Nita FA 0
lost to
Gokulam Kerala FC 2 (Shubhangi Singh 2’, Shilky Devi 90+2’)

AIFF Media Team

BHUBANESWAR: Gokulam KeralaFC kept the pressure on leaders East Bengal FC with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nita Football Academy in the IWL at the Capital Football Arena on Sunday, March 9, 2025. The Malabarians led 1-0 at the break.

Shubhangi Singh (2’) and Shilky Devi (90+2’) scored the two goals that kept Gokulam Kerala in the hunt for their fourth IWL title. They are on 17 points from seven matches, just one behind table-toppers East Bengal FC. The Malabarians are the only undefeated side in IWL 2024-25 so far, and have accrued an impressive five wins on the trot.

Gokulam seemed to have seamlessly locked back in, picking up right from where they left off before the mid-season break, and took the lead in the 2nd minute via Shubhangi Singh. As early as it was,  the wingback’s goal was actually the product of a goalkeeping error. Having drifted wide to the left flank, Shubhangi crossed the ball low into the box, seemingly safe into Sasmita Parida’s gloves, only for the latter to spill it across the line.    

From there on, Gokulam were the victims of their luck; they created chances aplenty, but their finishing left a lot to be desired. Not long after the opener, Muskan Subba unleashed a low and hard effort from outside the box, towards the far corner, past a diving Parida, only to see it bounce off the post. Even then, it required Parida to react sharply, as the rebound off her back looked to be squeaking past the line. She recovered quickly to stop its trajectory. 

Gokulam’s striker Fazila Ikwaput has been in spectacular form, having scored 14 of her team’s 17 goals this season. Her goals, in fact, are more than the next three highest scorers combined. However, the Ugandan striker did not have the best of days on the pitch against Nita FA, as she missed a few chances that she would otherwise be expected to put away. The keenest of such chances came when, having been played through with a brilliant first-time pass into the six-yard area and left with only the keeper to beat, she proceeded to miss the target entirely.

Nita turned out for the second half with a lot more urgency and even tested Gokulam’s defence and goalkeeper Payal Basude a few times in the period. 

 The visitors’ experience, knowhow, and quality were visibly superior, and they were able not just to thwart the attacks but also keep Nita’s defence guessing. Shilky Devi added a second goal for them in injury time, firing from near the penalty spot to ensure the points.