Durand Cup 2026: Mohun Bagan SG rout South United 8-0 to seal Group A top spot
Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat South United FC 8-0 at the Saltlake stadium on Tuesday night in the Group A fixture of the 135th Durand Cup, registering a second consecutive win that secured their place in the knockout rounds as group toppers. The victory followed Mohun Bagan’s 1-0 triumph over East Bengal in the tournament opener and propelled the Mariners into the Quarter Finals.
The 135th IndianOil Durand Cup began on July 25 with the Kolkata Derby and will conclude with the final on August 23, 2026. This edition 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. The top team from each group will advance along with the two best runners-up.
In Group A, Mohun Bagan followed their 1-0 opening win over East Bengal with an 8-0 victory over South United; Manvir Singh scored a hat-trick and Suhail Bhatt added a brace. The Mariners have qualified for the Quarter Finals and will host CISF Protectors in their final group game under new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis.
East Bengal, having lost the Kolkata Derby 1-0, responded by defeating CISF Protectors 8-0 to register their first win under new head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. East Bengal must beat South United in their last group fixture to remain in contention, with the competition’s two best runners-up also able to advance. South United had earlier beaten CISF 2-0 but suffered the heavy reverse to Mohun Bagan and now require a large-margin win against East Bengal to stay in the tournament, a scenario the article describes as a daunting task.
Group B is led by debutants Samaleswari Sporting, who lost their opener to Indian Army 1-0 before defeating Baghpat FC 4-1 and Mohammedan SC 3-2 to finish their campaign on 6 points and sit top of the group. Mohammedan SC opened with a 4-0 win over Baghpat FC but then lost 4-3 to Samaleswari and must beat Indian Army in their final home game to keep qualification hopes alive. Indian Army recorded a 1-0 victory over Samaleswari Sporting in their first match and still have two matches remaining.
Baghpat FC, who qualified for the Durand Cup after winning the I-League 3, lost back-to-back matches and will play for pride in their last game against Indian Army at Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan, leaving Group B in an unpredictable state. The article repeats that the group remains open with several teams in contention for the knockout spot.
SC Delhi made a second-half comeback to beat Jamshedpur FC 2-1 in Ranchi on their Durand Cup debut, while Jamshedpur had earlier defeated Defenders FC 5-0 and now must win their last group match to stay in the competition. Indian Air Force FT beat Defenders FC 2-1 in their opening match and retain opportunities with two matches left, whereas Defenders FC — the Sri Lankan Armed Forces side — have lost back-to-back matches and will play for pride against SC Delhi.
A club from the NorthEast (unnamed in the source) won back-to-back matches on debut, defeating Indian Navy FT 1-0 and Neroca FC 4-3 to qualify for the knockouts. Indian Navy FT lost 1-0 to FC Raengdai in their first match but still have chances if they win their remaining fixtures, while TRAU FC drew with Neroca FC before losing to FC Raengdai and will play for pride against Indian Navy. Neroca FC’s opening draw with TRAU leaves them with two matches remaining and the possibility of qualifying as one of the two best runners-up, as noted in the source.
Group E contains several debutants: Langsning FC beat Mumbay FC 5-0 in their opening match, Shillong Lajong FC defeated Nongkseh Sports, Social & Cultural Club 2-0, and both Mumbay FC — which features Bollywood star Tiger Shroff in their squad — and Nongkseh lost their first games. The article identifies Shillong Lajong as the only well-known side in the group and notes the presence of multiple debutant teams.
In Group F, defending champions NorthEast United FC began with a 6-0 victory over Bodoland FC, with Alaaeddine Ajaraie scoring a hat-trick; the article states he missed last season’s ISL and went on loan to Persija Jakarta from NorthEast United FC in January. NorthEast United’s next two matches are scheduled for August 8 and August 11, 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC (7 PM IST) and FC1 (4 PM IST) respectively. FC1 won their opening match 2-1 against Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC and will meet Bodoland FC and NorthEast United on August 6 and August 11, 2026, while Bodoland FC and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC seek better results in their remaining fixtures.
Mohun Bagan’s qualification as Group A toppers advances them into the Quarter Finals and their final group match at home will be against CISF Protectors under coach Panagiotis Dilmperis; the Durand Cup schedule continues with remaining group games ahead of the August 23 final.
