East Bengal FC etched their name in the history books after lifting the inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship 2025 title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nepal’s Armed Police Forces (APF) in the final at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Undefeated Season
The Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions recently capped off an undefeated season, winning all their matches and not conceding any goals.
Fazila Ikwaput Shines Again
For the second time in the competition, Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput showcased her high-level performance, scoring both of her team’s goals in the finals (21 & 46 minutes), which brought her tournament total to nine goals. Alongside her, Shilky Devi Hemam scored the second goal of the finals (35 minutes), putting East Bengal in complete control.
Coach Andrews’ Leadership
Coach Anthony Andrews, who guided East Bengal through group play in the IWL, led his team to the finals after finishing first in their group. East Bengal began group play strongly, defeating Transport United from Bhutan 4-0. The team then recorded a 2-0 victory over Karachi City, the defending champions from Pakistan. East Bengal’s most impressive result came with a staggering 7-0 defeat of Nasrin from Bangladesh, where Fazila Ikwaput scored five goals in a single match.
APF’s Notable Performance
In the IWL group stage, the only team to hold East Bengal to a draw (0-0) was APF, thanks to a sensational performance by their goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar, who kept East Bengal from scoring. Unfortunately for the Nepali side, they couldn’t replicate that performance in the finals.
Match Highlights
Both teams started cautiously, but East Bengal quickly took control. Ikwaput opened the scoring in the 20th minute, followed by Shilky Devi’s goal just before halftime, giving East Bengal a commanding 2-0 lead at the break. After halftime, Ikwaput found the net again, sealing the match.
East Bengal managed the game professionally after securing a three-goal lead, ultimately claiming the championship. They achieved this milestone without conceding any goals throughout the tournament, finishing with four wins and one draw and being crowned the first-ever champions of the SAFF Women’s Club Championship.