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 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).

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, 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, 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.

Kickstart FC, Sirvodem look for improvement ahead of Hero IWL clash

AIFF Media 

After the comfortable victory in their first match of the fifth edition of Hero Indian Women’s League, Kickstart FC will start as favourites while facing Sirvodem Sports Club on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Sirvodem SC on the other hand will eye redemption after their defeat against Arrows in their opening match.

Speaking on the upcoming fixtures Sirvodem head coach Chitra Gangadharan said, “We will focus on enhancing our performance in the next match. As most of our girls are young and first-timers to high-intensity tournaments at this level. This tournament is an opportunity for our players to test their abilities.” 

Quizzed about her take ahead of the next match, the gaffer said, “We face a strong opponent and are looking for good exposure and experience for our players who are ready to give their 100 per cent on the pitch.”

Chitra also highlighted the importance of improving mental health of her players. “We are focusing on improving mental strength of our players. That will help them handle these kinds of challenges. We are also trying to improve our teamwork and are looking forward to playing as per the tactical plan,” she said.

Kickstart clinched a comfortable 3-1 win against PIFA in the first match. Despite the positive start, Kickstart head coach Amrutha Aravind is not willing to consider themselves favourite. Rather she intends to work more on her team’s weaknesses. 

She said, “After the first match we have recognised our weaker zones and we are working on them.” She believes, “In the first match we were lacking combination play between our stoppers and midfielders while defending. We need to work on that in order to gather positive results.”

Speaking about their opponents, the Kickstart coach said, “We look at them as a good side managed by an experienced coach and thus we are working hard to make sure we grab full points against them.”

Sirvodem SC will face Kickstart FC tomorrow 20th April 2022, 15:30 PM (IST) at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar, and the match will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

 

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.