Kickstart brush aside former champions Sethu, Madurai to cruise into the IWL final

 Kickstart FC Media 

Kickstart FC secured their place in the final of the Indian Women's League after a convincing victory over former champions Sethu, Madurai in the Indian Women’s League being held at Ahmedabad. Kickstart FC dominated the first half of the match and pinned Sethu to their half for most periods and scored the two goals that mattered in the first half itself.

Before the match, Coach Langam Chaoba Devi made two changes to the line up that faced HOPS FC in the quarterfinal, bringing in Kioko Elizabeth and Oinam Babita Devi for Renuka and Sonia Marak respectively.

The match started with Kickstart FC controlling the game for most parts. Their dominance paved the way for some early chances as Dalima’s free kick in the third minute missed the goal by a whisker and Sethu, Madurai was being overrun by an enthusiastic Kickstart FC side. In the 11th minute, Banti Sharma's lobbed ball found Kioko Elizabeth, who skilfully bypassed a defender and slotted the ball between the legs of the onrushing Sethu, Madurai goalkeeper, giving Kickstart FC the lead.

The first goal provided the much-needed confidence for Kickstart FC against the former champions and then they put on a dominant show. Meanwhile, Sethu Madurai was trying hard to get into the match by scoring the equalizer. Chances fell to Kajol D’souza and Priyanka Devi as their shots hit the woodwork twice. At the other end, Nepali international Saru Limbu who has been in sublime form all through this campaign latched on to the ball and fired an incredible shot that found the back of the net, doubling Kickstart FC's lead.

The second half saw Sethu, Madurai trying to reduce the deficit, but Kickstart FC's defense held firm and thwarted their attacking threats. As the match progressed, both teams felt the effects of the demanding climate, resulting in a slower pace. Sethu, Madurai piled on the pressure in search of goals but was unsuccessful. Kickstart FC's defense, led by Captain Dalima Chhibber and Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi, delivered an outstanding performance.

In the final, Kickstart FC will face the winners of the match between Eastern Sporting Union and Gokulam Kerala FC.

Defender Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi of Kickstart FC was awarded the Hero of the Match title for her outstanding performance.

Kickstart beat HOPS, secure semi final spot in IWL

Kickstart FC Media 

Kickstart FC advanced to the semi-final stage of the Indian Women's League by defeating HOPS FC, Delhi with a score of 2-1 in the quarter-final match held in Ahmedabad. The opening goal was scored by Kaviya Pakkirisamy for Kickstart, but HOPS FC managed to equalize in the second half. However, substitute Kioko Elizabeth scored the winning goal in injury time, securing Kickstart FC's place in the semi-final.

Before the match, Coach Langam Chaoba Devi made one change to the line-up that won against CRPF FC in the last league stage match. Kaviya replaced Susmita Lepcha in the starting eleven.

In the first half, Kickstart FC dominated the game, keeping most of the action in HOPS FC's half. There was an early goal scare in the Kickstart FC penalty box due to a mix-up, but it was eventually cleared by the goalkeeper Maibam Linthoingambi Devi. After that, Kickstart FC put immense pressure on HOPS FC to find the opener. In the 17th minute, Sonia Mark delivered a good cross after some excellent work on the flanks. The HOPS FC goalkeeper parried it away, but it fell to Kaviya, who took a shot that deflected off the woodwork and found the back of the net. Despite taking the lead, Kickstart FC continued their pursuit of a second goal, but HOPS FC's defense held strong against all threats. In the 43rd minute, Kaviya's cross from the right flank hit the woodwork and fell to Sonia Marak, who set up Astam with a nice pass. However, Astam's shot missed the target. The first half ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of Kickstart FC, with six minutes of injury time added.

