The 133rd Durand Cup, jointly organised by the Indian Army and the Government of West Bengal, commenced in Kolkata on the rain-soaked evening of Saturday.
Defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giants hosted Kashmir’s Downtown Heroes at the Salt Lake stadium in the opening match which was won by the home team 1-0.
Ironically, Kashmir’s Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored the winner in the 73ed minute against the team from his native state. Mohun Bagan, with a second-string team, initially found it difficult to see the net in this Group A contest.
The first half, completely dominated by Downtown Heroes, ended goalless. The visitors had nine attempts, including two on the target. But they failed to capitalise on them.
However, Bastab Roy’s players managed to bag full points. They produced a dominating performance in the second half against Downtown Heroes which competes in the Jammu & Kashmir Premier Football League.
Despite the victory, the green and maroon brigade looked a pale shadow of themselves. Downtown Heroes, on the other hand, got plenty of positives to take from the game.
They fought neck and neck with the reserve players of Mohun Bagan, who still formed a stronger team on paper. Downtown Heroes would hope to turn things around in their second game.
The match was preceded by a colourful opening ceremony with dance performances and musicals. West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, accompanied by dignitaries from the Indian Army and Indian Oil, then kicked off the tournament.
The Durand Cup, which was first played in 1888, is the longest-running football competition in Asia and ranks as the third oldest globally.
This year's tournament features 24 teams, with 13 clubs from the Indian Super League (ISL). The other teams are from the I-League along with the armed forces of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
The teams are divided into six groups of four, leading to a total of 43 matches played in a round-robin league style. Group winners and the two best second-ranked teams will then advance to the knockout stages which will have quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. The games will take place in four cities: Kolkata, Kokrajhar, Shillong, and Jamshedpur.
Mohun Bagan and Downtown Heroes are accompanied by the Indian Air Force FT and East Bengal FC in Group A.
