Sethu FC returns home after three consecutive away games for a crucial showdown against Gokulam Kerala FC in the Indian Women’s League (IWL). The match will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on 7 February 2025, with kickoff at 3:30 PM.
The stakes are high, as both teams are fighting for second place in the table. Sethu FC currently sits third with 10 points from 5 matches, level with Odisha FC, while Gokulam Kerala FC holds second place with 11 points. The Malabarians are unbeaten so far, with 3 wins and 2 draws.
Sethu FC heads into the match after a 2-0 victory over HOPS FC in Delhi, looking to carry that momentum back home. Meanwhile, Gokulam Kerala FC is in red-hot form, having edged past table-toppers East Bengal FC 3-2 in their last outing, with Fazila Ikwaput netting a hat-trick—bringing her tally to 10 goals in 5 matches. Fazila, the Ugandan striker, had received a national team call for WAFCON qualifiers against Ethiopia.
Sethu FC Head Coach Shareef Khan acknowledged the challenge ahead: “Gokulam is a strong team with a very good squad. We have our set of plans, and we will try to implement them against them. They are unbeaten, play very good football, and also have a very good striker. We look forward to the match tomorrow. Both teams have equal pressure to win this game.”
Sethu FC has had a solid start to the season, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sribhumi FC and playing out a 2-2 draw against Nita Football Academy. The stunning victory over Odisha FC in the away match after playing most of the game with 10 players opened up the title race. However, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against East Bengal despite playing decent. Their attacking flair, led by Malavika and Ugandan midfielder Amnah Nababi, has been a key highlight.
Aminah Nababi, Sethu FC’s Ugandan forward, emphasized the importance of the home fixture: “We have been playing away from home and managed to get 6 points out of 9, which is good. We are not playing an easy opponent, but we will try to win and put on a good effort at home.”
On the growing presence of Ugandan players in the IWL, Nababi added: “Ugandan players in the IWL are doing well so far, and we are looking forward to doing even more. We just have to keep pushing ourselves.”
Meanwhile, Gokulam Kerala FC Head Coach Ranjan Choudhary played down the pressure surrounding the high-stakes encounter, stating: “I feel no pressure about the game, even though this is a clash for the second spot. Our focus remains on the growth and development of the team.”
Gokulam Kerala FC, the former IWL champions, have been in top form. Despite dropping points in the first two matches, the Malabarians made a strong comeback with three consecutive victories. In the process, they also handed over a 3-2 defeat to table-topper East Bengal.
With only one point separating the two sides, this match is set to be high-intensity. Both teams are pushing for a crucial win in the race for the top spots.
