Fazila Ikwaput’s brace powered East Bengal FC Women to a 2-1 victory over Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Women FC in their opening Group B fixture of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026, as the Indian side made a winning start to its continental campaign at the Kishore Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
The victory was a significant statement from East Bengal, which combined attacking intent with defensive discipline to overcome one of the strongest teams in the group. The hosts scored twice in the first half through Ugandan forward Fazila Ikwaput before holding off a determined second-half response from the Vietnamese side.
With India hosting the group stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League for the first time, East Bengal’s performance provided an encouraging start to the country’s campaign in the continental competition. East Bengal began the contest with aggressive pressing and looked determined to establish control from the opening whistle.
The hosts created an early opportunity in the third minute when Resty Nanziri failed to connect with a cross from compatriot Fazila Ikwaput despite having an open goal. The breakthrough arrived in the 21st minute after Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita awarded a penalty following a video review. Ho Chi Minh City’s American defender Chesna Rielly Marie was penalised for handling the ball while attempting to intercept Fazila’s cross.
The Ugandan forward stepped up and converted the spot-kick with confidence to give East Bengal the lead. The hosts continued to press forward and doubled their advantage in the 34th minute through another moment of brilliance from Fazila. The forward shrugged off challenges from two opposition defenders before producing a superb angled finish past goalkeeper T.T.K. Thanh. Fazila’s brace gave East Bengal a commanding 2-0 lead at half-time and placed the hosts firmly in control of the contest.
Ho Chi Minh City made several changes at the break, introducing all their substitutes in an attempt to turn the match around. The Vietnamese side increased its attacking pressure and found a breakthrough in the 60th minute. Substitute D.N.Q. Anh headed home a free-kick delivered by T.T. Thu Xuan, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense final half-hour. East Bengal, however, refused to retreat into a defensive shell. The hosts continued to create opportunities and came close to restoring their two-goal advantage on several occasions.
Goalkeeper T.T.K. Thanh proved instrumental in keeping Ho Chi Minh City in the contest, producing a series of important saves. Her standout moment came in the 72nd minute when she denied Fazila the opportunity to complete her hat-trick. The hosts maintained their composure during the closing stages, defending their lead with discipline and ensuring that Ho Chi Minh City could not find an equaliser. The result handed East Bengal three valuable points in Group B and provided a strong foundation for its remaining fixtures.
East Bengal’s victory was significant beyond the three points. The club became the first Indian team to win multiple group-stage matches in the AFC Women’s Champions League, having defeated Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC 3-1 in the previous edition. The 2026-27 competition features 12 clubs divided into three groups, with the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides advancing to the quarter-finals.
East Bengal, the reigning Indian Women’s League champions, are competing in Group B alongside Ho Chi Minh City, South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO and DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC. The group stage is being hosted in Kolkata from November 1 to 7, marking the first time India has staged the competition. East Bengal will next take on South Korea’s Hwacheon KSPO WFC on November 4 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan. Hwacheon suffered a 1-2 defeat against DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC in the other Group B fixture on Sunday, making the upcoming encounter particularly important for both teams.
Ho Chi Minh City, meanwhile, will face 4.25 SC as they look to recover from their opening defeat. East Bengal’s victory reflects the growing competitiveness of Indian women’s club football. Fazila Ikwaput’s attacking quality provided the decisive edge, but the team’s response to Ho Chi Minh City’s second-half pressure was equally important. With the quarter-finals within reach, the next challenge will be to maintain that attacking confidence while improving defensive concentration.
A second consecutive win would place East Bengal in a strong position to progress beyond the group stage and further strengthen India’s presence in Asian women’s football.
