East Bengal Defended IWL Title

East Bengal FC ended their Indian Women’s League 2025-26 campaign in style with a comfortable 2-0 win against Sribhumi Football Club at the East Bengal Ground on Monday, May 18. The victory capped off a memorable season for the Red and Gold brigade, who had already secured the league title with one match to spare.

The match also confirmed relegation for Sribhumi FC, who will play in IWL 2 next season along with Sesa Football Academy.

East Bengal started brightly and almost took the lead in the opening minutes when Resty Nanziri created an opportunity for Fazila Ikwaput, but the Ugandan forward failed to hit the target. Soumya Guguloth also came close early on with a header that went wide.

Despite Sribhumi defending in numbers, East Bengal controlled possession throughout the first half. The visitors had a rare chance in the 37th minute when Rimpa Haldar tested goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu with a powerful effort from distance.

The breakthrough finally came in the 41st minute. Karthika Angamuthu won a penalty after being fouled inside the box, and Fazila Ikwaput calmly converted from the spot to give East Bengal the lead. It was her 20th goal of the season. With that, she also strengthened her record as the highest goalscorer in Indian Women’s League history.

East Bengal continued attacking after the break and doubled their advantage in the 55th minute. Angamuthu once again played a key role with a perfectly timed through ball for Sulanjana Raul, who finished confidently past the goalkeeper.

The home side remained in control for the rest of the match and created several more chances. Soumya Guguloth came close to scoring late in the game when her shot struck the post.

After the final whistle, the celebrations began at the East Bengal Ground as players danced with supporters while red and gold flares lit up the atmosphere.

Following the match, the IWL trophy was presented to East Bengal in the presence of AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey along with other officials.

The season also saw several East Bengal players earning individual honours. Fazila Ikwaput won the Best Striker award, while Panthoi Chanu was named Best Goalkeeper of the season.