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 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.