In a tense opener to their Indian Women's League (IWL) 2025-26 campaign, defending champions East Bengal FC Women edged out Sethu FC Madurai 1-0 at Kalyani Stadium on Wednesday. Soumya Guguloth's composed 77th-minute lob proved decisive, giving the 'Moshal Girls' a vital three points despite their recent SAFF Women's Club Championship success just four days prior.
East Bengal dominated proceedings but faced stubborn resistance from a disciplined Sethu side, fresh from a 2-1 comeback victory against Kickstart FC last weekend. The match turned into a chess-like affair, with EBFC controlling the ball yet struggling to pierce Sethu's compact defense.
Early on, East Bengal pinned Sethu back, their attackers, led by Fazila Ikwaput, Soumya Guguloth,
and Sulanjana Raul-swapping positions cleverly to pull apart the opposition backline and fashion openings.
Guguloth came closest before halftime, latching onto Sulanjana's through ball only to see her shot saved, with the rebound slipping wide. Sethu weathered the storm without much threat of their own, as EBFC's solid unit of goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu, plus defenders Ashalata Devi, Abena Anoma Opoku, Sarita Yumnam, and Sushmita Lepcha, kept danger at bay. The score stayed level at the break, East Bengal holding most of the possession.
The second half mirrored the first until Guguloth's moment of magic: she collected Sulanjana's pass on the box's edge, spun away from markers, and lofted a perfect finish over the keeper.
Ikwaput nearly made it 2-0 late when she carved out room inside the area, but the Sethu shot-stopper denied her. Sethu rallied desperately for a reply, yet East Bengal's defense stood firm to preserve the clean sheet.
Head Coach Anthony Andrews reflected post-match: "I am not fully satisfied with the win, even though we dominated the possession. Sethu was quite good in terms of keeping their defensive shape. They came with a purpose, which was quite visible. That said, credit goes to Soumya for scoring the winner and securing three points for us. It cannot be denied that fatigue pegged us back a bit. We need to take one match at a time and I have full faith in my players. "
East Bengal Women gear up for IWL newcomers Garhwal United FC next, hosting them at Kalyani Stadium on Saturday, December 27.
