Kolkata: Defending champion East Bengal started CFL 2026 campaign in style with 3-0 win over George Telegraph SC at East Bengal Ground, Kolkata. Joseph Justin added a penalty in first-half stoppage time, and Mohamed Bilal sealed the match in the 86th minute.
Jesin TK, who scored first goal of the season in 36th minute, has been showing outstanding performance in the CFL for the past few seasons. For his first goal in the game, Jesin played a one-two with Vishnu PV and shook the net with a powerful left-foot shot. In the second goal, Jesin extended a through ball to teammate Suman De. While trying to stop Suman, George Telegraph’s goalkeeper fouled. As a result, East Bengal got a penalty which Joseph converted easily.
For 3rd goal, Mohammad Bilal got a gift. A defender of George Telegraph, while giving a back pass to their team’s goalkeeper, passed the ball so slowly that it went to Bilal before the goalkeeper could reach it. The youngster cleverly put it into the net to end the day 3-0 , despite the Red and Yellow brigade missing multiple chances. Jay Baz was awarded Player of the match for his brilliant defensive display throughout the match.
Brief Scorecard –
East Bengal : 3 (Jesin Tk 36′, Joseph Justin 45+3’p, Md Bilal 86′)
George Telegraph SC : 0.
