Odisha FC Women's team is set to play their second consecutive home game in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) season 2024-25 against Nita Football Academy in the much-anticipated Odisha Derby on Tuesday, 28th January 2025 at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Kick-off is set at 5:00 PM IST.
Odisha FC comes into this match after a tough 2-0 defeat to Sethu FC at home. With mixed results in their last three matches, they sit in 4th place on the league table with 4 points. Despite the loss, the team is looking to bounce back strong in their home ground.
Nita FA, in their inaugural IWL season, are currently in 5th place, sharing the same number of points as Odisha FC. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two Odisha-based teams in the IWL.
In the pre-match press conference, when asked about the tough loss against Sethu FC, Odisha FC Head Coach Crispin Chettri said: "Honestly, we didn’t deserve the point that day based on how we played. But football is like that, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When a team down to 10 players, they have more hunger and desire and Sethu proved that. We lacked that confidence and it showed in our performance. But every game is different, and we're focusing on a positive mindset for the next match. We’re all eager to bounce back and win."
When asked about preparing the team mentally and tactically for the high-pressure Odisha Derby, the coach responded: "There may be a few changes here and there, but after how we suffered in the last match, I don’t need to tell my players what needs to be done. They are professional enough to understand. This is a very important fixture, and the timing is right for us to show what we’re capable of. We know where we stand, and we’ll go out there as a team to win on the field."
Odisha FC's Jennifer, who scored her first goal of the season in the match against HOPS FC, was also asked about the boost in her confidence: "I’m grateful to the coach for believing in me. My confidence grew through the coach’s guidance and I’ve been following his instructions both in training and on the field. I’ll continue giving my best for the team in this season and in the Odisha Derby."
