Durand Cup 2026: Indian Army beat Mohammedan 2-1 to top Group B; updated group standings

Indian Army Football Team beat Mohammedan SC 2-1 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in their final Group B fixture of the 135th Durand Cup on Wednesday evening August 12, 2026, and sealed qualification for the knockouts as group toppers. Mohammedan SC, after consecutive defeats, have been eliminated; Neroca FC closed their group campaign with a 3-1 win over FC Raengdai.

The 135th Durand Cup began on July 25, 2026, and will finish with a grand final on August 23, 2026. The tournament features 24 teams, including two foreign sides, playing across five host cities — Kolkata, Ranchi, Guwahati, Imphal and Shillong — and six venues: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. Ranchi is staging matches as a host city for the first time. The top team from each group advances to the knockouts along with the two best runners-up.

In Group A, Mohun Bagan Super Giant opened with a 1-0 win in the Kolkata Derby, followed by an 8-0 victory over South United and a 6-0 win against CISF Protectors at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Monday August 10, 2026; the Mariners have 9 points and have scored 15 goals. Manvir Singh scored a hat-trick against South United, Sahal Abdul Samad recorded a hat-trick versus CISF Protectors, and the other three goals in that match came from Manvir Singh, Jamie Maclaren and Abhishek Singh Tekcham. After those results Mohun Bagan SG have qualified for the quarter-finals as Group A toppers under new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis.

East Bengal, having lost the Derby 1-0, responded with an 8-0 win over CISF Protectors to register their first victory under new head coach Antonio Lopez Habas and then defeated South United 5-0; they carry a goal difference of +12 and remain in contention to qualify as one of the two best runners-up. South United had earlier beaten CISF 2-0 but then lost 8-0 to Mohun Bagan and 5-0 to East Bengal, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. CISF Protectors, after defeats by South United, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, have also been eliminated.

In Group B, Indian Army Football Team followed wins over Samaleswari Sporting (1-0) and Baghpat FC (4-0) with a 2-1 victory over Mohammedan SC to confirm their place in the quarter-finals as group toppers. Samaleswari Sporting, making their Durand Cup debut, lost their opening match to Indian Army 1-0 but then beat Baghpat FC 4-1 and Mohammedan SC 3-2 to finish their campaign with 6 points and were sitting at the top of the group prior to the Indian Army win. Mohammedan SC beat debutants Baghpat FC 4-0 in their first match but lost 4-3 to Samaleswari Sporting and 2-1 to Indian Army and have been knocked out; Baghpat FC, another debutant, lost all their group fixtures after qualifying for the Durand Cup by winning I-League 3 and have been eliminated.

SC Delhi (Sporting Delhi) have qualified from Group C as group toppers after winning all three matches, including victories over Jamshedpur FC in their opening game, a 7-0 win over Sri Lanka’s Defenders FC and a 7-1 win against Indian Air Force Football Team at Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi on Monday August 10, 2026; the Delhi side have scored 16 goals in the tournament. Jamshedpur FC opened with a 5-0 win over Defenders FC but lost to SC Delhi and must win their last group game to stay in contention. Indian Air Force won 2-1 against Defenders FC in their first match but were beaten 7-1 by SC Delhi; they can still qualify as one of the two best runners-up if they defeat Jamshedpur FC comprehensively. Defenders FC lost all their matches on their debut and have been eliminated.

Group D saw debutants FC Raengdai qualify for the knockouts on their first appearance after winning back-to-back matches against Indian Navy FT (1-0) and TRAU FC (4-3) before losing 3-1 to Neroca FC; TRAU registered a 2-1 win over Indian Navy in their final group fixture to end their campaign on a high. Indian Navy lost 1-0 to FC Raengdai, beat Neroca 2-0 on August 5, 2026, but then fell 2-1 to TRAU and have been eliminated. Neroca drew their first match with TRAU, were defeated 2-0 by Indian Navy on August 5, 2026, and finished the group with a 3-1 win over FC Raengdai, their first victory of the tournament.

Group E featured Shillong Lajong FC winning 2-0 against Nongkseh SS & CC and then 5-0 against Mumbay FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong on Saturday evening August 8, 2026, putting them close to securing a quarter-final berth. Langsning FC opened with a 5-0 win over Mumbay FC and drew 2-2 with Nongkseh SS & CC; they must win their final match to progress. Nongkseh SS & CC, after a 2-2 draw with Langsning, finished with a 7-0 victory over Mumbay FC but were eliminated, while Mumbay FC lost all group matches and have been knocked out; as of August 9, 2026 Shillong Lajong FC are the favourites from this group with Langsning FC still in contention.

Defending champions NorthEast United FC topped Group F with three wins after a 6-0 opening victory over Bodoland FC (Alaaeddine Ajaraie scored a hat-trick), a 4-1 win over Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati on Saturday August 8, 2026 (Ajaraie scored a brace; Macarton Nickson and Ethyan Gonzalez added the other goals), and a 3-1 victory against FC1 of Kashmir at the IGA Stadium, Imphal on Tuesday August 11, 2026; NorthEast United have qualified for the quarter-finals with 9 points. Ajaraie has scored 5 goals so far and is in the 'Golden Boot' race; the source notes he missed last season’s ISL and went on loan to Persija Jakarta in January. Bodoland FC bounced back from their opening loss to beat FC1 3-0 and remain able to qualify as one of the two best runners-up if they achieve a substantial goal difference in their final fixture. FC1 won their debut match 2-1 against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC but then lost to Bodoland and NorthEast United and have been eliminated; Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC, after back-to-back defeats, have been eliminated and will play Bodoland FC on August 13, 2026, at the IGA Stadium, Guwahati at 4 PM (IST).

The Durand Cup group stage now moves toward its knockout rounds and the competition will conclude with the grand final on August 23, 2026.