East Bengal Thrashes Kickstart 5-0 to Stay Perfect in IWL 2026

Fazila Ikwaput (15', 73') netted two, while Resty Nanziri (45+2'), Sulanjana Raul (60'), and Astam Oraon (62') scored one each for the Moshal Girls, who are now at the top of the table with 15 points from five games, two ahead of nearest rivals with a game in hand. Kickstart remain in the drop zone in seventh with three points from six matches.

Right from the start, there was no doubt as to who would control the proceedings, and East Bengal looked for an early lead, which they eventually got at the quarter-hour mark. Fazila was played through between the Kickstart lines by Sulanjana, and she managed to gracefully poke it past the keeper, as the ball caressed the upright before going in.

The Moshal Girls doubled their lead right at the stroke of half-time, when Shilky Devi Hemam played Fazila through on the right. The latter squared it to Resty, who faked her marker before putting it in the net. It was much of the same as the two sides headed back onto the pitch for the second half. Only East Bengal seemed hungrier and a tad more clinical.

Fazila, looking to increase her tally, produced a shot from outside the box that struck the crossbar and landed kindly for Sulanjana to head in at the hour mark.

Astam made it three just a couple of minutes later, nodding in an accurate cross from Shilky. Fazila added the fifth in the 73rd when she latched onto a through ball from Resty, before finishing it at the near post.

East Bengal won their maiden IWL title in the 2024-25 season, beating Gokulam Kerala in the final. Gokulam Kerala are the most successful club in the league, which started in 2016-17 with Eastern Sporting Union claiming the first title. Gokulam won their first title in 2019-20, adding crowns in 2021-22 and repeating it in 2022-23.

- IANS