After their fantastic performance in the AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers, all eyes were on East Bengal. On Sunday, they delivered, beating the Indian Army team 1-0 in the Durand Cup 2026 quarter-final to book their spot in the semis.
Durand Cup 2026: East Bengal have clinched a solid victory! The Red and Gold Brigade are officially through to the Durand Cup semi-finals. On Sunday, they faced the Indian Army Football Team in a quarter-final clash at Kolkata’s Yuba Bharati Krirangan. East Bengal sealed the deal with a 1-0 win, easily defeating the Army team to advance in the tournament.
With a relatively weaker opponent, East Bengal’s head coach Antonio López Habas used the match to experiment with his defence. He set up a backline with Boris Singh, Lalchungnunga, Narendra Gahlot, and Joy Gupta.
Red and Gold Brigade in the Semis
The midfield was controlled by Rohit Kumar, Vishnu P.V., Daniel Ramirez, and Mohammed Basim Rashid. Upfront, David Lalhlansanga and Christopher James Ikonomidis led the attack. The team had to wait until the 38th minute for the first goal.
Ramirez found Ikonomidis on the left wing, who sent in a perfect cross for Vishnu to head the ball into the net. East Bengal went into halftime with a one-goal lead. Before Vishnu’s goal, the team had created several chances but couldn’t convert them. The Army footballers put up a good fight but failed to break through the solid Red and Gold defence.
Unfortunately, Vishnu got injured in a collision while scoring the goal.
The Decisive Clash at Yuba Bharati Krirangan
The breakthrough came in the 38th minute. Daniel Ramirez passed the ball to Ikonomidis on the left wing. Ikonomidis’s cross was met by a header from Vishnu, giving East Bengal the lead. The team had missed a few chances before this.
The Army team fought hard, but couldn’t find a way past East Bengal’s defence. While scoring, Vishnu collided with an Army player and picked up an injury.
Playing it safe on the rain-soaked pitch, Habas substituted him at the start of the second half, bringing on Bipin Singh. In the 57th minute, Habas made a double change: Edmund Lalrindika came on for Ikonomidis, and Jesin T.K. replaced David.
Soon after, Jesin found himself in a one-on-one situation with only the Army goalkeeper, Bhabindra Malla Thakuri, to beat. But he hit the post and missed a golden opportunity. In the 68th minute, a shot from Ramirez just outside the box flew narrowly over the bar.
In the 79th minute, Jesin failed to tap in an easy goal from Bipin’s pass. The Kerala striker missed another simple chance. In the 82nd minute, Jikson Singh replaced Rohit Kumar. A minute later, Bipin shot wide from a clear position after a pass from Jesin.
Towards the end, the Army team pushed hard for an equalizer, but the Red and Gold defence held firm. Now, football fans in Bengal are hoping for another Kolkata Derby in the final if both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant make it.