The second half started with HOPS FC intensifying their efforts to find the equalizer, putting immense pressure on Kickstart FC's defense. In the 62nd minute, they succeeded in scoring the equalizing goal through Renu Rani. Following HOPS FC's goal, Kickstart made substitutions, bringing in Babita Devi for Sonia Marak, Kioko Elizabeth for Renuka, and Susmita Lepcha for Kaviya. In the 85th minute, Saru Limbu, who had been in outstanding form during the league stages, sent a precise through ball to Bibicha Devi, who passed it on to Kioko Elizabeth. Unfortunately, her attempt was cleared off the goal line by the HOPS FC defense, averting the danger. However, in the 90+1' minute, Banti Sharma's high ball into the HOPS FC penalty box was headed in by Kioko Elizabeth, extending Kickstart FC's lead to 2-1. After taking the injury-time lead, Kickstart FC controlled the game and tried to increase their advantage, but HOPS FC's defense managed to hold on, and the final whistle blew with a score of 2-1 in favor of Kickstart FC.

In the semi-final, Kickstart FC will face the winners of the match between Sethu, Madurai, and East Bengal FC.

Captain Dalima Chhiber of Kickstart FC was awarded the Hero of the Match title for her outstanding performance.

 

Kickstart score a perfect 10 against Mata Rukmani in IWL

AIFF Media

Kickstart FC bounced back to winning ways with a splendid 10-0 victory over Mata Rukmani in the Hero Indian Women’s League 2022.

Yangoijam Kiranbala Chanu opened the scoring for the Karnataka-based club in the 11th minute. The forward turned the ball in from the left hand side of the goal to make it 1-0. From then onwards, Kickstart never looked back.

In fact, they added five more goals in the span of the next half hour. Kiranbala Chanu added her second only two minutes after her first strike with a perfectly-placed header from the left side off a Yumlembam Pakpi Devi cross.

Another couple of minutes passed and Kickstart made it 3-0 via an Asem Roja Devi stunner. The forward took her chance from long range and struck well to beat the goalkeeper from outside the box. Roja Devi went on to score her second in the 37th minute. The in-form attacker tapped in a perfectly delivered cross from the left flank by Kaviya Pakkirisamy.

With the game completely in their hands, Kickstart showed the hunger to score more. In the 42nd minute, Babysana produced a moment of brilliance with a long range screamer to make it 5-0. Before half time, Kiranbala Chanu completed her hat-trick with a strike from close range to beat the Mata Rukmani goalkeeper.

Despite confirming the three points with a dominant first half display, Kickstart went on to add more to their goal tally on the day. Thingbaijam Babysana Devi, scored her brace in the 49th minute, after a massive effort from Kiranbala Devi in the attacking third. 

In the 83rd minute, Pakpi Devi showed pure pace and quality on the ball. The forward beat the Mata Rukmani goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and slid the ball into the bottom right corner. Minutes later, Kiranbala Devi completed her quadruple in the 87th minute with an easy tap-in off a Pakpi Devi assist. Before the referee blew the full-time whistle, substitute Laishram Bibicha Devi scored Kickstart’s 10th goal and marked a solid end to the game.

Gokulam Kerala FC face stern test against Kickstart

 AIFF Media 

It’s time for a cracker of a clash between Kickstart FC and Gokulam Kerala FC in the Hero Indian Women’s League 2022. The two in-form sides face each other at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, May 14, 2022.

Ahead of the game, Kickstart FC Head Coach Amrutha spoke about her side’s preparations and the approach they will take. “Next match is against Gokulam kerala FC, the defending champions who are an experienced side,” she began.

“We need to focus more for better results. We also need these three points to continue our winning momentum. Accordingly, we are ready to perform against them,” she added, before confirming that she has a fully fit squad at her disposal.

Gokulam Kerala are on a seven-match winning streak and will be going up in a tough challenge against Kickstart. Head Coach Anthony Andrews passed his remarks on the opposition and how his side has prepared for the game. “Kickstart has a good team with experienced players. They have quality in the attacking unit with pace and creativity. We have to be focused throughout the 90 minutes and pick our chances early.”

“Our approach and intent will be to progress from our last game and minimize our mistakes and make better decisions in the final third,” he added in the end.

The match will be streamed live on Indian Football YouTube Channel at 3:30 PM (IST).

