Wonder strikes help Indian Army FT to a comfortable win over Assam Rifles FT

Indian Army FT – 3 (Alan Thapa7’ Pradeep Singh 61’(P), Sunil B 89’)                                                                                                   Assam Rifles FT – 0

Jamshedepur, August 07, 2024: Alan Thapa and Sunil B’s wonder strikes and a penalty conversion in between them by Pradeep Singh, helped the Indian Army Football Team secure all three points against Assam Rifles FT in a Group D encounter, played here at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. With this win, the Army men move to second place in the group for the time being, behind Jamshedpur FC, who have a better goal difference. 

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

Assam Rifles Head Coach Vikash Panthi named a young line up while Army gaffer Manish Wahi named an experienced starting line-up retaining the core of the squad which won the 2023-24 Santhosh Trophy, led by the impressive Alan Thapa and Samir Murmu leading the attack line.

The Army men used their experience to full use against the young Assam Rifles side, pressing high up the pitch and not allowing the North East based side to settle down. They also dominated possession of the ball, building attacks from defence with Alan Thapa, Samir Murmu and Rahul Ramakrishnan finding space in the Assam box.

While impressive Assam Rifles keeper Shobhan Dev Biswas had a great match, the Army men took a deserved early lead in the 7^th minute of the game through a wonder strike by Alan, whose long-range effort found the top corner past the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper. 

Indian Army stepped up the attack from the beginning of the second half and created chances at will. While Shobhan saved a couple of penalties by Army defender Shafeel, the third by Pradeep, another defender, was perfect and doubled the lead. 

Assam Rifles did find more chances to equalise but could not find the composure to put the finishing touches and the Army men pull off a stunner in the dying minutes of the game to put the matter to rest. 

Defender Sunil B took a brilliant long ranger from about 25-yards placing the ball in the top left corner and giving the goal keeper no chance to stop it.

Preview: Top Indian Super League teams look for second win on the trot

Reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and former ISL league and shield winners FC Goa, take the pitch on Thursday (Aug 8, 2024) in their second group games of the on-going 133^rd IndianOil Durand Cup, both looking to register their second straight win of the tournament. 

While the latter take on Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC at the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium in Shillong in a Group F fixture, the former come up in Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) against the Indian Air Force FT.

Kick-off times

FC Goa v Tribhuvan Army FT- 4.00pm Indian Standard Time (IST)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant v Indian Air Force FT- 7.00pm IST

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

ABOUT DURAND CUP

A symbol of India’s football history and culture, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament. Organised by the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, the Durand Cup has been the breeding ground for India’s best footballing talent, over the years.

The inaugural edition happened in Shimla in 1888 and then the tournament moved to New Delhi in 1940, where it was held till 2016. In 2019, the tournament came under the aegis of the Eastern Command and moved to the eastern part of the country, with Kolkata, the Mecca of Indian football and the Eastern Command Headquarters, being the home base. What makes the Durand Cup even more unique is that the winners get three trophies, two rotating (Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy) and one for permanent keep (President’s Cup).

As we embark on this exciting journey over the coming weeks, let us celebrate the beautiful game of football, honour the traditions of the Durand Cup, and look forward to witnessing moments of brilliance that will be etched in our memories forever.