Fazila brace helps East Bengal beat Ho Chi Minh City 2-1 in AWCL group opener in Kolkata
East Bengal FC defeated Ho Chi Minh City WFC 2-1 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday in the opening match of the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League group stage, with Fazila Ikwaput scoring twice and Adama Alhassan among the team’s best performers.
The Moshal Girls took a decisive lead with two first-half goals from Fazila, the first a penalty in the 21st minute and the second an individual strike in the 33rd minute, before Ho Chi Minh City pulled a goal back in the 60th minute; East Bengal held on to claim the win, which the report describes as the club’s ninth consecutive victory in international competitions.
In goal and across the backline, Elangbam Panthoi Chanu was given a 6/10 and described as having a difficult outing at times despite support from her defenders, while Astam Oraon maintained position but was involved in a miscommunication with teammates that contributed to the second-half goal. Sarita was credited with managing defensive duties on the right and supporting attacks but her miscommunication during a free-kick was cited as costing a goal, and Abena Anoma Opoku received a 7/10 for a composed defensive display although her challenge in the 59th minute was linked to the free-kick that led to Ho Chi Minh City’s strike.
Adama Alhassan was singled out as one of East Bengal’s standout performers alongside Fazila, described as composed, fluent and solid defensively, with the Vietnamese side said to have breached her defensive line only once. The Japanese midfielder who made her debut in India for East Bengal was noted as having a fairly decent outing, active in both attacking and defensive phases and expected to develop further with time according to the report.
In midfield and attack, Shilky Devi Hemam received a 7/10 and was described as instrumental in controlling the game and dictating tempo for East Bengal, while Resty was praised for being influential in the final third but was labelled unlucky for missing early chances, including one created by Fazila. Sulanjana Raul was credited with dangerous wing play and creating several chances before being substituted by Rimpa Halder in the second half; Rimpa’s introduction after the second hydration break was noted for good pace and link-up play with Fazila and Olivia, though she also missed a few opportunities.
Fazila Ikwaput was identified as East Bengal’s best player on the night, finishing with a brace but missing multiple chances to complete a hat-trick, and Olivia Anokye was described as an equally constant attacking threat whose first-half shot hit the crossbar before she was replaced by Soumya Guguloth later in the match. Soumya was reported to have had a scoring opportunity shortly after coming on, while Sathi replaced Astam Oraon during injury time and had limited time to make an impact.
East Bengal’s next scheduled Group Stage fixture is against North Korean side 4.25 SC on November 4th at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, with kick-off set for 2:00 PM IST.
