East Bengal FC etched their name into South Asian football history by clinching the inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship title with a commanding 3–0 victory over Nepal’s APF FC at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.
The triumph marked the Kolkata giants’ first-ever international trophy and capped a flawless campaign in which they went unbeaten, scored freely and, remarkably, did not concede a single goal across five matches.
Ugandan forward Fazila Ikwaput once again underlined her growing stature in Indian women’s football, scoring twice in the final (21st and 46th minutes), while India international Shilky Devi Hemam added the second goal with a well-taken header in the first half. East Bengal, the reigning Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions, were clinical when it mattered most, dismantling a home side that had themselves entered the final unbeaten.
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The SAFF Women’s Club Championship, held entirely in Kathmandu, brought together leading women’s clubs from across South Asia in its maiden edition. East Bengal emerged as the standout side from the outset. Coached by Anthony Andrews, the Red and Gold Brigade topped the five-team group stage, opening their campaign with a 4–0 win over Bhutan’s Transport United before beating Pakistani champions Karachi City 2–0.
Their most emphatic performance came against Bangladesh’s Nasrin Sports Academy, whom they thrashed 7–0, with Ikwaput scoring five goals in a devastating individual display. A goalless draw against APF in the final group-stage match was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record, though it also set the stage for a highly anticipated rematch in the final.
While the earlier stalemate suggested a closely fought title decider, the final itself told a very different story. East Bengal began cautiously, but once they settled into rhythm, their superior organisation, pace and finishing came to the fore. Ikwaput broke the deadlock around the 20-minute mark, capitalising on a defensive lapse to put the visitors ahead. Shilky Devi doubled the lead in the 35th minute, rising highest to head home a precise cross and give East Bengal a 2–0 advantage at the break.
Any hopes of a comeback for the hosts were extinguished almost immediately after the restart. Within seconds of the second half, Ikwaput struck again to make it 3–0, scoring her ninth goal of the tournament and effectively sealing the contest. From there on, East Bengal managed the game with maturity, soaking up whatever pressure APF attempted to apply and ensuring their defensive record remained intact.
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“This was something we wanted to conquer and make history and we did it,” said a proud Anthony Andrews after the match. “It’s our third trophy this season after the Indian Women’s League and the Kanyashree Cup. We are happy to give this good time to the fans.”
The title capped a landmark season for East Bengal, who won their maiden IWL crown in the 2024–25 season and carried that momentum onto the continental stage. They finished the SAFF Championship as the only unbeaten team, scoring 14 goals and conceding none an achievement that underlined both their attacking depth and defensive solidity.
For APF, champions of Nepal’s ANFA Women’s League, the defeat was sobering. They too had reached the final without conceding a goal, but were comprehensively outplayed when it mattered most. Coach Jibesh Kumar Pandey admitted as much after the match, acknowledging that his side had “a lot to improve” to compete at this level consistently.
Much of the spotlight rightly fell on Fazila Ikwaput, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in addition to finishing as top scorer. The Ugandan international’s journey has been a fascinating one. Having first played in India with Gokulam Kerala FC in 2018, she returned to the club in 2023 as a replacement for Nepalese icon Sabitra Bhandari. Across the last two IWL seasons, Ikwaput scored 44 goals before joining East Bengal, and her nine-goal haul in Kathmandu only reinforced her reputation as one of the most lethal forwards in the region.
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Andrews, who previously coached Bhandari at Gokulam Kerala, believes Ikwaput has filled that void admirably. With East Bengal already qualifying for the group stage of the 2025–26 AFC Women’s Champions League, the Ugandan striker is expected to play a central role in the club’s ambitions going forward.
East Bengal were presented with the trophy by Minister for Youth and Sports Bablu Gupta and received a prize cheque of USD 10,000, while runners-up APF took home USD 5,000. The title was dedicated to fans back home and those who turned up in Kathmandu, even as the majority of the 8,000-strong home crowd were left subdued by the visitors’ dominance.
East Bengal will now shift focus back to domestic action, beginning their IWL title defence against Sethu FC on December 24 in Kalyani. After conquering South Asia, the Moshal Girls will look to ensure that this historic triumph is just the beginning of a new era for the club’s women’s team.
