Punjab FC Qualifies for Knockouts in their Second Durand Appearance
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
After winning the 2022-23 I-League, Punjab FC created history by becoming the first club ever to get promoted to the Indian Super League. The Shers didn’t enjoy a fruitful outing in their first Durand Cup campaign last year, when they finished at the bottom of the Group A. However, they were able to turn the tide in their favor in the second half of the Indian Super League 2023-24 season and missed out on qualifying for the play-offs by a whisker.
Punjab FC then parted ways with Staikos Vergetis and brought in another Greek tactician in Panagiotis Dilmperis to take charge. There were changes in their roster as well with as many as 15 outgoings and quite a few new faces coming in. However, the Shers started the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup on a winning note defeating CISF Protectors FT before playing a 1-1 draw against ISL counterpart Kerala Blasters FC. Punjab FC eventually finished the group stage with 7 points and have qualified for their first ever quarter-final in the Durand Cup.
“Everyone in the team, along with the coach, we said to ourselves at the very beginning that we want to qualify from the group stage. We want to be competitive throughout the season and these positive results give us the boost to do that. This is the right time for us, before the ISL season begins to build a winning mentality. We can feel it in everyone’s eyes and attitude that we are building a serious competitive team this time,” captain Luka Majcen, who is stepping into his third season with The Shers said about the team’s approach in the Durand Cup.
Punjab FC’s reserves side, who qualified for the Next Gen Cup after winning the RFDL Season 3, created history by finishing 3rd, a highest ever by an Indian club in the tournament. The Shers, who presented a tough fight to the Premier League clubs, managed to defeat Everton in the league stage and eventually defeated Aston Villa in the third-place play-off. Young players like Manglenthang Kipgen, Tekcham Abhishek Singh and Ricky Shabong will be crucial for Punjab FC in the long season ahead.
“It is going to be really beneficial for us. It’s very important for us as the younger players in the team will understand that they can punch above the weight and have the confidence to believe in themselves. It will also give The Club, as a whole, more motivation to keep pushing towards the bigger goals. With this qualification, we can now keep moving in the season with more passion and believe,” Panagiotis Dilmperisreflected on The Shers qualifying for the quarter finals for the first time in their short history.