When East Bengal Women lifted the 2024–25 Indian Women’s League trophy in April, the celebrations stretched far beyond the club’s red-and-gold faithful.
That victory did more than crown a deserving champion it opened the door to the biggest stage an Indian women’s club has ever stepped onto, the AFC Women’s Champions League Group Stage. Now, as the Moshal Girls travel to Wuhan for a gruelling week of continental football, they stand at a crossroads where hope, ambition, and history intersect.
Their journey, from the maidans of Kolkata to Asia’s premier club competition, is more than a sporting story. It is a statement of how far Indian women’s football has come and how far it still dreams of going.
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East Bengal’s continental path began with their landmark IWL title victory over Odisha FC on April 11, 2025. The win gave them not only their first national crown but also a place in the AFC preliminaries an extra round that Indian clubs must navigate because the IWL is still outside Asia’s top-ranked leagues.
In August, they travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a two-game qualifying test against Phnom Penh Crown and Kitchee SC. Those matches became an early measure of their temperament. Against Phnom Penh Crown, Ugandan star Fazila Ikwaput scored the winner in a disciplined 1–0 victory. Against Kitchee SC, Indian international Sangita Basfore equalised to secure a crucial draw. Four points were enough to top the group. More importantly, the team conceded just one goal across both fixtures a marker of their defensive organisation and growing maturity.
This qualification mattered as much psychologically as it did competitively. It gave East Bengal belief. And belief is often the starting point for teams entering Asia for the first time.
A Group That Tests Every Limit
When the draw placed East Bengal in Group B, the narrative shifted instantly. They had landed in what many analysts consider the toughest pool of the tournament. The group will be played entirely in Wuhan, a city whose reigning team Wuhan Jiangda WFC also happen to be defending Asian champions and five-time winners of China’s Women’s Super League. They are continental heavyweights, backed by depth, technical quality, and home advantage.
Alongside Wuhan stand two more formidable opponents. Bam Khatoon FC of Iran, dominant in their domestic league and quarterfinalists last season, offer experience and structure. PFC Nasaf, champions of Uzbekistan and debutants at this level, arrive with a reputation for physical, set-piece-oriented football.
East Bengal, by contrast, are newcomers. Talented, motivated, and tactically brave but still adjusting to the intensity of continental football. Their challenge is clear: survive, compete, and stretch every match as far as it will go.
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If East Bengal have reached this far, it is because a core group has consistently shaped the team’s identity. At the front of it stands Fazila Ikwaput, their unstoppable forward and two-time IWL Golden Boot winner. Her form in front of goal gives East Bengal their cutting edge. If she isn’t scoring, the team feels it instantly. Behind her lies a midfield built around Shilky Devi and Sangita Basfore one a creative link, the other a seasoned organiser. Together, they allow East Bengal to shift seamlessly between defence and attack.
And anchoring the backline is goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu, whose shot-stopping and composure earned her the AIFF’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. With defenders like Maureen Tovia Okpala and Abena Opok, East Bengal’s defensive core has repeatedly shown it can handle pressure. Coach Anthony Andrews, a two-time IWL-winning manager, will draw heavily on this spine. His philosophy compact structure, discipline without the ball, and fast, decisive counter-attacking fits the realities of Group B. It is not glamorous football, but in tournaments like these, it is often the only practical path.
Wuhan, Bam Khatoon, Nasaf: Three Games, Three Realities
East Bengal open their campaign against Bam Khatoon on November 17. This match may well define their entire tournament. A positive result here especially a draw keeps them in contention for progression. Bam Khatoon are experienced, but they can be unsettled by pace and counter-attacks. East Bengal’s task is to frustrate, absorb, and strike.
Three days later comes the Everest, Wuhan Jiangda. In this match, the objective is survival, not heroics. Wuhan are simply ahead of most Asian teams right now. For East Bengal, keeping the score respectable is crucial, because goal difference might decide which third-placed teams advance. On November 23, East Bengal close the group against Nasaf. This is their most balanced matchup, their best chance to claim three points, and the one fixture where they must be proactive. Nasaf are physical and organised, but less experienced on the continental stage. East Bengal will need imagination in midfield and efficiency in front of goal.
Can They Qualify? Yes but It Will Take Everything
To reach the quarterfinals, East Bengal must aim for four points likely a draw against Bam Khatoon and a win over Nasaf. Three points keeps the door open, but it invites a dangerous dependence on other results and could be undone by a heavy defeat to Wuhan.
Qualification is possible, but only if East Bengal play with discipline, manage fatigue wisely, and convert the rare moments when Ikwaput gets space inside the box.
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Whatever happens in Wuhan, East Bengal’s arrival on this stage marks a shift in the identity and ambition of Indian women’s football. It signals that teams from the IWL are ready to learn, adapt, and challenge Asia’s established powers. It inspires clubs back home to invest more meaningfully. And it offers young girls across the country a new dream to chase. The Moshal Girls may be underdogs, but they carry something that even champions fear a fearless spirit, a strong story, and a hunger sharpened by years of being told Indian women’s football was not ready.
Now, on Asia’s grandest platform, they have a chance to prove otherwise.
