Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0 to win IFA Shield as Dani Ramirez leads East Bengal ratings
Mohun Bagan SG defeated East Bengal FC 1-0 at Salt Lake Stadium in the IFA Shield 2026 final on October 8, 2026, with Samir Zeljkovic scoring late in the first half to secure Mohun Bagan’s 22nd IFA Shield title. The match delivered a narrow victory for the Mariners in a game the source describes as not particularly attractive.
Mohun Bagan were judged to have been better than they were in the Durand Cup final earlier this year, despite the overall lack of flair. With the Indian Super League due to begin in a few days, East Bengal and head coach Antonio Habas were described as likely dissatisfied with the performance, and Habas was hoping the result was only a minor setback before the club’s title defence.
Phurba Lachenpa started in goal for East Bengal after Prabsukhan Singh Gill was rested following national duties; Lachenpa produced several good saves, including stops from long-range efforts by Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte, but conceded the lone goal and was judged to have room for improvement as the defence shared responsibility for the goal.
Right-back Hardik Bhatt was singled out for a poor display, appearing effective only in the opening 10 minutes before being described as outclassed after Mohun Bagan’s goal and slow to recover on counterattacks. Central defender Diego Zivulic was reported to be out of touch offensively and uncomfortable defensively, while centre-back LalchungNunga also received criticism for lacking the pace to cover Mohun Bagan counterattacks and producing a poor outing.
Sandip Mandi was noted as a decent offensive presence from left back with forward runs but wasteful in attack and lacking defensive solidity, and he was later replaced by PV Vishnu. Midfielder Jay Gupta was described as out of place in midfield and was substituted in the second half for Lukasz Zwolinski. Rashid had a promising start and a few long-range attempts in the second half but ultimately failed to influence the match consistently and was used as a deeper defensive partner at times.
Daniel Ramirez Fernandez was rated 7/10 and identified as East Bengal’s highest-rated player, credited with working hard in midfield and creating chances for Edmund and Bipin even as he was judged wasteful going forward and lacking midfield creativity before being substituted. Jeakson Singh was said not to be at his best and was outclassed by Samir Zeljkovic and Sahal; Bipin reportedly lacked accuracy from the flanks and struggled to make an impact in the penalty area; Edmund’s crossing and finishing were described as inaccurate, with one early effort saved by Vishal Kaith.
Substitutes Lukasz Zwolinski, Ake Loba, PV Vishnu and Chris Ikonomidis were all mentioned: Zwolinski had moments and was proactive after coming on but could not deliver, with several shots saved by Vishal Kaith including a header; Ake Loba and PV Vishnu did not alter the scoreline after entering in the second half, with PV Vishnu noted for a few good moments but an overall lack of awareness; Chris Ikonomidis provided a few crosses after coming off the bench but was unable to change the result.
Mohun Bagan secured the IFA Shield title with the 1-0 win, while East Bengal prepare to begin their Indian Super League title defence in a few days, a situation the report says Antonio Habas will hope represents only a minor setback.
