Sethu FC will open their 2019 IWL Campaign this Monday, and a good start against a tough opponent can boost the morale from the start.

Sethu FC kick-off their much anticipated IWL campaign on Monday afternoon in the first fixture of Group II action as they face Manipur Police Sports Club on Day 2 of the competition. The Madurai outfit will want to get off to a quick start with Amrutha Aravind in charge and will be looking to exert themselves from the beginning.

How’s the team looking?

Sethu FC owner and Head Coach Amrutha Aravind made several key additions during the off-season to strengthen a team that last year finished third in the competition.

For Sethu FC, this could be a testament to how well they are developing their young squad and they will be hopeful of mounting a competitive challenge against Monday’s opponents. The team this year consists heavily of local players, with six players coming from Indian women's team that played the recent Olympic qualifiers. Players like Sabithra Bhandari, Dangmei Grace and Sandhiya have shown an eye for goal and an understanding for attacking play that would please any coach while Asharani has stepped into the role as the creative force in midfield nicely. These players have been supported by the veteran presence of Pavithra and Sweety Devi in the backline and the midfield.  

A vibrant, youthful frontline looks to make Sethu FC favourites

Positivity is rife around the club this time with the majority of signings speaking of winning the elusive title. Such desire is met by their head coach, who was optimistic ahead of her first full campaign in charge and is happy with her side’s preparations.

She said: “For the first time we’ve got a new vision and our core values. We have quality players on our side and we can go into the season in a good shape. Now it’s about performance, about efficiency, about togetherness and about heart.”

The Head Coach Amrudha hopes selfless and tireless play will become a hallmark of the team, inspired by the European giant Barcelona style they play in. This campaign, Sabitra Bhandari is expected to shine with Sethu FC. Bhandari is the type of finisher who needs service to shine. She is clinical in front of goal and she will be hoping to hit it off quickly with Dangmei Grace, who is also in excellent goal-scoring form.

“Our goal is to compete first of all, we have enough firepower to win the title. But, within that we want to compete in every game and take every game step by step because it’s a new challenge for us, and we know it’s not going to be easy,” Amrutha  added. The girls in Blue and White have made their point clear, they want to win the Indian Women’s League (IWL). They know that they have the depth on all levels and a victory would represent a great start against the strong Manipur side.