IWL: Sethu FC stun Odisha FC to take away all three points

Sethu FC moved to the second spot in the IWL table.

Despite being a player down for the majority of the game, Sethu FC shocked Odisha FC 2-0 at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 in the IWL. Sethu took Odisha’s unbeaten start to the league season as well as leapfrogged them on the table to second place, with the result that took their tally to seven points. Odisha are now in fourth place with four points.

Sethu were the ones who approached the game on the front foot, and even carved up the first chance of the game in the fourth minute, a corner headed wide at the far post narrowly. Their attacks continued relentlessly at Odisha, who looked shell-shocked and were for large parts of the opening 15 minutes constrained in their own half. 

The 🔟 women of @SethuFCMadurai produce an incredible second half 🤩 to deal @OdishaFCW their first EVER home loss in the #IWL 👊#OFCSFC #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/8qpeNbgoeu

— I-League (@ILeague_aiff) January 21, 2025

The pattern of play flipped completely because of one moment of madness in the 20th minute. As Jennifer Yeboah, having received the ball 30 yards from goal, drove towards goal, she was brought down by Anu Sabu. The referee did not hesitate in deeming it a foul worthy of a sending off. Sethu were reduced to 10.

Odisha immediately conjured up their first real opportunity, Maryam Ibrahim’s free kick saved comfortably by Khambi Chanu. Six minutes later came the best chance of the half, when Yeboah was played through via a brilliant Grace Lalrampari through ball. The Ghanaian did brilliantly to open her body up and slide the ball towards the far corner, Chanu stranded. The effort bounced off the post. Sethu hung on to take the game to halftime. 

If the first half had demanded the bravery of Sethu, then the second needed ingenuity and tactical nous, not just to play out the game but also take something from it. As it happened, they also got their bit of luck, when Shreya Hooda spilt a routine long-range effort, straight into the path of Amnah Nababi. The midfielder had spotted the long-range shot and on pure poacher’s instinct followed it in. She tapped in the rebound to give Sethu a lead against the run of play.

Odisha’s game got increasingly desperate as time wore on, and where they could’ve done with patience they instead got frantic. Chances came and went begging. For Sethu, Khambi Chanu and Nirmala Devi were superb with their saves and interventions in goal and defence.

Sethu capitalised on Odisha’s profligacy and nervousness to score a second via Nababi in the 82nd minute as the Ugandan rounded Hooda and slammed the ball home. It was a body blow for Odisha, who had been caught flat-footed in key moments and sealed the three points for the visitors.

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