Kickstart earns dominating win against Hans Women FC

AIFF Media

Kickstart maintained their winning run after beating Hans Women FC 0-4 tonight in the Hero Indian Women's League at the Kalinga Stadium. Hans suffered another loss as they are yet to find winning ways in the competition this season.

Kickstart made a quick start to the game as they bagged the lead as soon as the 7th minute in the game when Roja got herself one on one with the Hans custodian and did no mistake to slot it home.

Thereafter the Karnataka-based side took the momentum of the game but failed to increase their lead as they were unable to capitalize on the chances created. 

Before the lemon break, Kickstart got their best chance to double the lead when they were awarded a spot-kick but the former failed to turn into fruit. 

After the breather Kickstart seemed to be with a better composure as they doubled the lead within the 48th minute. Babysana struck a screamer from yards away to make it 0-2 for her side.

Just at the edge of the hour mark Kiranbala Chanu made it 0-3 for Kickstart as she rightly utilized a howler from Hans custodian Tanvi Mavani. Minutes after the lead increased to 0-4 as substitute Lawmching found the net from distance in the 60th minute.

The high press from Kickstart rattled the porous Hans defense forcing too many mistakes inside the box. Hans made a change in their custodian side and this turned out to be a saviour for the losing side as they refrained from conceding more.

After this loss, Hans continues to remain at the bottom of the points table as Kickstart maintains the third spot with 6 wins in 7 games.

Prameshwori score in Kickstart's win against SSB

 AIFF Media 

Kickstart created wave after wave of attacks but were yet to break the deadlock till the half an hour mark. The SSB side showed a great defensive character doing well to keep their opponents at bay.

Finally, in the 34th minute, Kickstart broke the deadlock. Babysana Devi sent in a cross that was equally contested by both Prameshwori and SSB goalkeeper Manju. While both slid in towards the ball, Prameshowri managed to get to it a fraction of a second earlier and slipped it under the SSB keeper, to put her side in the lead.

After the breather, Sandhya Kashyap came up with some good chances for SSB but failed to find the net.

The side from West Bengal looked determined and mounted a number of attacks in the second half, in their search for an equaliser. However, some brilliant goalkeeping from Linthoingambi Devi, and some last ditch tackles from Hero of the Match Sweety Devi kept SSB out.

After this second consecutive loss, SSB remain 6th on the Hero IWL table, whereas Kickstart maintain their position on third with 15 points from 6 matches.

Kickstart FC face SSB this evening, look to maintain winning momentum

AIFF Media  

Kickstart FC will look to maintain their winning momentum when they face SSB on Friday, May 6, 2022, at the Kalinga Stadium in the Hero Indian Women’s League.

Ahead of the clash, Kickstart head coach Amrutha Aravind sounded pumped as she said, “It is a vital match for us, and we have to continue our rhythm of winning.”

The gaffer has high regards for her opponents. She said, “SSB is one of the best women's teams in India, and they are a very good and balanced side. So, we have to put some extra effort to win against them.”

Amrutha believes her side is yet to improve, “We were lacking in some areas in our last match, especially when it came to finishing, we were not at the level where we want to be. We are focusing much more on that in the preparatory sessions.”

“I am fully confident in the qualities of my team and my girls will be doing better in the next match,” she added.

SSB suffered a narrow loss in their last match against Arrows and gaffer Juliet Miranda is determined to bounce back. She said, “Our next opponents are very tough, as they have all good experienced players. Will try to give them a good fight and come out with a positive mind-set.”

Juliet opined, “The last game's result was unacceptable for us. We have to improve a lot as a team. Especially we have to refrain from making silly errors.” SSB will face Kickstart FC on Friday May 6, 2022 at the Kalinga Stadium at 19:30pm (IST). The match will be telecast live on Eurosport and streamed on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

Kickstart back to winning ways against Odisha Police

AIFF Media 

Kickstart FC picked up a convincing 2-0 win over Odisha Police in the Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 on Monday, May 2,2022 at the 7th Battalion Stadium.

