East Bengal FC got their 2025/26 Women’s Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC in their opening Group B match in Wuhan on Monday. Goals from Shilky Hemam, Fazila Ikwaputa and Resty Nanziri gave the Indian side a positive first step as they chased a place in the knockout rounds.
The match started at a brisk pace and East Bengal struck almost immediately. In the fourth minute, two successive attempts by Ikwaputa were blocked by the Bam Khatoon defence, but a loose ball rolled into the path of Hemam, who guided a composed low finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. An early breakthrough allowed the Red and Golds to settle quickly, keep possession and control the tempo for long stretches of the first half.
Bam Khatoon relied largely on long-range attempts to stay in the match, with midfielders Sara Didar and Fatemeh Geraeli trying from long range but without trouble for goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu. East Bengal then doubled their lead in the 32nd minute with a well-thought-out move when Amnah Nababi slipped a pinpoint ball to Ikwaputa who calmed down and calmly finished past Raha Yazdani.
East Bengal could have gone further in front three minutes later when Soumya Guguloth created a clear opening for Nanziri in the box, but the Ugandan midfielder sent it over the bar. Bam Khatoon finally found a way back just before half-time, capitalizing on Jyoti Chouhan’s handball. Mona Hamoudi converted the resulting penalty and made it 2:1 before the break.
The Iranian side came back with more urgency after the break and created several half chances through Pasandideh and Geraeli, although Panthoi dealt with both comfortably. East Bengal took control in the final quarter, Ikwaput hitting the post in the 79th minute and forcing a sharp save from Yazdani shortly after.
The decisive third came in the 87th minute when Nanziri unleashed a long-range strike that beat the keeper to seal a deserved victory. East Bengal now prepare for a tough encounter with defending champions Wuhan Jiangda, followed by their group stage clash with Uzbekistan’s Nasaf.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
November 17, 2025
