East Bengal FC moved a step closer to securing a knockout berth at the 134th Durand Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over a resilient Namdhari FC in a tightly contested Group A match here on Wednesday.
Moroccan forward Hamid Ahadad, making his debut for the Red and Gold brigade, came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 68th minute at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, handing East Bengal their second consecutive win of the tournament.
East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon made four changes to his lineup from their previous match, handing starts to goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Brazilian midfielder Miguel Figueira, and Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos and Bipin Singh up front.
Namdhari’s Harpreet Singh, meanwhile, made two enforced changes, bringing in skipper Akashdeep Singh in defence and Manish Chaudhary in attack, as suspended defender Manbir Singh missed out. The match kicked off with East Bengal taking immediate control, camping in the Namdhari half and creating chance after chance, only to be denied repeatedly by an inspired performance from goalkeeper Niraj Kumar. The win saw East Bengal top Group A with six points and goal difference of +6 from two matches, while Namdhari remain in contention with two wins from three (six points and GD of +3), as two best second place teams in the group stage will make it to the quarterfinals.
Punjab FC held to goalless draw by stubborn ITBP FT
ITBP FT put on a gritty defensive display to hold Punjab FC to a 0-0 draw in a Group D encounter of the Durand Cup 2025 at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar on Tuesday.
Despite dominating large periods of the match and creating the better chances, Punjab FC failed to find the finishing touch, while ITBP’s resolute defending and disciplined structure ensured both sides walked away with a point apiece.
The result leaves both Punjab FC and ITBP FT on four points from two matches, with everything still to play for as they head into their final group-stage clashes against Bodoland FC. Punjab FC, with their attacking arsenal, began the match on the front foot. They carved out two early opportunities, the first falling to midfielder Ricky Shabong, whose powerful strike from outside the box was bravely blocked by the ITBP defence. Shortly after, Muhammed Suhail slipped a clever ball into the path of Vishal Yadav, but the young forward couldn’t get the desired touch on the low cross.
Leon Augustine then had perhaps the best chance of the half when he found himself unmarked inside the box. A looping delivery landed perfectly for the winger, but his header lacked conviction and was comfortably gathered by ITBP goalkeeper Ugesh Lama. ITBP, though largely pegged back in their half, maintained their defensive shape and occasionally threatened on the counter. Their best chance came midway through the second half when Punjab custodian Ravi Kumar was put under pressure by Seiminthang Haokip while trying to play out from the back. The ball deflected dangerously but rolled out for a corner, much to Punjab’s relief.
Despite Punjab FC’s continued probing in the final third, ITBP FT stood firm, with centre-backs clearing their lines efficiently and Lama commanding his area well under pressure.
The stalemate means Group D remains finely poised. Both Punjab and ITBP will now shift their focus to their final group fixtures against hosts Bodoland FC, knowing that only a win may be enough to seal qualification for the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, later in the day, East Bengal are set to take on Namdhari FC in the second Group D fixture.