Durand Cup 2026: Indian Army FT rout Baghpat FC 4-0, Group B tight as knockout spots loom
Indian Army Football Team beat debutants Baghpat FC 4-0 at Kishore Bharati Krirangan on August 5, 2026 in the IndianOil Durand Cup 2026, recording their second straight group-stage victory and strengthening their position in Group B. The side still must beat Mohammedan SC in their final group game to confirm a place in the last eight.
The 135th IndianOil Durand Cup began on July 25, 2026 with the Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC and is scheduled to conclude with a final on August 23, 2026. The tournament features 24 teams, including two foreign sides, across five host cities — Kolkata, Ranchi, Guwahati, Imphal and Shillong — and is being played at six venues: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, Birsa Munda Stadium (Ranchi), Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati), Khuman Lampak Stadium (Imphal) and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Shillong); Ranchi is making its debut as a host city. Group winners and the two best runners-up will advance to the knockout stage.
Group B remains closely contested after Indian Army’s 4-0 win over Baghpat FC on August 5, 2026 and their earlier 1-0 victory over Samaleswari Sporting; Samaleswari, who debuted this year, sit atop Group B with six points following 4-1 and 3-2 wins over Baghpat FC and Mohammedan SC respectively. Mohammedan SC opened with a 4-0 win over Baghpat but lost 4-3 to Samaleswari and must beat Indian Army in their final home match to remain in contention, while Baghpat FC have been eliminated after losing all their group matches.
In Group A Mohun Bagan Super Giant qualified as group leaders after a 1-0 win over East Bengal in the opening match and an 8-0 victory over South United at Saltlake Stadium; Manvir Singh scored a hat-trick, Suhail Bhatt added a brace, Alberto Rodriguez and Rahul Bheke scored one goal each and there was an own goal. East Bengal, coached by Antonio Lopez Habas, recovered from the derby defeat to beat CISF Protectors 8-0 but must defeat South United in their final match to keep qualification hopes alive; CISF lost 2-0 to South United and 8-0 to East Bengal and face Mohun Bagan in their last group fixture.
Group D’s debutant FC Raengdai have qualified for the knockouts after back-to-back wins, including a 1-0 victory over Indian Navy FT and a 4-3 win over Neroca FC. Indian Navy FT, who lost 1-0 to FC Raengdai, defeated Neroca 2-0 in Imphal on August 5, 2026 and remain in contention if they win their final group match; TRAU drew with Neroca before losing to FC Raengdai and will play Indian Navy in their last fixture, while Neroca occupy the bottom of Group D following the 2-0 loss at Imphal.
Group C is unsettled after Sporting Club Delhi, making their Durand Cup debut, produced a second-half comeback to beat Jamshedpur FC in Ranchi; Jamshedpur had earlier beaten Sri Lanka’s Defenders FC 5-0 but fell to Sporting Delhi and need a win in their last group match to stay alive. Indian Air Force FT opened with a 2-1 win over Defenders FC, who lost their first two matches and will face Sporting Delhi in their final group game.
Groups E and F have produced mixed results: in Group E, Langsning FC beat Mumbay FC 5-0 and Shillong Lajong FC defeated Nongkseh Sports, Social & Cultural Club 2-0, while Mumbay’s squad includes Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff; in Group F, NorthEast United FC began with a 6-0 win over Bodoland FC with Alaaeddine Ajaraie scoring a hat-trick, having returned from a loan to Persija Jakarta in January and missing last season’s ISL. NorthEast United’s next two matches are against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC on August 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM (IST) and FC1 on August 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM (IST); FC1 beat Karbi Anglong 2-1 on debut and will face Bodoland on August 6, 2026 before meeting NorthEast United on August 11.
Indian Army must defeat Mohammedan SC in their final Group B fixture to secure a quarter-final berth, while Mohun Bagan, already qualified as Group A leaders, will meet CISF Protectors in their last home game; several groups still require final-match results to determine the two best runners-up who will fill the remaining knockout berths.