The Karnataka based club were on the front foot right from the beginning. They came twice close to scoring but Phanjoubam Nirmala Devi and Thingbaijam Babysana Devi could not capitalize on the opportunities.

In the 29th minute, Asem Roja Devi found a breakthrough and pulled the trigger from close range. However, the referee blew her whistle for offside and the scoreline remained unchanged. 

Before the half-time whistle, Roja Devi, Babysana Devi and Lochana Munda all came close to scoring, but missed their target by a whisker. Following the restart, Kickstart finally took the lead via Irom Prameshwori Devi in the 54th minute. The forward drove a shot from close range and found the back of the net to make it 1-0.

In quick fire succession, substitute Yangoijam Kiranbala Chanu made it 2-0 for Kickstart FC. The forward low shot from inside the box could not be saved by Odisha Police goalkeeper Rajeswari Das. At the hour mark, however, Das went on to make a wonderful save off Yumlembam Pakpi Devi’s close range shot.

Odisha Police could not come back with any goals before full time and the game ended 2-0 in Kickstart’s favour.

 

Kickstart lose to Sethu FC in IWL

AIFF Media 

Sethu FC collected crucial three points against Kickstart FC in their Hero Indian Women’s League 2021-22 clash at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, April 28. 

Kioko Elizabeth Katungwa opened the scoring for the Madurai-based side early in the 6th minute. The Kenyan controlled a deflected cross perfectly inside the box and fired in an unstoppable volley from close range to make it 1-0.

Elizabeth went on to double the lead for Sethu FC just before half-time. The forward converted from the left side of the post after Grace Lalrampari Hauhnar provided her with a perfect assist. 

Moments later, Kickstart pulled one back through Kshetrimayum Margaret Devi. The skipper applied some beautiful technique and struck the ball with her first touch from distance. The Sethu goalkeeper could not judge the awkward lift of the ball and it eventually landed into the back of the net.

Kickstart maintained majority of the ball possession throughout the game, but could not avert Sethu’s relentless waves of attack. The scoreline remained 2-1 until full time in Sethu FC’s favour as the side grabbed their fourth consecutive win of the Hero IWL season.

 

Kickstart, Sethu aim to maintain unbeaten record

AIFF Media  

Sethu FC and Kickstart FC head into a mouthwatering clash in the Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 on Thursday, April 28 with both sides yet to taste defeat in three games so far and will be looking forward to maintaining the record.

Sethu Head Coach Crispin Chettri was confident, yet wary of the threat posed by their counterparts from Karnataka. He said, “It is one of the more important matches for us. They are a good side. We have to do better in decision making and convert our chances and be organised at the back.”

“We are happy with how we have started the Hero IWL campaign, and want to keep the momentum going forward,” he added.

On the other hand, Kickstart are also in decent form and have won each of their first three Hero IWL 2021-22 games. Speaking about the game against Sethu FC, Head Coach Amrutha Aravind stated, “We are playing against Sethu FC’s experienced team, who have won the league. We have to give our 100 percent and we have prepared well to do the same. I am fully confident in the abilities of my team.”

She went on to add, “The last match has boosted the morale of the team. We would like to keep up the momentum and stay on top with a win.”

The match will be played at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar and will be telecast live on Eurosport and streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube Channel at 3.30 PM (IST).

Kickstart grab last-gasp win over Odisha Sports in IWL

AIFF Media 

High-flying Kickstart FC picked up a last-gasp 1-0 win against Odisha Sports in their 3rd clash of Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday, April 23.

The Karnataka-based side started the game on the stronger foot, displaying good passages of play on occasions. Kickstart had four of their seven attempts on target in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. On the other hand, Odisha Sports too found a couple of breakthroughs, but couldn’t capitalise from either.

After finishing 0-0 in the first 45 minutes, the two sides looked all set for a solid second half. Kickstart managed 16 shots on goal. Credit to Odisha Sports defence, the score line remained unchanged until the dying minutes of the game.

