East Bengal reach Durand Cup final after 0-0 (5-3) shootout win over SC Delhi

East Bengal reached the Durand Cup 2026 final after a goalless semi-final against SC Delhi at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on Monday (19 August, 2026), prevailing 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

The Red & Gold Brigade dominated much of the match but were unable to score from open play, striking the post several times across both halves in draining conditions that contributed to a stalemate and forced penalties.

SC Delhi arrived at the semi-final having scored 21 goals in four matches en route to the stage, yet their defensive work was pivotal on the night; full-back Lamgoulen Hangshing largely nullified Edmund Lalrindika, while Ashutosh Mehta, Manoj Mohammed and Colombian centre-back Duvaan Viáfara made crucial interventions to keep East Bengal at bay from open play and set-pieces.

Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill produced a key intervention in the 34th minute by saving a Rodriguinho penalty, a moment that preserved the deadlock and proved decisive in the match context.

Gill’s recent performances followed a summer in which East Bengal signed Phurba Lachenpa, a move presented in the article as a signal to the goalkeeper; Gill had been solid in the AFC Champions League Two qualifier against Al-Arabi and again showed reliable cross-collection and shot-stopping, denying Juan Bermudez in the shootout with another instinctive save as his teammates converted their respective penalties.

East Bengal created 16 chances across the 90 minutes but failed to score, hitting the woodwork four times and seeing close-range opportunities from Bipin Singh and David Lalhlansanga go begging, an issue Antonio Habas and his staff will want to address; the report also noted the arrival of Nigerian forward Effiong Nsungusi as a potential boost to their finishing.

From their final Durand Cup 2026 group game on August 7 (a 5-0 win over South United) to the semi-final on August 19, East Bengal played four matches in roughly 12 days — about one game every three days — with little recovery time in Kolkata’s conditions, yet they showed defensive resilience by finishing 90 minutes without conceding a goal and then prevailing in the penalty shootout after all teammates converted their kicks.

The Durand Cup 2026 Final Match is on August 23, 2026, Sunday at the Saltlake Stadium, Kolkata.