The Durand Cup quarterfinal fixtures have set up a mouth-watering clash for football fans, with last year’s runners-up Mohun Bagan Super Giant and arch-rivals East Bengal set to lock horns in the fourth last-eight encounter on Sunday at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
Earlier on the same day, the third quarterfinal will see Diamond Harbour FC take on Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. The action begins on Saturday, when Shillong Lajong meet Indian Navy in the first quarterfinal at Shillong’s Nehru Stadium. Later that evening, Bodoland FC face NorthEast United at the Kokrajhar SAI Stadium (Assam) in the second quarterfinal.
In the group stage, both Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal were flawless, winning all three of their matches. However, the ultimate test now awaits, as one Kolkata giant will bow out at the quarterfinal stage.
Last year, both teams were drawn in the same group, but the much-anticipated clash was cancelled due to the alleged rape and murder incident at a hospital which brought Kolkata to a standstill. The year before that, Kolkata witnessed two Durand Cup derbies — East Bengal edged Mohun Bagan in the group stage, only for Mohun Bagan to avenge the loss in the final and lift the trophy.
This time, with a place in the semifinal at stake, the stakes could not be higher. Will Mohun Bagan repeat their 2022 final triumph, or will East Bengal turn the tables in this decisive quarterfinal derby?
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