The 2022–23 Indian Women's League (also known as Hero Indian Women's League for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the Indian Women's League, the top division women's professional football league in India. On 21 May, Gokulam Kerala successfully defended their title by winning the final against Kickstart, and became the first club to complete a hat-trick of Indian Women's League titles.
Format The draw took place on 30 March 2023 at Football House, Dwarka, New Delhi. Speaking at the draw, Shaji Prabhakaran, the All India Football Federation Secretary General, said "My best wishes to all the 16 teams ... all efforts have been made to create a holistic situation for the development and rapid growth of Indian women's football."
Sixteen teams will participate in the league. The final round will consist of the group format with eight teams participating in each group. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage. The top eight teams of the season will receive direct slots for the next season of IWL.
Broadcasting On 25 April, 2023 All India Football Federation announced that the evening matches of Indian Women's League will be streamed live on Indian Football YouTube channel.
Qualification State women's leagues organised by various state federations acted as qualifier for this season. The champions of the twelve state leagues have been awarded a place in the final round along with the clubs which finished in the top four positions in the 2021–22 season. The slot for the state league whose current champions also qualified via top four qualification, went to the runner-up of the league.
ClubState/RegionQualifying method 2021–22 Indian Women's League Gokulam Kerala Kerala Champions Sethu Tamil Nadu Runners-up Kickstart Karnataka Third place Sports Odisha Odisha Fourth place 2022–23 Indian Women's State leagues Celtic Queens Puducherry 2022–23 Pondicherry Women's League champions CRPF Punjab 2022–23 Punjab Women's League champions Churchill Brothers Goa 2022–23 Goa Women's League champions East Bengal West Bengal 2022–23 Calcutta Women's Football League champions Eastern Sporting Union Manipur 2022–23 Manipur Women's League champions HOPS Delhi 2022–23 FD Women's League champions Kahaani Gujarat 2022–23 Gujarat State Women's League champions Lords FA Kerala 2022–23 Kerala Women's League champions Mata Rukmani Girls Chhattisgarh 2022–23 Chhattisgarh State Women's Football League champions Misaka United Karnataka 2022–23 Karnataka Women's League runner-up Mumbai Knights Maharashtra 2022–23 WIFA Women's Football League champions Odisha Odisha 2022–23 Odisha Women's League champions
Clubs
Stadiums and locations The matches were played at two venues located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat; Transstadia and Shahibaug Police Stadium.
ClubCityState/Region Celtic Queens Pondicherry Puducherry Churchill Brothers Vasco da Gama Goa CRPF Jalandhar Punjab East Bengal Kolkata West Bengal Eastern Sporting Union Imphal Manipur Gokulam Kerala Kozhikode Kerala HOPS New Delhi Delhi Kahaani Ahmedabad Gujarat Kickstart Bengaluru Karnataka Lords FA Kochi Kerala Mata Rukmani Bastar Chhattisgarh Misaka United Bengaluru Karnataka Mumbai Knights Mumbai Maharastra Odisha Bhubaneswar Odisha Sethu Madurai Tamil Nadu Sports Odisha Bhubaneswar Odisha
Personnel and sponsorships Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorCeltic Queens Nitesh Sharma Sujata Shetty Churchill Brothers Girijadevi Desai Laura Estibeiro CRPF Uttam Singh Negi Binita Kerketta East Bengal Sujata Kar Ratna HalderTrak OnlyEmami Eastern Sporting Union Lourembam Ronibala Chanu Irom Prameshwori DeviKarkinos Healthcare Gokulam Kerala Anthony Andrews Grace DangmeiSEGACSB Bank HOPS Sanjay Singh Renu GourRoseateDharam Foundation Kahaani Lalita Saini Maya RabariSameeksha Capital Kickstart Langam Chaoba Devi Dalima ChhibberHaier Lords FA Nirvan Jagdish Shah Bhagyashree DalviICCS College of Engg and Mgmt, Joy E Bike Mata Rukmani Shantanu Ghosh Nilima KhakhaCOSCO Misaka United Anup Theres Raj Tarini KumarHummelMFAR Constructions, Five Morsels Press Mumbai Knights Rutuja Gunwant Valencia Lourdina D'mello Odisha Crispin Chettri Bala DeviTrak OnlyOdisha Tourism Sethu Joseph Naik Naorem Priyangka DeviCOSCO Sports Odisha Paromita Sit Mamata PatraNivia SportsOdisha Tourism
