East Bengal FC secures historic 12-0 victory in AFC Women’s Champions League

NEW DELHI: East Bengal FC scripted a new chapter in Indian football history on Thursday, producing a staggering 12-0 victory over Rovers FC of Guam in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2026-27 preliminary stage. The Moshal Girls’ emphatic triumph is now the biggest-ever victory by an Indian club in an Asian competition, surpassing East Bengal’s own men’s record of a 9-0 win over Club Valencia of the Maldives in the 1985-86 Asian Club Championship. The result was East Bengal’s second successive win in the preliminary stage and puts the Indian Women’s League champions one victory away from reaching the group stage. They will face Malaysia’s Sabah FA on Sunday, with a place in the next phase at stake.

East Bengal wasted little time asserting their dominance. Priyangka Devi Naorem opened the scoring in the sixth minute when her effort from outside the box struck the left post before finding the net. Rovers goalkeeper Jae Almonte then spilled Anju Chanu Kayenpaibam’s effort in the 15th minute, allowing Astam Oraon to react quickly and score from the rebound. Priyangka doubled her tally seven minutes later, breaking into the box before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Almonte to give East Bengal a commanding 3-0 lead. The IWL champions showed no signs of easing off after the interval. Sulanjana Raul’s 48th-minute cross took a deflection and fell kindly for Olivia Anokye, who finished from close range. A minute later, Soumya Guguloth delivered a pinpoint cross for Abigail Antwi, who headed home East Bengal’s fifth.

The floodgates remained open. Almonte parried Shilky Devi Hemam’s curling effort in the 51st minute, but Sulanjana was quickest to the rebound and made it 6-0. Shilky then got her own name on the scoresheet five minutes later, curling another effort from just outside the box into the top-left corner. Olivia scored her second in the 58th minute with a low finish from inside the box, before Abena Opoku added another six minutes later with a powerful strike.

East Bengal continued their relentless assault deep into the closing stages, with Abena scoring again in the 70th minute and Anju finding the net three minutes later. Soumya completed the rout in stoppage time at 90+3, taking East Bengal’s tally to 12 and confirming the biggest victory ever recorded by an Indian club in Asian competition. After a 4-0 victory over Rajshahi Stars FC of Bangladesh in their opening match, East Bengal now need one more win against Sabah FA to turn their historic start into a place in the AFC Women’s Champions League group stage.