The sixth edition of the Indian Women’s League or the IWL is set to kick off on Wednesday, 26 April 2023 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with 16 teams divided into two groups of eight in a new format this season. The top four teams of each group will qualify for the quarterfinals after the conclusion of the group stages next month.
Group B is expected to be a competitive group with a star-studded Odisha FC wanting to make their IWL debut a remarkable one paired alongside former winners Eastern Sporting Union and dark horses Sethu Madurai FC and Kickstart FC. CRPF FC, Churchill Brothers FCG, Celtic Queens FC and Lords FA Kochi make the other debuting teams in the group.
Group B
Odisha FC
Formed almost over a year ago, Odisha FC are one of the star attraction of the IWL this season. They are one of the two ISL sides alongside East Bengal to field a women’s team in the league for the first time. Winning the Odisha Women's League last year, Crispin Chettri’s girls will look to top their group but with a lot of competition from other sides. Winning the IWL is definitely on their minds looking at the recruitments done for the tournament. Advancing to the quarterfinals by topping the group will be the first steps towards fulfilling the dream.
Goalkeepers: Shreya Hooda, Sasmita Parida, Payal Basude
Defenders: Manisha Panna, Ngangbam Sweety Devi, Karishma Oram, Juli Kishan, Arifa Zaheer, Sonali Chemante, Susmita Tanty, Sradhanjali Panda
Midfielders: Karthika Angamuthu, Jasoda Munda, Grace Hauhnar, Cynthia Santos (Brazil), Bannya Kabiraj, Munica Minz, Sumitra Xalxo
Forwards: Bala Devi, Pyari Xaxa, Anju Tamang, Serto Lynda Kom, Faustina Worwornyo Akpo (Ghana), Malati Munda, Satyabati Khadia, Deepa Nayak
Head Coach: Crispin Chettri
Odisha FC made a cluster of heavyweight signings with a number of national team players in the squad. None so high profile than the all-time top goal-scorer for the Blue Tigresses, Bala Devi. Having just recovered from a shoulder injury, the former Rangers FC player will look to set the stage alight with her goals. Indeed, Bala is also the top scorer in the IWL with a whopping 38 goals playing just two seasons. 25-year-old Pyari Xaxa is willing to add more to her tally finishing as the third-best scorer in the IWL with 12 goals last season. Versatile playmaker Anju Tamang, midfield lynchpin Karthika Angamuthu, defender Manisha Panna, young striker Lynda Kom and goalkeeper Shreya Hooda are other high voltage signings belonging from the national setup. Cynthia Santos from Brazil and Faustina Worwornyo Akpo from Ghana make the foreign addition to the squad.
Sethu Madurai FC
Another prime contender to be group winners or moving to the quarterfinals are Sethu Madurai FC. Winners of the IWL in the 2018/19 season, the side from Tamil Nadu is always in the mix to win the title again and their plan to add national team players from various age group prove their seriousness to do good this season. Tackling a going-to-be great side in Odisha FC and dark horses like Kickstart FC and Eastern Sporting Union, this will be a watchable fight for the top four places in the group which Sethu Madurai FC looks to triumph upon.
Priyangka Devi Naorem from the India Senior Team player and winner of the emerging player award at last year's IWL is one of the top players in the squad alongside Apurna Narzary who recently captained the Indian U20 team in the Asian Cup Women's Qualifiers. Other prominent players coming from the national team both at senior and junior levels to join the squad are Purnima Kumari, Sunita Munda, Sumati Kumari, K Ngopawdi khaimeichho, Gladys Zonunsangi and Kajol D'Souza. Nepal national team’s goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo is a decent signing outside of India.
Kickstart FC
Four times winners of the Karnataka league, Kickstart FC are not lacking behind with some huge signings made in the form of Indian internationals like Dalima Chhibber, Sweety Devi and Linthoingambi Devi this season. In addition to that right back Shubhangi Singh, forward Anita Kumari and captain Astam Oram from India’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup have also been included. Automatically qualified for the IWL, Kickstart FC are eyeing the quarterfinals with the quality brought into the squad. Finished third behind Gokulam Kerala FC and top-place rivals Sethu FC in 2022, it is the least Kickstart FC could expect.
Lords FA Kochi
Lords FA Kochi made an unbelievable achievement this season in the Kerala state league when they stunned Gokulam Kerala FC 5-2 in the final to lift the silverware. It earned them a place in the IWL this year and they will be a side to watch out for. Last year with the defending champions, Win Theingi Tun of Myanmar will help the squad with her title-winning experience. Indumathi Kathiresan's transfer to title rivals Gokulam Kerala will be a hard one to replace but new recruit Nepal national team attacking midfielder Anita Basnet hopes to fill some of the void left by the Indian international. Philippines international Camille Rodriguez is a shrewd signing too with plenty of experience in top Asian competitions like the South Asian Games and the AFF Women's Championship. This should be enough for Lord's FA to escape the group stages in their first year of IWL. Nirvan Jagdish Shah will take charge of the side in the competition.
Eastern Sporting Union
Champions of the inaugural edition of the IWL in 2017, Eastern Sporting Union will be hoping to go back to their glory days this season. This will be the first appearance for the club in this tournament since reaching a second straight final in 2018 having not qualified for the next two and then not being part of the qualified teams last year. Unfortunately, they are not in a group this time to cakewalk into the last eight of the competition but could at least make the top four to reach the round. The star of the team once again will be Yumnam Kamala Devi who scored 12 goals in that title-winning season going on to add 10 more in the competition.
Churchill Brothers FCG
I-League powerhouse Churchill Brothers are now taking steps into women’s football as the team won the Goa State League to enter the IWL. However, only three other teams participated in the state league depriving the side of a stretch of games or competitiveness. It is bound to make it difficult for a side competing in a tough group with a bag full of experience from national team players. Churchill has gone for a mixture of Goan players as well as players from other states, mostly from Manipur and West Bengal, to make the squad for IWL. 43-year-old veteran Laura Estibeiro will captain the side having recently done so for Goa in the Senior National Championship. She is the oldest player in the league and possibly one of the most experienced players in Asia. Moving into the quarterfinals looks unlikely for the team in this fiercely competitive group.
Goalkeepers: Ashika Gadekar, Prithi Kesarkar, Yaiphabi Devi
Defenders: Laura Estibeiro , Kulsum Bi Shaikh, Merecia Tavares, Nikita Jude, Manju Oraon, Radhika Patel, Rebika Oinam
Midfielders: Joizima Fernandes, Arpita Pednekar, Alisha Tavares, Mai Devi, Madhubala Alawe, Sanathoi Devi, Pushpa Parab, Kavita Devi
Forwards: Karen Estrocio, Aniela Barretto, Mina Khatun, Saniya, Riya Sharma (HP), Fatima Braganza
Head Coach: Girijadevi Desai
Celtic Queens FC
Like Odisha FC, Celtic Queens FC is a new club set up in 2022 and is based in Pondicherry, the only representative from a union territory this season in the IWL. They swept away the Pondicherry league winning all of their five games, scoring 24 goals and conceding none. Being the underdogs, the side will wish to avoid the last place standing in the group.
CRPF FC
The Central Reserve Police Force from Jalandhar, Punjab are an institutional side in the IWL and has qualified for the tournament by finishing third in the All India Police football tournament held in Kashmir. They are the weakest side in the division hoping for some miracles in their group.
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