Durand Cup: Can ISL Clubs Break Mohun Bagan-East Bengal Reign?

The 133rd Durand Cup is set to kick off the 2024-25 football season on July 27 in Kolkata, with defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant facing Downtown Heroes FC. The tournament will feature 24 teams competing in a round-robin league format, with six group winners and two best second-placed teams advancing to the knockout round, as per a press release from the Indian Super League (ISL). Group A of this century-old domestic tournament includes two record-holding title winners: Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal FC. They will be joined by Downtown Heroes FC and Indian Air Force FT, representing the armed forces from India.

The two finalists from the 2023 Durand Cup are once again pitted in the same group for the third consecutive time. Moreover, the Mariners and the Red and Gold Brigade are the two most successful teams in this tournament, with the Kolkata giants having won the title a record 33 times, with Mohun Bagan getting 17 of these titles.

Last year, East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan SG met twice: once in the group stage and once in the final. Although Carles Cuadrat's East Bengal side bested their rivals in the group stage, the Mariners triumphed in the final, claiming their 17th Durand Cup title.

The two teams will once again clash in the iconic Kolkata Derby in the final match of Group A at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The result of this high-stakes encounter could determine which Kolkata-based team advances to the knockout rounds.

Downtown Heroes FC, making their second consecutive appearance in the Durand Cup after debuting last season, is a relatively new club founded in 2020. Based in Jammu and Kashmir, they focus on developing young talent. They also participated in the 2022-23 I-League Division 2 but did not advance to the final round.

In addition to these teams, Indian Air Force FT will be competing for the title. Their participation could add an element of surprise to the group stage and make the qualification race even more intriguing.

Mohun Bagan SG will kick off their Durand Cup campaign as the tournament's reigning champions. In addition to securing the Durand Cup, the Mariners also won the ISL Shield last season and will aim to continue their trophy-winning spree as they start a new chapter with Jose Francisco Molina returning as the head coach.

This summer, Mohun Bagan SG have bolstered their squad with notable foreign signings, including Jamie Maclaren, Greg Stewart, Alberto Rodriguez, and Tom Aldred. With these high-profile additions, the Kolkata club is determined to retain their title and successfully navigate the challenges of the group stage.

The other Kolkata giant has also built a formidable squad for the upcoming season by acquiring the services of last season's standout performers, including Dimitrios Diamantakos, Madih Talal, Jeakson Singh, and others. The Red and Gold Brigade, who missed out on silverware last year by the finest margin, will aim to close the gap this time to secure their 17th Durand Cup win, thereby levelling the tally with their arch-rivals.

Additionally, Cuadrat's tenure has seen East Bengal FC suffer only one loss in cup competitions, which was in the final of the Durand Cup last season against Mohun Bagan SG. With a more balanced squad this year, the Red and Gold Brigade are set on delivering impressive performances in the Durand Cup to kick off the 2024-25 season with success.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)