East Bengal to represent India in the first-ever SAFF Women’s Club Championship

Women’s football in South Asia is set to reach a new milestone as the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) prepares to host the inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 5 to 20 December 2025.

The tournament will bring together five champion clubs, each representing a SAFF member nation:

Nasrin Sports Academy (Bangladesh)

Transport United Ladies FC (Bhutan)

East Bengal FC (India)

APF Football Club (Nepal)

Karachi City Football Club (Pakistan)

All matches will take place at Dasharath Rangasala Stadium, Nepal’s national stadium, with a capacity for 15,000 spectators.

The competition will follow a league-cum-knockout format: each team will face the others in the group stage, and the top two clubs will progress to the grand final on December 20.

“This is a historic competition, as SAFF will be the first Regional Association to host a women’s club championship among the five Regional Associations of Asia,” said SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel.

“The recent progress of women’s national teams in South Asia is very encouraging. Member Associations like Bangladesh and India are reaching the finals of AFC competitions, while others have shown strong performances in AFC qualifiers. Through this championship, we aim to provide a more competitive environment for our Member Associations and celebrate the growing success of women’s football in the region. We hope the two weeks in Kathmandu will be a true celebration of that progress.”

This tournament marks a historic first for South Asia, with SAFF leading the way in creating a women’s club football competition.

Previously, women’s football in the region had primarily been showcased through national teams, but the introduction of a structured club championship is expected to boost competitive standards, provide players with more exposure, and strengthen domestic leagues across the subcontinent.

For Pakistan, the participation of Karachi City FC is especially significant, as it marks the nation’s first appearance in an international women’s club football competition — a sign of the country’s growing commitment to women’s football.

Earlier discussions within SAFF had considered a larger field of up to eight clubs, but for this inaugural edition, the federation opted for five teams to ensure a high-quality and competitive start.