Durand Cup | Sahal leads Mohun Bagan to a win over East Bengal
Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated East Bengal FC 1-0 in their Durand Cup opening match. Sahal Abdul Samad scored the decisive goal in the second half after a scoreless first period.
Why it matters
The Durand Cup is a prestigious historic football tournament in India, and the Kolkata derby between these two clubs is one of the most significant rivalries in Asian football.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant kicked off its Durand Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over arch-rival East Bengal FC, courtesy of Sahal Abdul Samad’s second-half strike in the Group A fixture here on Saturday.
With both sides missing several first-team players, neither of them started with a foreigner. The opening period was evenly contested as Bagan dominated possession while East Bengal looked dangerous on counter-attacks. Bagan created a few openings but lacked sharpness in the final third.
Sahal came up with a shot from inside the box in the 18th minute, but goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill made a comfortable save. The 29-year-old appealed for a penalty in the 24th minute after his attempted cross struck Jeakson Singh’s hand inside the 18-yard box. The referee, however, waved off the appeal.
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