Bhubaneswar: The Kalinga Warriors suffered a 2-0 loss to Sethu FC here at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday, in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2024-25.
The match started with both teams creating early opportunities. In the 2nd minute, Odisha's goalkeeper Shreya made a solid save from a goal-bound shot. Then, in the 7th minute, Nishka's low cross for Jennifer was blocked by a Sethu defender, and in the 13th minute, Jennifer's shot from the left was deflected off a defender and safely gathered by the keeper.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 20th minute when Jennifer Yeboah advanced with the ball and was brought down by Anu Sabu. The referee promptly handed out a red card to Sabu, leaving Sethu with 10 players.
With the numerical advantage, Odisha pressed forward. A notable opportunity came when Maryam’s free-kick was comfortably saved by Sethu’s goalkeeper. Six minutes later, Odisha came close to scoring as Jennifer latched onto a brilliant through ball from Grace. She aimed for the far corner, but her shot struck the post.
Sethu took the lead in the 69th minute when Shreya Hooda spilled a long-range shot, allowing Amnah Nababi to tap in the rebound.
Despite creating several chances, the Kalinga Warriors struggled with finishing. Sethu's goalkeeper Chanu and one defender were solid in denying Odisha clear-cut opportunities.
Sethu took advantage of Odisha's missed chances in the 82nd minute. A quick counter-attack saw Nababi round Odisha's goalkeeper Hooda and finish into an empty net, securing the win for Sethu.
