Kathmandu, Nepal: Karachi City FC, the 2024 National Women’s Football Championship winners, bowed out of the 2025 SAFF Women’s Club Championship. Pakistan’s sole representatives in the inaugural women’s event suffered another loss at the Dasharath Stadium, this time to tournament hosts APF FC 1-0.
After their first two games ended with 0-0 draws against Bhutan’s Transport United and Bangladesh’s Nasrin Sports Academy, Karachi City suffered a 2-0 loss to India’s East Bengal. That loss mathematically had ended their chances of a spot in the five-team SAFF Women’s Club Championship final.
Against Nepal’s APF, the game started with a goalless first half. But Rashmi Kumari Ghising’s goal proved decisive early on in the 2nd half for APF to get the vital 3 points and end Karachi City’s campaign. The win also guaranteed APF to confirm a top two spot. In the later fixture, hot favorites East Bengal hammered Nasrin SA 7-0.
Karachi City, unable to call-up several domestic players due to their department commitments in the 35th National Games 2025 in Karachi, went on an ambitious hiring spree. They signed experienced foreign players like Maysa Jbarah (Jordan), Eve Barry (New Zealand), and Samia Ouni (Tunisia).
Some Pakistan WNT players like captain Maria Khan, midfielder Sanah Mehdi and goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj were also brought in at last minute.
Yet across the 4 games, where Karachi City finished with 2 points, the team could not score a single goal. Karachi City will likely finish 4th after the result of Transport United vs Nasrin SA fixture on 17 December.
APF and East Bengal also play each other twice now, first on 17th to decide group stage top two standings and then on the 20th in the tournament final.
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