On the 90th minute, Irom Prameshwori Devi found space on the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross inside the box. The sudden force of the cross led to confusion between Odisha Sports’ defenders and Asem Roja Devi found herself in an advantageous position. The forward quickly reacted and lobbed the ball over Odisha Sports goalkeeper Sasmita Parida to give her side a crucial lead.

Odisha Sports had very little time left to equalise and, in the end, settled for an upsetting first defeat of the Hero IWL season. Meanwhile, Kickstart made it three wins in as many games, rubbing shoulders with league leaders Gokulam Kerala.

 

Kickstart, Odisha Sports aim to maintain unbeaten runs

 AIFF Media 

High-flying Kickstart FC take on Odisha Sports in their next Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 clash at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

The team from Bengaluru are coming on the back of two wins in a row and have a fully fit squad against Odisha Sports. Focusing on the upcoming games, Head Coach Amrutha expressed her thoughts on the team’s preparations.

“All the upcoming matches are very important for us. Odisha Sports is a very good side, and they have a lot of experienced Indian players. So, we need to be more compact defensively in the next match,” she quoted ahead of the match.

Additionally, Amrutha also spoke about the areas the team has worked upon to improve after the previous game. “We have concentrated more in the last preparatory sessions on the transitions from defence to attack. Now I hope it will work in the next match.”

Odisha Sports too are unbeaten in their Hero IWL campaign so far with a draw and win to their name. Head Coach Gitanjali Khuntia spoke about the areas of improvement she sees in her side. “Our back four and goalkeeper are experienced players, and they are doing well. Only in the final third, we are lacking in finishing, so we have to improve that in the next match.”

While giving her assessment of the opponents and the approach her side will take, Khuntia added, “The opponents are a balanced team, so we have to keep the balance between all the thirds to score early. We will try to score early to get three points from this game.”

The game will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM (IST).

Kickstart maintains winning streak after thumping win over Sirvodem

AIFF Media 

Kickstart maintain their winning streak as they hand Sirvodem a second consecutive defeat after a dominant 7-0 win in the Hero Indian Women’s League at the Capital Ground on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. 

The Karnataka-based side made a quick and dominating start as they scored as many as three goals within the first quarter of the game. Winger Kaviya opened the scoring on the 6th minute, followed by an own goal from Sirvodem defender Sharda a couple of minutes later. Kaviya once again bagged a goal contribution as her inch-perfect cross on the 12th minute was finely tapped in by Kiranbala. 

Kaviya ran riots along the right-wing forcing the Sirvodem defence to stumble with the latter’s goalkeeper Afsan Ashiq fumbling frequently. The goal shower continued with forward Roja Devi perfectly utilising the Sirvodem custodian’s howler to increase the lead to 4-0 within the 17th minute.  

Kickstart kept a large proportion of the possession all through the game with their continued domination, rattling the Goan side. Babysana pulled the strings from the midfield as the Karnataka-based side orchestrated waves of attacks, one of which led Prameshwori Irom to score the fifth goal on the 25th minute.

Minutes before the halftime break, Indian international Roja Devi earned a brace for herself as she found the back of the net, making it a six-goal lead for Kickstart FC, going into the breather.

Changing over, Sirvodem came out with a lot more intent and held their shape for large parts of the game. They kept their opponents at bay, preventing Kickstart from scoring more until substitute Lawmching found the net with less than 10 minutes of regulation time left on the clock.

With this win, Kickstart climb to second on the Hero IWL table with six points from two matches, and a goal difference of nine.

Dominant Kickstart kick-off Hero IWL campaign in style

AIFF Media 

Kickstart FC started their campaign in the Hero Indian Women’s League (HIWL) with a dominant display, registering a 3-1 victory against debutant PIFA SC.

PIFA SC started the game deep down the defence keeping Kickstart at bay. The Karnataka-based side created a lot of chances as they kept Anjali busy under the PIFA post. It was finally at the 23’ minute that the deadlock was broken when defender Nirmal Devi scored a screamer from around 40 yards or more – already a contender for the goal of the tournament.

