NorthEast United Win Maiden IndianOil Durand Cup Title with a Brilliant Comeback Victory
A Blockbuster Finals on the Cards as Mohun Bagan Super Giant Faces NorthEast United for the IndianOil Durand Cup Title
Durand Cup Organising Committee Announces Ticket Refund for Abandoned Kolkata Derby
The Durand Cup in Shillong and how the Army led the charge in making it happen
*Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri felicitated by Eastern Command*
Mohun Bagan Super Giant make second successive IndianOil Durand Cup final
Mohun Bagan Super Giants to Lock Horns with Bengaluru FC for a Spot in the Finals
NorthEast United make historic first Durand final
Shillong Lajong Welcomes NorthEast United in an Epic IndianOil Durand Cup Semi-final
“I Hope To Have My Best Season in India With Blasters” – Noah Sadaoui
Chennaiyin FC – 2 (Romario 89’ (P), Praful 90+7’) Assam Rifles FT– 1 (Jefferson Nongrud 76’)
Jamshedpur, August 11, 2024: Chennaiyin FC ended their 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Assam Rifles Football Team (ARFT), in a Group D game played here on Sunday evening at the JRD Tata Sports Complex stadium. Jefferson Nongrud gave the Riflemen the lead in the final quarter of the second-half only for Romario Jesuraj to equalise through a penalty conversion. Praful then headed home the winner from a corner by Vishal, which was the last attack of the game.
The Marina Machans will end the group in third place with three points, with the Assam Rifles being the wooden-spooners of the group, having lost all three of their games. The game between Jamshedpur and Army XI will decided the group toppers as both have won their respective two games till now.
All 43 matches of the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup will be broadcast LIVE on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Ten2 HD) as well as livestreamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform
The match began with both coaches knowing that they had no chances to qualify from the group. Luntinmang Haokip was brought in by Assam coach Vikas Panthi in attack to replace midfielder Karan Chhetri from the previous game’s starting 11, while Noel Wilson the Marina Machan’s gaffer also made one change, but went for a straight swap with Vincy Barretto in the forward line, who started in place of Vishal.
Chennaiyin were definitely the better side in the first 45-minutes with Komal Thatal conjuring as many as three chances for himself, but none managed to break the deadlock.
The second-half saw a little more enterprise, especially from Chennaiyin and Irfan Yadwad got himself a few chances. A bicycle-kick attempt on the hour mark to a cross from the right wing stood out and just missed the target.
After Noel replaced Komal with Vivek just after the hour mark, a golden opportunity came Irfan’s way yet again after Vishal put him through inside the Assam box but his flick past keeper Shobhan Dev Biswas, was well deflected away by him, from the path of a following up Vincy Barretto. The young keeper had yet another good display.
The first goal then came quite against the run of play. A ball from the left wing was floated into the Chennaiyin box by Larinchhana. As Marina Machans skipper Bikash Yumnam prepared to take control of it, Haokip converged on the ball at the same time distracted him, and it dropped in-front of the far post in between keeper Samik Mitra and Jefferson Nongrud. The latter reached first to barely deflect a header past Samik and into the Chennaiyin goal.
A stung Chennaiyin then doubled up on their search for an equaliser and one of Irfan’s forays into the box led to him being brought down by Samujal Rabha and the referee duly pointing to spot, where the experienced Jesuraj made no mistake.
With the game almost going towards a draw, another of Irfan’s attempts was thwarted away by Shobhan for a corner. With seconds left for the final whistle, Praful leapt well, ahead of his marker off Vishal’s delivery and guided the header home past Shobhan, who was left rooted to the spot.
Bodoland to face BSF FT tomorrow
Local side Bodoland FC will finish their Durand Cup campaign as they take on Border Security Force XI in a Group E encounter at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 7 PM. Bodoland will look to finish the campaign with a win against the para – military side who have lost both of their matches. Bodoland have won one and lost the other match in the group while BSF lost both their matches.