Read for 2 minutes25 Jul 2026 07:54 PM IST
Sahl Abdul Samad’s 52nd-minute strike and some dogged defending at the end of the match helped Mohun Bagan Super Giants beat East Bengal in the opening match of the 2026 Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. In an end-to-end game, Samad turned the ball after Kian Nasiri squared him from the right to put Bagan ahead.
East Bengal attacked with everything they had and Vishal Kaith made two big saves to keep Bagan’s lead intact. Both sides are led by new coaches, although East Bengal’s Antonio Lopez Habas knows all about the intensity of this match as he coached Bagan for several seasons in the past. Panagiotis Dilmperis, on the other hand, has coached Punjab FC for the past two seasons and has been in India for so long that there are no dead rubbers or friendlies. Kolkata He celebrated the result as if he had won the Derby Durand Cup.
Just two months ago, an exciting match was played between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan SG in the Indian Super League (ISL). The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Jason Cummings equalizing for Bagan five minutes after Edmond had put East Bengal in front. The result worked in East Bengal’s favour, with the red and yellow brigade winning the title for the first time, their first National League title in 22 years.
Cummings and several other stars were missing on Saturday and many foreign players have yet to join either side. However, it also meant a chance for homegrown talent to shine. Samad and Nasiri were standouts in the first half and second half until they were substituted shortly after to put Bagan ahead. Rohit Danu, who joined East Bengal in the off-season from Inter Kashi, also shone in the first half while Liston Colaco made himself a nuisance on the left flank. In the second half, however, there were few chances to score in the first half.