Nita Football Academy (NFA) makes history, qualifies for Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2024-25

Bhubaneswar: Going down in the annals of Odisha football history as well as adding a glorious feather in its cap, Nita Football Academy (NFA) has been able to secure a ticket to compete in the 2024-25 season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) – well-known as the top tier women’s professional football league in India.

NFA achieved the glory by finishing as runners-up in the inaugural edition of the IWL-2, the second tier women’s football league of the country, which concluded with the final round at Mapusa-based Duler Stadium in Goa on May 28, 2024.

Both NFA and Sreebhumi Football Club (Kolkata) tied for the title by garnering 10 points each in the final round that featured six teams.

The goal difference also could not break the deadlock as both teams (NFA & Sreebhumi) were levelled at 8-8.

However, Sreebhumi FC emerged champions on the basis of head-to-head and emerged champions as well as qualified for IWL 2024-25.

Notably, NFA started their campaign with a 1-3 loss to Sreebhumi FC earlier on May 10. But, the resurgent Odisha team NFA bounced back into the titlte race by winning three of their last four matches and drawing one.

NFA capped the Final Round campaign trouncing SAG Football Academy 8-1 in their fifth and last match. Sikha Mallik spearheaded the NFA attack by scoring four goals and a total of seven in the Final Round.

Eventually, NFA qualified for the Final Round by finishing second with eight points in the Preliminary League (Group-A), which was held earlier at Amal Dutta Krirangan in Kolkata from March 24 to April 1, 2024. While the Odisha team (NFA) played four matches, won two and drew two.

Pertinent to note that, NFA is the sixth team from Odisha to feature in IWL. The other five teams are: Rising Students Club, Odisha Police, SAI-STC Cuttack, Odisha FC and Sports Odisha. While Odisha’s old capital city Cuttack-based Rising Students Club has emerged champions in 2017-18 though had finished runners-up in 2016-17, Odisha’s present capital city Bhubaneswar-based Odisha FC has claimed the title in the 2023-24 season.