Forward Parameswari Irom doubled the lead for Kickstart in the 33rd minute. But the joy lasted seconds as PIFA pulled back one in the next move the same minute itself -- PIFA forward Nissilia sent it at the back of the net after she received an inch-perfect cross from the right-wing.

Thereafter the game opened as both sides continued to create plenty of chances. Kickstart utilized their wings well but lacked in their finishing while PIFA continued to build from their back.

Getting back from the halftime break, Kickstart seemed sharper as they kept on pressing looking for the insurance goal. PIFA SC lost too many balls in their midfield making it easier for their rivals.

Zairem of PIFA got the first booking of the evening for bringing down Kaviya illegally near the hour mark. It was seconds later that Kaviya sealed the fate of the match in the 58th minute. Nirmala lobbed the ball inside the box and with PIFA keeper Anjali fumbling, Kavya was quick to capitalise.

 

 

Kickstart take on debutant PIFA Sports FC in Hero IWL tomorrow

AIFF Media 

Seasoned contestants Kickstart FC will face off Maharashtra-based side PIFA Sports FC tomorrow, April 15, 2022, who will mark their debut in the fifth edition of the Hero Indian Women’s League (HIWL). 

The Kickstart gaffer Amrutha Aravind Valliyath sounded quite calm and confident ahead of their first game of the season.

Aravind clearly voiced their wish to fight for the championship, “Preparations are almost done for this year's title. We have a balanced side, and we will do our best for this year's championship”.

When asked about their game plan against PIFA the head coach said, “We are looking for an attacking style of play and we want a positive result”. 

The Karnataka league champions eyes to “take each game as a challenge” and work as “one team one dream". 

The game will kick off at 3:30 pm (IST) at the Capital Stadium, Odisha and the match will be live streamed on the Indian Football YouTube page. 

 

Indian Womens League to kick-off on April 15 in Bhubaneswar

The Hero Indian Women’s League is all set for a return in the 2021-22 season, as it will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from April 15 onwards.

This season’s Hero IWL will feature 12 teams that will fight it out for the top prize in Indian Women’s Football, and will fight it out in a league format from April 15 to May 26, with the champions of the tournament getting the chance to play in the next edition of the AFC Women’s Club Championship. The matches will be played at the Kalinga Stadium, the Seventh Battalion Ground and the Capital Ground.

Defending Champions Gokulam Kerala FC, who also join the league as the champions of Kerala, will also be joined by the champion teams from 10 other states – Odisha Police (Odisha), Hans Women FC (Delhi), Kickstart FC Karnataka (Karnataka), Gokulam Kerala FC (Kerala), Sethu Madurai (Tamil Nadu), PIFA Sports Colaba FC (Maharashtra), Mata Rukmani FC (Chhattisgarh), Sirvodem Sports Club (Goa), Indian Arrows (AIFF’s Developmental Team), SSB Women FC (West Bengal), Sports Odisha (Odisha), and one club from the Hero IWL Qualifiers.

The qualifiers of the Hero IWL will take place in New Delhi from April 1 to 5, where four clubs – Guwahati City FC, Golazo FC, ARA FC, and YWC will fight it out at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, in a round robin format with the top team proceeding to the tournament proper.

“It’s great that we are being able to have the Hero IWL once again, and that too in Odisha, a state that has so closely been linked with Indian football over the past,” said AIFF Leagues and Development CEO Mr Sunando Dhar. “We will have the Hero IWL in a league format this time, which will allow the clubs to play more number of matches, and the champions teams from all the states will be fighting it out for the top prize.”

“We will also have the qualifiers for the Hero IWL in New Delhi, and that will further help the other teams from other states get the opportunity to participate in the league as well,” he further stated. “We wish the all the clubs the very best in their endeavours.”

The Hero IWL proper will also be played in a round robin format, with every team playing each other once. The team that finishes their respective 11 matches with the highest number of points will be declared the winners of the Hero IWL 2021-22 season.