East Bengal FC Women begin their maiden IFA Women’s Shield campaign with a thumping 8-0 win over Nadia DSA
The East Bengal FC women’s team beat Nadia DSA 8-0 to kick-start the inaugural edition of the IFA Women’s Shield at Nadia’s Tehatta Ground on Thursday, May 25.
Tulsi Hembram opened the scoring for EBFC in the 6th minute. Skipper Mousumi Murmu, who has been in sublime form since the start of the season, doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. A minute later, Tulsi found the back of the net again. In the 29th minute, Sushmita Bardhan got herself on the scoresheet before Mousumi added another in the 41st minute.
The girls kept their dominance intact in the second half, adding three more goals to their 5-0 lead. While Tulsi and Mousumi scored in the 61st and 80th minutes respectively to complete their hat-tricks, sixteen-year-old Sulanjana Raul netted the other goal.
Nicknamed ‘The Moshal Girls’, the EBFC women’s team won their second Calcutta Women’s Football League (also known as the Kanyashree Cup) title in January, which earned them an entry into this year’s Hero Indian Women’s League (IWL).
Despite slumping to a 2-8 defeat against defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC in their maiden Hero IWL game, the Red & Golds staged a stunning turnaround. They won four and drew one of their remaining six Group A matches to reach the quarter-finals where they lost to last season’s runners-up Sethu FC. EBFC Women have earned a direct slot in the next edition of the Hero IWL by virtue of finishing in the top eight this year.
Having got off to a thunderous start in the IFA Women’s Shield, the Moshal Girls now have a shot at another title as they look to complete a domestic double. EBFC Women will play their final Group 1 match against Chandney FC at the Tehatta Ground on May 29.
EBFC women’s squad for the IFA Women’s Shield:
Goalkeepers: Rani Bhowmick, Gurubari Mandi and Mamani Das
Defenders: Anita Oraon, Riya Sarkar, Bandana Roy, Ratna Halder and Mamata Sing
Midfielders: Birsi Oraon, Puja Karmakar, Kabita Saren, Tamalika Sarkar, Neelu Tirkey, Barnali Karar, Rimpa Haldar, Trisha Mallick and Shashwati Sarkar
Forwards: Sushmita Bardhan, Tanushree Oraon, Mousumi Murmu, Sulanjana Raul, Tulsi Hembram and Mamata Mahata
Officials: Indrani Sarkar and Minoti Roy (coaches), Dipali Das (team manager), Sailendranath Saha (goalkeeping coach) and Aloka Paswan (physiotherapist)