Zeljkovic and Sahal power Mohun Bagan to 1-0 IFA Shield final win over East Bengal in Kolkata

Mohun Bagan defeated East Bengal 1-0 in the IFA Shield final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The lone goal arrived on the stroke of half-time after a move begun by Samir Zeljkovic and finished by Zeljkovic following a return from Sahal Abdul Samad.

The Kolkata Derby was intermittently scrappy and ill-tempered, with challenges flying in from both sides and the referee required to intervene on several occasions. East Bengal looked sharper in the opening exchanges but Mohun Bagan gradually grew into the contest and protected their lead by crowding midfield and defence as the Red and Gold Brigade pushed for an equaliser. Club captain Kaith was singled out for his leadership, setting the tone from the back across the match. A clean sheet in a derby final provided the defensive foundation for the Mariners’ victory.

The winning sequence began when Edmund lost possession to Samir Zeljkovic; Zeljkovic laid the ball off to Sahal Abdul Samad, made a forward run into the box, received Sahal’s dink back over the East Bengal defence and finished past Phurba Lachenpa. Sahal had earlier forced a fine save from Lachenpa with a half-volley from distance and dragged another effort wide; he also squared the ball for Erwin in the 43rd minute when a shot looked on, a move that was ruled offside after the run started too early. Sahal was withdrawn in the 66th minute.

Samir Zeljkovic was influential beyond the goal, winning the ball from Rashid to create a Chhangte opportunity and later being played through by Erwin in the 62nd minute, although he took a heavy touch in a tight area. He even took a Rashid free kick square in the wall in the 83rd minute and recovered immediately. The report named him man of the match for his decisive contributions.

Mohun Bagan’s defensive work included a number of notable interventions. Kaith’s most important contribution came inside six minutes when Edmund was played through one-on-one; despite expectations of an offside flag, Kaith stepped out of his line to make himself big and deny the forward. He also gathered Bipin’s curled effort at his near post and got down to his right to keep out Zwolinski’s header in the second half. Bheke suffered a facial knock early but continued and tracked back at full speed to block Bipin’s early cross with Ramirez waiting in the box.

Mehtab struggled to convert chances: Abhishek Tekcham found him unmarked at the far post in the 23rd minute and Mehtab headed over, which was Mohun Bagan’s best opportunity of the first half. He later attempted a ball over the top for the East Bengal box that ran through to Lachenpa, and the match report observed that his sharpness was not quite there after recent international duty. Elsewhere, another Mohun Bagan outfielder won a clean sliding challenge on Bipin, delivered the cross that set up Mehtab’s header and also sent in a hopeful ball from the left that Lachenpa had to claim.

At the back, Rodriguez made an important early clearance and was generally reliable, but spent the closing half-hour in a running battle with Loba; the pair went at each other twice and the referee stepped in, with Rodriguez picking up a yellow card in the 82nd minute for a late challenge. The midfield contest was physical throughout: Tangri performed the unglamorous defensive work without dominating possession, while Drazic’s evening ended in a clash of heads with Mandi in the 55th minute that sparked a scuffle, produced a booking for Mandi and paused the match for treatment. Chhangte forced a sharp save in the 36th minute, was booked for simulation in the 20th minute, and was substituted in the 70th minute after a frustrating night. Erwin worked hard without reward, creating Zeljkovic’s 62nd-minute chance before being replaced by Liston in the 70th, with Liston immediately drawing a foul that saw Jeakson booked and forcing a Lachenpa save from the resulting set piece. Manvir came on for Sahal in the 66th minute and contributed defensively late on, while Thapa entered alongside Liston in the 70th minute and sat in front of the back line to help close out the game.

The victory secured Mohun Bagan’s 22nd IFA Shield title and served as a measure of revenge for their 4-1 Durand Cup final defeat to East Bengal earlier this season.