As East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant gear up for yet another iconic showdown in the 125th IFA Shield final at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, memories of their previous title clash in the tournament come flooding back.
It has been over two decades since the two Kolkata giants last met in an IFA Shield final – a dramatic contest that still lingers in the minds of their passionate supporters.
The last senior-level IFA Shield final between the arch-rivals took place in 2003, and it turned out to be a tense, goalless battle that was eventually decided by penalties. Mohun Bagan held their nerve in the shootout, prevailing 5-3 to lift the prestigious Shield. That victory added another glorious chapter to Bagan’s storied history in Indian football, reaffirming their early legacy as the first native Indian club to win the IFA Shield back in 1911, when they famously defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment.
In 2018, when the junior teams of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan met in the final, it was the Red-and-Gold Brigade that emerged triumphant, winning 4-2 in the penalty shootout after another tightly contested affair.
Now, 22 years later, the stage is set once again for a senior-level showdown between two of Indian football’s most celebrated rivals. East Bengal will enter the final with momentum on their side, having beaten Mohun Bagan twice already this season – first in the Calcutta Football League (3-2) and later in the Durand Cup quarterfinal (2-1). Under coach Oscar Bruzon, the Red-and-Gold have displayed renewed energy and tactical discipline.
Mohun Bagan, the reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions, will look to reassert their dominance despite recent off-field controversies. Head coach Jose Molina’s side remains formidable, though the absence of winger Manvir Singh could be a setback.
With East Bengal chasing a record 30th IFA Shield crown and Bagan seeking redemption, Saturday’s final promises to revive one of Indian football’s oldest and fiercest rivalries – where pride, history, and legacy are always at stake.