Rajshahi stars defeated by 4 goals in AFC Champions League debut

Rajshahi Stars, the champions of the Bangladesh Women's Football League, could not make a winning start in their debut match in the AFC Women's Champions League, suffering a 4-0 defeat against Kolkata's East Bengal at the Likas Stadium in Malaysia.

Rajshahi Stars held the advantage in ball possession during the match. Throughout the game, they took 10 shots on goal, five of which were on target. However, Rajshahi's attacks lacked the effective finishing needed to beat the East Bengal goalkeeper. On the other hand, the Kolkata side capitalized on their chances quite skillfully, taking a total of 15 shots on Rajshahi's goal, with six on target.

East Bengal applied pressure on Rajshahi's defense right from the start. Ghanaian forward Olivia Anokye put the Kolkata side ahead in just the 9th minute. Astam Oraon doubled the lead in the 26th minute. Later, in the 38th minute, Olivia scored her second and the team's third goal. As a result, Tahura, Swapna, and the rest of the Rajshahi Stars found themselves trailing 3-0 before the end of the first half.

Rajshahi attempted to mount a comeback in the second half. Although they tried to increase their attacking pressure, the Bangladeshi champions failed to create major problems for East Bengal's defense. Instead, the Kolkata side continued to pressure Rajshahi's defense several times in the second half. Ultimately, Soumya Guguloth scored the fourth goal of the match, sealing a 4-0 victory for East Bengal.

Prior to the tournament, both Rajshahi Stars coach Golam Rabbani and captain Shiuli Azim stated that the match against East Bengal would be a major test. The harsh reality of that test was clearly evident on the field.

This season's tournament marks a historic milestone for Bangladesh's women's club football. No club from Bangladesh participated in the first two editions of the AFC Women's Champions League. Now, in its third edition, Rajshahi Stars is playing in Asia's top club football competition for the first time as the champions of the Women's Football League.

In Group A, Rajshahi's remaining two opponents are Rovers FC of Guam and hosts Sabah FC of Malaysia. Rajshahi will play their second match against Sabah FC on August 20 at the same Likas Stadium. Following the heavy defeat against East Bengal, Golam Rabbani's side will now aim to bounce back in that upcoming fixture.