IWL 2023: CRPF, Lords FA look to gather pace; Churchill, Queens search for first points

Ahmedabad, May 2 (IANS) Tied on the same points after one win and one defeat, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) FC and Lords FA, Kochi will look to add three more points to their tally as they meet in an important Group B clash of the Indian Women's League (IWL) 2023 at the Shahibaug Police Stadium here on Wednesday.

Both CRPF and Lords FA are level on three points after their first two games. A win would strengthen their position of progressing to the knockout stages. CRPF edged Churchill Brothers, 2-1 in their last game to open their account for the season. Lords FA, after beating Celtic Queens 4-0 in their opener, went down 1-4 to Sethu FC on Sunday.

CRPF head coach Uttam Singh Negi feels confident ahead of the match and believes that every game is equally important in this competition as the Indian Women's League (IWL) presents an opportunity for all the big names of the country to participate.

Lords FA head coach Nirvan Shah is only focused on the task in hand ahead in the shape of CRPF and stated that his side are ready for a tough challenge on Wednesday evening.

Kickstart FC face Churchill's challenge

Kickstart FC, on a high after their win over Odisha FC on Sunday, will be looking to build on that success when they face Churchill Brothers in their Group B game at the TransStadia on Wednesday.

Head coach Langam Chaoba Devi believes that they need to better their performance than last year when they finished third in the Hero IWL. Having young and prominent players in the squad this season, they are eyeing to reach the final and win the title this season.

Debutants Churchill Brothers Goa, on the other hand, will have a tough job in their hands to pull an upset against an experienced opposition like Kickstart FC. The Red Machines have lost their first two matches -- 0-6 to Sethu and 1-2 to CRPF -- and will be craving their first-ever points in the Hero IWL.

Celtic Queens take on Sethu Madurai

Last season's runners-up Sethu Madurai FC are upbeat about playing fine football as they clash against Celtic Queens FC in a Group B at the Shahibaug Police Stadium on Wednesday.

Sethu FC head coach, Joseph Naik, despite top of the table with two wins in two games so far, wants to approach the game in a composed manner and show any complacency.

"The team has performed brilliantly in the last two matches and we want to build on that. We are focused on taking each game at a time," said Naik.

Celtic Queens FC, on the other hand, having lost their last two matches, are desperate to get a positive result from this match. The side from Puducherry are bottom of the standings after losing 0-4 to Lords FA and 0-3 to Eastern Sporting Union.

Eastern Sporting Union vs Odisha FC

Eastern Sporting Union will be looking to extend their winning streak as they face Odisha FC in the other Group B clash at the TransStadia on Wednesday.

Eastern Sporting Union, who won the inaugural Hero IWL title in 2016-17, have won their first two matches of the current season -- 1-0 over Kickstart and 3-0 against Celtic Queens.

Head coach Lourembam Ronibala Chanu said the girls are fully ready to face Odisha FC. Having won the title before, they know how to handle the pressure before big games like these.

Odisha FC suffered a disappointing 0-2 loss to Kickstart in their last game, but head coach Crispin Chettri believes that they have everything in them to snatch a win against the former champions.

"While individual talent is important, success on the field largely comes down to how well the team works together", he said on the eve of the match.

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