Odisha FC secured its place in the group stage of the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League 2024-25 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Etihad Club of Jordan in its final Group B match.
The match was a thrilling encounter from the start, with both teams creating early chances. Odisha’s Jennifer Kankam Yeboah opened the scoring in the 27th minute after a defensive error by Etihad.
Just before halftime, both teams were reduced to 10 players following an altercation between Albtoush and Grace.
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In the second half, Etihad fought back and equalized through Maysa Jbarah in the 57th minute. However, Odisha responded quickly, with Yeboah scoring her second goal of the match in the 71st minute to seal the victory for her side.
In the Group Stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League, Odisha FC will travel to Vietnam to face Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (Japan), Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team (Chinese Taipei), and hosts Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (Vietnam).
The Group Stage comprises three groups of four teams and will also be contested in a centralised league format from October 6-12.
The top two finishers of each group and the two best third-placed sides will progress to the quarters to be played on March 22 and 23, 2025.
A knockout stage draw will be conducted prior to the quarterfinals to determine the four pairings, which will be contested in a single-leg format, with the higher-ranked team of each tie to serve as the home side.
This will be followed by a centralised final, which will see the semifinals and final — all single-leg ties — being played out from May 21-24, 2025, to determine the first-ever champions of the AFC Women’s Champions League.
(With inputs from PTI)
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