Sanjida Akhter, a dependable midfielder of Bangladesh womens national football team, had left her mark on history by playing her first match for the Indian Womens Football League club East Bengal FC as the first Bangladeshi woman on Tuesday.
On her maiden day for East Bengal FC, the Bangladesh poster girl played full-time against Sports Orissa and made some scopes for her team. Unfortunately, her team could not utilise the chances, due to a lack of finishers. The match saw a goalless tie.
Sabina Khatun, a renowned striker in South Asia and the skipper of Bangladesh womens national football team, is also playing for Indian club Kickstart FC there. But Sanjida is the first Bangladeshi woman to play for East Bengal. Not only that she is the first Bangladeshi woman to play for the Kolkata-based club but also the first any foreign woman to play for it.
What is more interesting is that Sabinas Kickstart FC and Sanjidas East Bengal FC will engage in a match on the fifth of February.
In 1986, Wasim Iqbal and Sheikh Mohammad Aslam were the first Bangladeshis to play for East Bengal. They played in the Durand Cup for the club. Later in 1991, Bangladeshi footballers including Monem Munna, Aslam, Gaus and Rumi went to play for the club. Among them, Munna had a bigger role in securing East Bengals champions title in 1992 and 1993.
