The 130th edition of the Durand Cup kicked off today at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee kicked the ball and inaugurated the tournament. State’s Sports Minister Arup Biswas was also present at the event.
Mohammedan Sporting Club started their campaign in the tournament with an emphatic win against the Indian Air Force Football team. The black panthers were leading 3-0 at the halftime and finally won the match by 4-1 in a Group A clash.
16 teams are playing in this edition of the oldest club football tournament in Asia while two renowned clubs of Kolkata, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not participating. The final match will be held on 3rd October.
What is the Durand Cup?
The Durand Cup is famous for being the oldest football tournament in Asia. The very first edition of the contest was held in 1888. There have been 130 editions of the tournament since, and the only interruptions in the staging of the Durand Cup have been caused by wars and the COVID-19 pandemic.
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have been the most successful teams to have competed in the tournament, with both the Kolkata giants having won it 16 times apiece. The current reigning champions are Gokulam Kerala FC, who won the tournament in 2019 after defeating Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the final.
What is the tournament format of the Durand Cup?
The tournament begins with a group stage, with the 16 teams being divided into four groups of four teams. Group A features the Indian Air Force Football Team, Bengaluru United, CRPF and Mohammedan Sporting Club. Group B is made up of Army Green, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC and Sudeva Delhi FC. Group C is comprised of Bengaluru FC, Delhi FC, Indian Navy Football Team and Kerala Blasters FC. Group D will see Assam Rifles Football Team, Army Red, Gokulam Kerala FC and Hyderabad FC face off against each other.
The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockouts in the quarter-finals. Top-ranked teams of every group will play the second ranked-teams of other groups in the quarter-finals, and the winners will progress to the semi-finals and then the final which will be played on 3 October.
Where will the Durand Cup be played?
The tournament will be hosted in West Bengal across three venues: Kalyani Stadium in Kalyani, Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata and the Mohun Bagan Ground in Kolkata.
Where can you watch the Durand Cup?
The streaming rights of the Durand Cup have been acquired by Addatimes, and the games can be watched on the Addatimes app.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Brazil vs Argentina Suspended Over COVID-19 Breach
Here’s the complete schedule of the Durand Cup:
5
September - Indian Air Force vs Mohammedan Sporting Club – 4.15 PM IST
6 September - CRPF vs FC Bengaluru United – 3.00 PM IST, Jamshedpur FC vs
Sudeva Delhi FC – 3.00 PM IST
7 September - FC Goa vs Army Green – 3.00 PM IST
8 September - Delhi FC vs Indian Navy – 3.00 PM IST
9 September - Indian Air Force vs FC Bengaluru United – 3.00 PM IST, Assam
Rifles vs Army Red – 3.00 PM IST
10 September - CRPF vs Mohammedan Sporting Club – 3.00 PM IST, Jamshedpur FC vs
Army Green – 3.00 PM IST
11 September - Kerala Blasters FC vs Indian Navy – 3.00 PM IST
12 September - Assam Rifles vs Hyderabad FC – 3.00 PM IST, Gokulam Kerala FC vs
Army Red – 3.00 PM IST
13 September - FC Goa vs Sudeva Delhi FC – 3.00 PM IST
14 September - Mohammedan Sporting Club vs FC Bengaluru United – 3.00 PM IST,
CRPF vs Indian Air Force – 3.00 PM IST
15 September - Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC – 3.00 PM IST
16 September - Gokulam Kerala FC vs Hyderabad FC – 3.00 PM IST
17 September - Jamshedpur FC vs FC Goa – 3.00 PM IST, Army Green vs Sudeva
Delhi FC – 3.00 PM IST
18 September - Delhi FC vs Bengaluru FC – 3.00 PM IST
19 September - Army Red vs Hyderabad FC – 3.00 PM IST, Assam Rifles vs Gokulam
Kerala FC – 3.00 PM IST
21 September - Bengaluru FC vs Indian Navy – 3.00 PM IST, Delhi FC vs Kerala
Blasters FC – 3.00 PM IST
23 September - Quarter-final 1 – 3.00 PM IST
24 September - Quarter-final 2 – 3.00 PM IST, Quarter-final 3 – 3.00 PM IST
25 September - Quarter-final 4 – 3.00 PM IST
27 September - Semi-final 1
29 September - Semi-final 2
3 October - Final