Durand Cup 2023: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan clubbed in the same group

The organizers of the 132nd Durand Cup football tournament, set to be played between August and 03-September 03, 2023, in the cities of Kolkata, Guwahati and Kokrajhar, today announced the groups for the 24-participating teams, with defending champions Bengaluru FC clubbed with two popular Kerala sides Kerala Blasters and 2019 champions Gokulam Kerala in Group C, to be held in Kolkata. The Indian Air Force is the fourth side in the group.

The teams have been clubbed into six groups of four teams each, with three (A, B and C) of them being played in Kolkata which will be the only host city with multiple venues. The city will also host the final at the hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on September 03, 2023. While most of the Group D and Group E games, barring two, have been slotted in Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium, Kokrajhar’s SAI center ground, the newest host city venue, will host a total of nine games, including one of the four quarter-final games.

Six group winners and the two best second placed sides will make the knockout stage. In the 131st edition, Indian talisman Sunil Chhetri led Bengaluru FC, won their maiden Durand Cup crown, defeating Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final, played at the VYBK.

Among the most exciting group matches to be played in Kolkata, the famous Kolkata derby between reigning and four-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and arch-rivals East Bengal, will be certainly be the most eagerly awaited, given both find themselves in Group A. The other local giant Mohammedan Sporting, will also play at home in Group B, alongside ISL sides Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC. The Indian Navy is the fourth team in Group B.

Guwahati local ISL side North East United FC also play at home in Group D alongside twice ISL runners-up FC Goa, while another popular side from the North-East, Shillong Lajong FC, making their Durand Cup debut and a surprise entry team complete the group.

Group E also features two ISL sides with Hyderabad FC and Chennaiyin FC grouped with Delhi FC, who have been newly promoted to the second division I-League this year and the service team of Nepal, Tribhuvan Army Football Club.

Group F, to be played in Kokrajhar, features the local Bodoland Team, also making a debut in the tournament this year, rubbing shoulders against the likes of Super Cup champions Odisha FC and I-League side Rajasthan United FC. The Indian Army team completes Group F.

The 132nd Durand Cup also sees a return of foreign participation after a gap of 27 years and while the Bangladesh Service team has been placed in Group A, the second foreign team is placed in group E.

A total of 43-matches including the final are scheduled with two of the four quarter-finals taking place in Guwahati and Kokrajhar, while the rest of the knockouts happen in Kolkata.

About Durand Cup

A symbol of India’s football history and culture, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament, held mostly between top Indian football clubs across divisions. Organized by the Indian Armed Forces, the Durand Cup has been the breeding ground for India’s best footballing talent, over the years.

The inaugural edition happened in Shimla in 1888, when it started off as an Army Cup, open only to the British Indian Army troops in India, but soon opened up to civilian teams. Named after its founder, Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894, the iconic tournament reached its 132nd Edition in 2023. Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal have been the most successful teams, winning the tournament 16 times each.