Gokulam Kerala FC finally played like former champions, securing their first win of the 2024-25 Indian Women’s League in the process. The Malabarians ran riot against newly-promoted Sreebhumi FC with a 5-1 win at the Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay Stadium.
Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput, who won last season’s Golden Boot, scored the first goal in the 17th second of the game which will go down as the fastest goal of IWL ever. As she raced towards the goal, Sreebhumi goalkeeper Moirangthem Monalisha Devi rushed out to close her down, but the Ugandan smartly caressed the ball on the half-volley to dink it over the line. In the 10th minute, Fazila tried her luck from outside the box, but the strike was off the target. In the 13th minute, she was one-on-one with Monalisha, however, this time the goalkeeper came on time by denying the goal. Sreebhumi’s first real chance came in the 23rd minute when Rimpa Haldar rattled the crossbar from 20 yards out.
The equalizer came in 3the 8th minute for Sreebhumi when Gokulam Kerala made a mess of the free-kick. Payal Basude failed to make a regulation catch of the curling freekick by Mini Roy. Bala Devi cleverly set it up for her players with an overhead kick. Akousa Amankrah, unmarked in the six-yard box, headed it to goal; this was also the first-ever IWL goal by Sreebhumi FC.
Two minutes later, Fazila once again scored; this time due to a howler from the defender. Catherine Aringo, the Kenyan midfielder, set the ball for Fazile with a through ball and the first attempt was denied by Monalisha. However, Fazile’s second attempt from the rebound reached the back of the net. The defender at the goal line should have made a goal-line clearance.
Two minutes later, Shubhangi Singh lobbed the ball into the box from 40 years out and surprisingly, the ball went in due to poor positioning of the keeper. Shubhangi Singh’s goal was sensational but also raised questions about the awareness of the goalkeeper.
Fazila completed her hattrick in the 57th minute; she was somewhat lucky for the hat-trick goal. While attempting to clear a Muskan Subba cross from the right, Mini hit it straight at Fazila and the ball rebounded into the back of the net before anyone could blink an eye. It was the Ugandan’s fourth hat-trick in IWL history, almost seven years after her first one – she scored five goals for the Malabarians against Indira Gandhi AS&E in 2018.
But there was no fortune involved in Gokulam’s fifth goal – another well-oiled connection between Catherine and Fazila. Once again, the Kenyan picked out the Ugandan with an over-the-top pass, and Fazila showed good composure to lob the ball over Monalisha to complete the rout. The goalkeeper came off the line when there was no need as Fazila was already under the pressure of two defenders.
Fazila now has seven goals in three matches, and Gokulam Kerala climbed to second spot. Sreebhumi FC is at rock bottom with three defeats from as many matches conceding seven goals in the process. Their neighbour, East Bengal FC, is currently at the top with three wins from as many games.
