After 120 minutes of thrilling, end-to-end football, Cleiton Silva capitalised on Lalthuammawia Ralte’s late mistake to secure East Bengal a dramatic victory in the Kalinga Super Cup final, defeating star-studded Odisha FC 3-2 on their home turf.
Carles Cuadrat etched his name into East Bengal folklore, achieving what a few top-class managers couldn’t in the past decade for the centennial club. From a heartbreaking defeat in the Durand Cup final to a rough phase in the ongoing ISL, Cuadrat has provided a glimmer of hope to the Red-and-Gold brigade, ultimately delivering a national trophy after 12 years.
! ⚔️❤️#KalingaSuperCup #JoyEastBengal #EastBengalFC #EBOFC #BattleForBengalsPride pic.twitter.com/8TFAnSUcpR
— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) January 28, 2024
In the first half, East Bengal delivered some heart-stopping moments for Odisha fans. Jose Antonio Pardo unleashed a piledriver followed by a tricky set piece, but Ralte, Odisha’s shot-stopper, denied them with his strong wrists. Throughout the game, Souvik Chakrabarty executed Cuadrat’s strategy of marking Ahmed Jahouh, Odisha’s linchpin, to disrupt their build-up. However, Odisha’s midfield trio of Stephen Goddard, Roy Krishna, and Diego Mauricio did pose threats to East Bengal, aiding attacks effectively.
East Bengal’s defence appeared compact in the first half, but was breached just before half-time when Mauricio capitalised on a defensive error to score for Odisha. Cuadrat’s half-time substitutions of Chungnunga and Mahesh Naorem paid dividends, leading to Nandha Kumar Sekar’s equaliser in the 52nd minute.
Just 10 minutes later, Borja Herrera won a penalty with a dive, and Saul Crespo converted it to give East Bengal the lead. Odisha’s situation worsened as Mourtada Fall was sent off in the 69th minute after a second yellow card, reducing them to ten men. Despite this, Odisha managed a few chances, with Mauricio’s shot denied by Prabhsukhan Gill and Amey Ranawade hitting the woodwork in the last quarter.
Just a minute before the final whistle, when East Bengal fans were gearing up to celebrate their much-awaited win, it was Jahouh who converted a penalty to equalise for Odisha, following Gill’s foul on Mauricio.
ফিরলাম আবার রাজার মতো!
! ❤️#KalingaSuperCup #EastBengalFC #EBOFC #Champions #BattleForBengalsPride pic.twitter.com/x9ZaVqp6iX
— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) January 28, 2024
Heading into extra time, East Bengal suffered another setback as Chakrabarty was sent off, leaving both sides with 10 men. Ultimately, it was Odisha that succumbed to the pressure in the 111th minute. Ralte committed a howler, throwing the ball across to Narender Gehlot, who wasn’t aware of Cleiton waiting to pounce. The Brazilian netted what proved to be the winner and brought the fans back onto their feet.
After the final whistle, some East Bengal fans were in tears, perhaps recalling their heart-breaking defeat against Bengaluru FC six years ago. However, this time, they held their heads high, thanks to Cuadrat’s masterclass and the valiant efforts of their players. After being seen as underdogs on the Indian football circuit for the past three years, East Bengal have revived under Cuadrat’s guidance, instilling belief in their fans that there will be more accolades in the future.