IWL 2024-25: With star-studded squad and a winning coach, East Bengal enters new season as firm favourite

IWL 2024-25: With star-studded squad and a winning coach, East Bengal enters new season as firm favourite

With a star-studded squad and a coach privy to the league’s winning formula, East Bengal will be looking to go for the title as it hosts Kickstart FC in the 2024-25 Indian Women’s League opener on Friday.

Anthony Andrews will be helming the Kolkata-based side, which debuted in the competition two seasons ago, after a successful stint with Gokulam Kerala FC. The coach led Gokulam to two IWL league titles.

But it is the Red and Gold Brigade’s packed team which will be cynosure of all eyes. Skippered by Sweety Devi, it boasts of seasoned names like Anju Tamang, Ashalata Devi, Sandhiya Ranganathan, and other players who are India internationals.

The side also has roped in explosive foreigners in its attack like Elshaddai Acheampong of Ghana, who was the top-scorer in the IWL with 20 goals for Gokulam Kerala. Andrews was the coach then.

“Joining East Bengal is a dream come true. It’s one of the biggest opportunities in my career. I won two IWL titles with Gokulam in the past. I want to replicate the same success with East Bengal,” Andrews, who has signed a two-year deal with the club, said on the eve of East Bengal’s clash against Kickstart FC.

“We have been training together for over a month now and we want to take a big leap in the IWL this season. It’s going to be a very crucial season for our women’s team as we want to win the IWL title and build a strong identity in women’s football,” he added.

As for Kickstart FC, it has players like Dalima Chhibber and Dangmei Grace amongst its ranks. A force to reckon with in the Karnataka Women’s League, the side finished third last season.

“Due to the Senior National championship and national team friendly matches against Maldives, we got few days for the full team preparation. But they all are experienced players and we are ready to grab the three points. This season we have included some experience players namely Sanju, Dangmei Grace and some youngsters. So far no one is injured,” head coach Chaoba Devi told Sportstar.

India defender Dalima, who will be playing her second season with the Karnataka-based outfit, seemed upbeat and positive of the side that has shaped up ahead of the new campaign. “This season the experience in the team has increased. We have a mixture of young players and quite a lot of experienced players. Even the young players from Kickstart in the last year got the opportunity to be in the national team squad. So coming into this season we are a squad of young yet experienced players.”

The match between East Bengal and Kickstart FC will kick-off at 2:30 pm IST on Friday at the East Bengal ground.

Goalkeepers: Panthoi Chanu, Melody Chanu

Defenders: Sweety Devi, Sushmita Lepcha, Sonali Chemate, Sarita Yumnam, Michel Castanha, Ashalata Devi, Trisha Mallick

Midfielders: Anju Tamang, Cindy Colney, Deblina Bhattacharya, Karthika Angamuthu, Maurine Achieng (Kenya), Priyangka Devi, Priyanka Sujeesh, Sathi Debnath, Soumya Guguloth, Thandamoni Baskey, Titli Sarkar

Forwards: Elshaddai Acheampong (Ghana), Resty Nanziri (Uganda), Sandhiya Ranganathan, Sulanjana Raul