IWL: Odisha FC eye top spot, Sethu FC face Eastern Sporting Union

Sethu FC take on Eastern Sporting Union

An interesting tie between two former Indian Women’s League champions, Sethu Madurai and Eastern Sporting Union, is on the cards in the IWL 2023 at the TransStadia, in Ahmedabad, on Friday, May 5, 2023.

Sethu Madurai clinched the title back in 2019, and are aiming to reclaim glory this season. They are now at the top of the Group B table. Head Coach Joseph Naik spoke about his side’s preparations ahead of the game.

"Eastern Sporting Union are one of the strongest sides and they play good football. We are focused and will aim to stay calm and composed, as we like to play good football too."

When asked whether the team could go on to finish their group stage campaign unbeaten, Naik answered, "It will be amazing if we stay unbeaten. Everything is possible. We believe and trust ourselves, but at the same time, we are not overconfident. We are working as a team to get better with each game."

On the other hand, Eastern Sporting Union, who were the champions of the inaugural season of the IWL, will be looking to bounce back after the loss against Odisha FC.  "We will fight back in order to get the three points," said head coach Ronibala Devi, as she urged her side to bring their best game to the pitch.

"We still have chances for qualification, so we will try our best to win matches and score more goals," she added.

The match between Sethu Madurai and Eastern Sporting Union will kick-off at 8 am IST.

Odisha FC look for top spot

An uphill task awaits Churchill Brothers FC when they face a strong Group B opposition in Odisha FC at the Shahibaug Police Stadium at 8 am on Friday.

The Goa side are yet to register their first points of the season and will be eager to make their mark against their strong rivals. Head coach Girijadevi Desai stated, "We are preparing to deliver a better performance as compared to our previous games."

Odisha FC, on the other hand, have their sights set on the group summit as they aim to take the race for quarterfinal qualification to the next level. Head coach Crispin Chettri said, "Group B is very competitive. Teams like Sethu, Eastern Sporting Union, and Kickstart are performing and scoring brilliantly. Presently, our priority is to maintain consistent performance and emerge victorious in every match."

CRPF aim for full points

CRPF and Celtic Queens will clash heads at the TransStadia. The two sides are coming on the back of contrasting results.

CRPF picked up a big 5-2 win over Lords FA and will be looking to build on the momentum in Friday’s game. Meanwhile Celtic Queens suffered a 1-7 defeat against Sethu Madurai and will be eager to make a comeback in the meet.

Kickstart FC raring to go again

After suffering defeats in the last two games, Lords FA have redemption on their minds when they face Kickstart FC at the Shahibuag Police Stadium. Kickstart, on the other hand, have momentum in their favour after a massive 10-0 win over Churchill Brothers on Wednesday. Head coach Langam Chaoba Devi expressed her thoughts ahead of Friday’s game, saying, "All the remaining matches are very important for us and we will keep the same tempo and same winning attitude."