Durand Cup 2026: Sahal Abdul Samad goal helps Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0 in Kolkata derby

Mohun Bagan Super Giant kicked off the 135th Durand Cup with a 1–0 victory over arch-rivals East Bengal FC in Kolkata. Sahal Abdul Samad scored the second-half winner, while goalkeeper Vishal Kaith produced key late saves to secure three points

Hyderabad: Sahal Abdul Samad’s second half strike ensured Mohun Bagan Super Giant secure a hard fought 1-0 victory over their arch rivals East Bengal FC in the opening fixture of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup which was played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.

Antonio López Habas and Panagiotis Dilimperis both named all-Indian starting line-ups in their first matches in charge of their respective clubs. Defenders Anwar Ali for East Bengal and the experienced Subhasish Bose for Mohun Bagan Super Giant led their respective sides onto the pitch for the opening match of the season in front of a passionate and vocal crowd.

---

The Mariners dominated possession for much of the first half but lacked the cutting edge in the final third, despite registering 10 attempts on goal compared to East Bengal’s two. The Red and Gold Brigade defended resolutely, with Anwar Ali and Sandip Mandi marshalling the backline to deny Mohun Bagan any clear-cut opportunities, as the two sides went into the break locked at 0-0.

The Mariners carried their momentum into the second half and broke the deadlock within seven minutes of the restart. Kiyan Nassiri dispossessed Rohit Danu inside the penalty area before drilling a low cross across the six-yard box. The ball found Sahal Abdul Samad at the back post, and the midfielder had the simplest of tasks to tap into an empty net.

East Bengal sprang into life in search of an equaliser and began creating opportunities in the attacking third. Vishnu tested Vishal Kaith with a powerful low left-footed strike, but the goalkeeper got down well to make his first save of the game. The introduction of another new signing Dani Ramírez also injected new life into the attack line of East Bengal.

East Bengal created the better chances in the final quarter of the match as the Mariners dropped deep, defending in numbers and looking to hit on the counter-attack. Lalchungnunga made an incisive run down the right flank and forced a fine save from Vishal Kaith. The defender reacted quickest to the rebound and headed the ball back into the danger area, where Mohamad Rashid could not make clean contact with his effort, allowing Mohun Bagan to escape the danger.

Vishal Kaith once again proved to be the hero for the Mariners, producing a superb save to deny Mohamad Rashid’s acrobatic effort after the midfielder was picked out unmarked at the back post by Ramírez. From the resulting corner, Anwar Ali rose highest but could not keep his header on target.

In the end, Mohun Bagan held on to their slender one-goal advantage to begin the season with a hard-fought victory over their arch-rivals.