Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giants Durand Cup 2026 campaign with 1-0 win at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kriangan, Kolkata. A second half goal of Sahal Abdul Samad gifted Mohun Bagan the victory against East Bengal in historic Bengal Derby in front of jam packed crowd.
The match saw defensive discipline, missed opportunities, and flashes of attacking brilliance before a packed and passionate crowd.
Both teams had new coaches making debuts for respective teams. While it was first Derby for Mohun Bagan coach Panagiotis Dilimperis, East Bengal coach Antonio Lopez Habas was not unfamiliar having coached Mohun Bagan successfully previously and came with a record of no losses in Derby. Both surprisingly fielded an all India playing XI.
Captains Subhasish Bose and Anwar Ali led their teams onto the field as the opening fixture of the tournament got underway amid a vibrant atmosphere.
Mohun Bagan looked the more confident side in the opening exchanges, building most of their attacks down the right flank through the energetic runs of full-back Tekcham Abhishek Singh. His early crosses found Manvir Singh and Kiyan Nassiri, but neither could trouble East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill.
Midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad remained the creative force for the Mariners throughout the first half, testing the goalkeeper once and narrowly missing the target with another effort.
Despite enjoying the majority of possession and registering 10 attempts on goal compared to East Bengal’s two, Mohun Bagan failed to convert their dominance into goals. East Bengal’s defensive pairing of Anwar Ali and Sandip Mandi stood firm, ensuring the teams entered the halftime break locked at 0-0.
Mohun Bagan carried their momentum into the second half and finally broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute.
A determined run by Kiyan Nassiri inside the penalty area forced East Bengal defender Rohit Danu into an error before Nassiri delivered a low cross across the six-yard box. Sahal Abdul Samad arrived unmarked at the far post to calmly guide the ball into an empty net, giving the Mariners a deserved lead.
Trailing by a goal, East Bengal responded positively. Coach Panagiotis Dilimperis introduced Mohamad Rashid, P.V. Vishnu, and later new signings Dejan Dražić and Dani Ramírez, injecting fresh energy into the Red and Gold Brigade.
The substitutions transformed East Bengal’s attacking approach. Vishnu forced Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Vishal Kaith into action with a powerful low drive before Lalchungnunga created another dangerous opportunity with an excellent run from the right flank.
East Bengal dominated the closing stages, pushing Mohun Bagan deep into their own half. Ramírez came agonisingly close to an equaliser when his near-post effort struck the upright, while Mohamad Rashid failed to convert from close range after being picked out by Ramírez.
Kaith once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of India’s finest goalkeepers, producing a brilliant reflex save to deny Rashid’s acrobatic volley. Even from the resulting corner, Anwar Ali’s header drifted wide.
Despite relentless pressure in the closing minutes, Mohun Bagan’s defence held firm to secure all three points in the opening match of the tournament.
Brief Scorecard –
Mohun Bagan Super Giants : 1 (Sahal Abdul Samad 52′)
East Bengal : 0.
