East Bengal to face Sporting Delhi in Durand Cup 2026 semifinal at VYBK on Aug 19
East Bengal will meet Sporting Delhi in the first semifinal of the Durand Cup 2026 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00 PM IST. The winner will claim one of the two places in the tournament final.
SC Delhi arrive in confident form after a 5-1 quarter-final victory over FC Raengdai, while East Bengal progressed with a 1-0 quarter-final win against Indian Army FT courtesy of a solitary goal from PV Vishnu; goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa kept a clean sheet with several important saves. East Bengal’s players were described as fatigued after three matches in 10 days, including an AFC Champions League Two playoff and Durand Cup fixtures, and head coach Antonio Lopez Habas called the congested scheduling in Indian football “stupid”, saying he believes it will only worsen the quality of football in India in the coming days.
Under Antonio Lopez Habas, East Bengal have combined defensive discipline with attacking intent, and the club aim to move closer to a 17th Durand Cup title and to preserve their century-old legacy. As a knockout fixture, the semi-final is a must-win for the Torchbearers; a dominant result would secure East Bengal a place in the final for the 27th time and bolster confidence in Habas’ system, whereas a loss or draw is described as a potential setback ahead of ACL Two group stage fixtures and the new Indian Super League season.
SC Delhi have produced high-scoring results in the competition, with group-stage wins that included a victory over Jamshedpur FC and thrashings of a Sri Lankan side 7-0 and Indian Air Force FT 7-1, and they defeated FC Raengdai 5-1 in the quarter-finals. The club’s additions are credited with strengthening a core capable of competing in future championships, and SC Delhi will target a commanding win to reach the Durand Cup final on what the report describes as their debut appearance in the tournament.
Injury updates state that East Bengal’s Spanish defender Nacho Monsalve is injured and will probably miss the match, and PV Vishnu is also injured and will miss the semifinal; otherwise East Bengal are reported to have a fully fit squad and SC Delhi should have a fully fit unit available. Phurba Lachenpa (GK), Hardik Bhatt, Lalchungnunga, Anwar Ali, Sandip Mandi, Mohammed Rashid, Dani Ramirez, Jeakson Singh, Edmund Lalrindika, Rohit Danu and Jesin TK. Nora Fernandes (GK), Duvan Viáfara, Ashutosh Mehta, Manoj Md, Lamgoulen Gogou Hangshing, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Juan Pena, Mohammed Azhar, Tomba Singh, Md. Aimen, and Rodriguinho.
The semifinal will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) Stadium—also referred to as the Salt Lake Stadium—in Kolkata and will be broadcast live on Sony Ten 2 and streamed on Sony LIV. Wednesday’s 7:00 PM IST kick-off will decide which club advances to the Durand Cup 2026 final.