On Sunday evening, East Bengal FC Women made their mark in the history of South Asian football as they took the first South Asian Women’s Club champion with a resounding 3-0 victory over Nepal’s APF FC at the Kathmandu Dashrath stadium.
The red-yellow brigade remained unbeatable in five matches, with a total of 16 goals and no goals conceded.
The tournament was a five-club tournament that was held in a round-robin format across South Asia. The top spot in the league was secured after East Bengal FC Women defeated Transport United Ladies, Karachi City FC, and Nasrin Sports Academy by large margins, and drew against APF FC in their last group match.
How East Bengal FC women overwhelmed APF FC
Since the very first whistle, East Bengal was aggressive and deprived the APF of ball possession. Just in the 22nd minute, Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput took the opportunity to score; she had broken through and received a long ball off Sarita Yumnam and shoot a perfect half-volley over goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar.
The lead was doubled in the 35th minute when Shilky Devi rose highest to meet an Ashalata Devi cross, looping her header beyond the helpless APF keeper. The Nepalese side struggled to break East Bengal’s organised press, and the first half ended firmly in the Indian champions’ control.
Then in the second half, Ikwaput struck again, a low drive from outside the box that slipped through the goalkeeper’s gloves and rolled into the net, making it 3-0.
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From there, East Bengal’s backline, marshalled by Panthoi Chanu and Ashalata Devi, stood resolute as APF’s late attacks fizzled out.
"Winning three trophies in a season is not an easy task. It's a collective effort. We've really played well. We did our homework thoroughly before coming here, and we came here to make a statement. Our IWL campaign will begin in just three days' time, so we'll celebrate just tonight and shift our focus to our IWL title defence," head coach Anthony Andrews said after the match.
