Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kathmandu: The inaugural SAFF Women's Club Championship will culminate in a highly-anticipated final between East Bengal FC (India) and APF FC (Nepal) at Kathmandu's Dashrath Stadium tomorrow evening (Kickoff - 4.45 PM IST).
The two sides faced each other in the final round-robin fixture only two days back, which ended in a goalless draw. EBFC Women finished the round-robin phase as the table toppers (10 points from 4 games; 3 wins and a draw), while APF FC finished second (8 points from 4 games; 2 wins and 2 draws).
EBFC Women were lethal in the round-robin phase, scoring 13 goals without conceding any. Their campaign started with a 4-0 victory over Bhutan's Transport United Ladies, followed by a 2-0 win over Pakistan's Karachi City FC. The 'Moshal Girls' recorded their highest victory margin in international football with their 7-0 rout of Bangladesh's Nasrin FA in their third encounter. Their final round-robin match against APF was a cagey, goalless affair with a few clear chances.
The Kolkata-based club's attack is led by Ugandan forward and two-time Indian Women's League Golden Boot winner, Fazila Ikwaput, who currently leads the scoring charts with seven goals, including a five-goal haul against Nasrin SA. Young Indian forward Sulanjana Raul is the second-highest scorer in the competition with three goals, while Ugandan playmaker Resty Nanziri scored twice in the round-robin phase.
AFC FC, meanwhile, comprise a strong defense, anchored by goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar and a disciplined backline. Like their Indian counterparts, APF, too, are yet to concede in the tournament and have looked threatening on the counter.
The Red & Gold Women are on the cusp of winning a fifth international title for the club, after East Bengal's Coca-Cola Cup (1985, Colombo), Wai Wai Cup (1993, Kathmandu), ASEAN Club Championship (2003, Jakarta) and the San Miguel International Cup (2004, Kathmandu) triumphs.
*Speaking to the media on the eve of the final, EBFC Women's Head Coach Anthony Andrews said*, "APF are a very strong team and the players have been playing together for a long time for the Nepal national team. They'll obviously have the crowd support behind them. Both sides got a fair idea about each other's strengths and weaknesses in the previous game and will look to minimize the mistakes in the final. It's a great opportunity for our club to win an international trophy after 21 years, so the entire team is determined to script history by winning the first-ever SAFF Women's Club Championship."
*EBFC Women's captain Fazila Ikwaput said*, "APF are the home team, so they'll enjoy the support of the crowd. That said, we'll focus on our plans and do everything in our capacity to bring the trophy to Kolkata."
The match can be streamed live in India on the MSM Video app.