Foreign players Teams allowed to register maximum of three foreign players. Only two can be part of the starting lineup.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Celtic Queens Mercy Amorkor Tagoe Idah Atieno Odhiambo —Churchill Brothers — — —CRPF — — —East Bengal — — —Eastern Sporting Union — — —Gokulam Kerala Sabitra Bhandari Vivian Adjei Beatrice Ntiwaa NketiaHOPS — — —Kahaani — — —Kickstart Saru Limbu Renuka Nagarkote Kioko Elizabeth KatungwaLords FA Camille Rodriguez Anita Basnet —Mata Rukmani — — —Misaka United Nurul Azurin Mazlan Lucy Kwekwe Jira Sonia OpokuMumbai Knights Alexandra Marie Eccard — —Odisha Cynthia Santos Faustina Worwornyo Akpo —Sethu Anjila Tumbapo Subba Dorcas Sikobe Ivy Faith AtienoSports Odisha Rekha Poudel — —
Group stage
Group A
Matches
Group B
Matches
Knockout stage Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Sabitra Bhandari Gokulam Kerala 29 2 Kajol D'Souza Sethu 10 3 Indumathi Kathiresan Gokulam Kerala 9 Sandhiya Ranganathan Gokulam Kerala 5 Camille Rodriguez Lords FA 8 6 Kioko Elizabeth Katungwa Kickstart 7 Saru Limbu Kickstart Apurna Narzary Sethu 9 Laishram Bibicha Devi Kickstart 6 Bala Devi Odisha Source: The AIFF
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaEast Bengal 2–8 (A) Camille RodriguezLords FACeltic Queens 4–0 (H) Kajol D'SouzaSethuChurchill Brothers 6–0 (A) Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaSports Odisha 8–1 (H) Kaviya PakkirisamyKickstartChurchill Brothers 10–0 (H) Sandhiya RanganathanGokulam KeralaKahaani 14–1 (H) Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaKahaani 14–1 (H) Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaMata Rukmani 9–0 (A) Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaMumbai Knights 11–1 (H) Apurna NarzarySethuEast Bengal 9–0 (H)
Notes (H) – Home team (A) – Away team
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets 1 Maibam Linthoingambi Devi Kickstart 6 Anjila Tumbapo Subba Sethu 3 Nurul Azurin Mazlan Misaka United 5 4 Shreya Hooda Odisha 4 5 Elangbam Panthoi Chanu Eastern Sporting Union 3 Beatrice Ntiwaa Nketia Gokulam Kerala Anshika HOPS
Awards Match awards Player of the MatchMatch No.PlayerClubMatch No.PlayerClubMatch No.PlayerClubMatch 1 LalrinmuaniKickstartMatch 22 Ivy Faith AtienoSethuMatch 43 Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaMatch 2 AnjuSports OdishaMatch 23 Kaviya PakkirisamyKickstartMatch 44 NehaHOPSMatch 3 Mansi Anant SamreMumbai KnightsMatch 24 Neha MannCRPFMatch 45 SaniyaChurchill BrothersMatch 4 Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaMatch 25 Rimpa HaldarEast BengalMatch 46 Prameshwori DeviEastern Sporting UnionMatch 5 Mandakini DeviEastern Sporting UnionMatch 26 Nurul Azurin MazlanMisaka UnitedMatch 47 Anju TamangOdishaMatch 6 Camille RodriguezLords FAMatch 27 Manisha NaikSports OdishaMatch 48 Laishram Bibicha DeviKickstartMatch 7 Grace HauhnarOdishaMatch 28 SantoshHOPSMatch 49 Aarti BanwariKahaaniMatch 8 Kajol D'SouzaSethuMatch 29 Lynda KomOdishaMatch 50 Ratna HalderEast BengalMatch 9 PriyankaMumbai KnightsMatch 30 Priyangka DeviSethuMatch 51 Nisilia MajawMisaka UnitedMatch 10 Renu RaniHOPSMatch 31 Astam OraonKickstartMatch 52 Sabitra BhandariGokulam KeralaMatch 11 Vivian AdjeiGokulam KeralaMatch 32 Kayenpaibam Anju ChanuCeltic QueensMatch 53 Laishram Bibicha DeviKickstartMatch 12 Aarti BanwariKahaaniMatch 33 Sandhiya RanganathanGokulam KeralaMatch 54 Kayenpaibam Anju ChanuCeltic QueensMatch 13 Kamala DeviEastern Sporting UnionMatch 34 Karishma ShirvoikarMumbai KnightsMatch 55 Lhingneilam KipgenEastern Sporting UnionMatch 14 Kioko Elizabeth KatungwaKickstartMatch 35 Renu RaniHOPSMatch 56 Jasoda MundaOdishaMatch 15 Sumati KumariSethuMatch 36 Sunalinda LawrenMisaka UnitedMatch 57 Dalima ChhibberKickstartMatch 16 Neha MannCRPFMatch 37 Astam OraonKickstartMatch 58 LhingneikimEastern Sporting UnionMatch 17 Hemam Shilky DeviGokulam KeralaMatch 38 Muskan SubbaSethuMatch 59 Apurna NarzarySethuMatch 18 Lavanya UpadhyayMisaka UnitedMatch 39 Kamala DeviEastern Sporting UnionMatch 60 Beatrice Ntiwaa NketiaGokulam KeralaMatch 19 Sanfida NongrumSports OdishaMatch 40 Bala DeviOdishaMatch 61 W. Linthoingambi DeviKickstartMatch 20 Rimpa HaldarEast BengalMatch 41 Lucy Kwekwe JiraMisaka UnitedMatch 62 Indumathi KathiresanGokulam KeralaMatch 21 Jasoda MundaOdishaMatch 42 Mousumi MurmuEast BengalMatch 63 Sabitra BhandariGokulam Kerala
Season awards AwardWinnerHero of the League Indumathi Kathiresan (Gokulam Kerala)Top Goalscorer Sabitra Bhandari (Gokulam Kerala)Best Goalkeeper Maibam Linthoingambi Devi (Kickstart)Best Defender K. Ngopawdi (Sethu)Emerging Player of the League Astam Oraon (Kickstart)
References