal's intent was clear. Their coordinated high press and sharp wing combinations pinned Bengaluru's Kickstart FC deep inside their own half, forcing turnovers and setting the rhythm of the contest. The pressure told in the 15th minute when Fazila Ikwaput timed her
run to perfection, latching on to a clever through ball from Sulanjana Raul, bursting past the defence and coolly guiding her finish into the bottom corner.
Kickstart tried to regroup and find pockets of possession, but East Bengal's compact defensive shape left them with few clear options in the attacking third. The Kolkata side were rarely troubled at the back as they continued to dictate territory and tempo.
Their control was rewarded again on the brink of half-time. This time, roles were reversed as Ikwaput turned creator, slipping the ball into space for compatriot Resty Nanziri, who finished from close range. The goal sent East Bengal into the break with a commanding 2-0 advantage and full control of the narrative.
Any hopes of a Kickstart revival were extinguished shortly after the restart. In a devastating spell, East Bengal struck twice in the space of a minute to put the result beyond doubt. In the 60th minute, Ikwaput unleashed a thunderous effort from outside the box that rattled the crossbar, and Sulanjana Raul reacted quickest to nod home from point-blank range for 3-0.
Barely a minute later, Ikwaput was at the heart of it again. Picking the right pass under pressure, she laid the ball on a plate for Astam Oraon, who tapped in from close range in the 61st minute. The strike marked the former India U-17 captain's first goal of the season and stretched the lead to 4-0.
Ikwaput then capped off a near-complete attacking display with her second goal of the afternoon in the 73rd minute. Threaded through by an inch-perfect pass from Nanziri, the two-time IWL Golden Boot winner made no mistake, calmly slotting home to seal a 5-0 scoreline. That took her tally to 8 goals, making her the joint-top scorer in this edition, level with Nita FA's Pyari Xaxa.
There was almost a sixth in stoppage time when substitute Thandamoni Baskey smashed the ball into the back of the net, but her effort was ruled out for offside.
Unsurprisingly, Ikwaput's brace and creative influence earned her the Player of the Match award.
Speaking to the media after the win, EBFC Women's Head Coach Anthony Andrews said, "I am quite happy with the way every single player is contributing to our winning run. In the previous game, we had five different players on the score sheet and today also, we had four different scorers. However, this is not the end of the road for us. It's a process and we want to achieve special things this year too. "
The champions now stand on the cusp of completing a flawless phase 1 campaign. Their final fixture of this stage is a high-profile clash against former champions Gokulam Kerala FC at the Kalyani Stadium on Friday.
