East Bengal 5 (Elshaddai Acheampong 9’, 53’, Maurine Achieng 65’, Soumya Guguloth 71’, Sulanjana Raul 89’)
beat
Nita FA 1 (Rahama Jafaru 37’)

AIFF Media Team

KALYANI: East Bengal defeated Nita FA 5-1 in a high-scoring encounter at the Kalyani Stadium, on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, to maintain a four-point lead at the top of the IWL 2024-25 table. The score was tied 1-1 at the break.

Elshaddai Acheampong (9’, 53’) scored two goals for East Bengal, Maurine Achieng (65’), Soumya Guguloth (71’), and Sulanjana Raul (89’) netted one each. Rahama Jafaru (37’) scored one for Nita FA.

Securing their ninth win of the campaign, East Bengal still lead the table with 27 points from 10 matches, while Nita FA remain third with 13 points from as many games.

Elshaddai reacted instinctively to a Karthika Angamuthu cross and attempted to head it in. While her header was blocked, she had a second crack at goal, this time, with a right-footed volley, which put East Bengal in the lead.

Nita FA pulled one back in the 37th minute as Rahama Jafaru capitalised on a fortunate deflection. East Bengal’s Soumya Guguloth attempted to clear the danger, but the ball ricochetted straight to Rahama’s feet. With composure, she slotted it past the keeper from close range.

Elshaddai scored her second goal just nine minutes into the second half, a right footed strike from the spot into the top right corner by the captain to regain the lead.

East Bengal extended their lead in the second half as, Malti Kumari, in an attempt to intercept a pass, inadvertently redirected the ball straight to Maurine Achieng, who wasted no time in slotting it into the net from point-blank range in the 65th minute, followed by Soumya Guguloth’s right-footed strike in 71st minute to score her sixth goal of the campaign.

Sulanjana Raul came on as a substitute and killed the game with her 89th-minute goal.

Adding on to Nita FA’s despair, their main defender, Sussana Konadu received her second yellow card in injury time.