East Bengal FC 1 (Soumya Goguloth 77’)
beat
Sethu FC 0
AIFF MEDIA TEAM
KALYANI: Defending champions East Bengal FC began their 2025-26 Indian Women’s League campaign in composed fashion, edging past Sethu FC 1-0 at the Kalyani Stadium in Kalyani, West Bengal, on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.
Soumya Goguloth (77’) emerged as the match-winner, scoring the decisive goal late in the second half to hand the Red and Gold Brigade full points in their opening fixture.
Fresh from their SAFF Women’s Club Championship triumph, East Bengal entered the contest brimming with confidence and intent. From the outset, the attacking trio of Fazila Ikwaput, Sulanjana Raul, and Goguloth looked sharp, interchanging fluidly and stretching the Sethu backline with pace and movement.
Despite enjoying territorial dominance and sustained spells of possession, East Bengal found goals hard to come by in the opening period.
Sethu FC, who came into the match on the back of a 2-1 win over Kickstart FC, were content to absorb pressure and look for openings on the counter. However, their attacking threat was largely muted by an organised East Bengal defence, with goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu rarely called into action during the first half.
East Bengal carved out several promising opportunities before the break. Both Ikwaput and Goguloth went close, but a lack of clinical finishing kept the scoreline goalless.
The clearest chance arrived just before half-time when Goguloth was played through on goal, only for her initial effort to be saved and the rebound to go astray, much to the frustration of the defending champions.
The pattern of play remained largely unchanged after the restart. East Bengal continued to press with purpose, probing patiently for an opening, while Sethu defended resolutely and attempted to disrupt rhythm whenever possible. As the minutes ticked away, it appeared the contest might be heading towards a stalemate.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 77th minute. Sulanjana Raul picked up possession at the edge of the area and squared the ball intelligently for Goguloth. Showing composure and technique, the forward turned swiftly and executed a deftly lobbed finish that sailed beyond the Sethu goalkeeper and into the net, sparking celebrations among the Red and Golds faithful.
East Bengal could have doubled their advantage late on, with Ikwaput finding space inside the box, but her effort was directed straight at the goalkeeper. The missed chance proved inconsequential, as East Bengal saw out the closing stages comfortably to secure a valuable opening-day victory.
