East Bengal to face South United FC in Durand Cup opener

Kolkata: Kolkata giants and 16 time champions Emami East Bengal will face Bengaluru side South United FC in the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup opener which will be played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Wednesday. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 5:30 PM after the grand opening ceremony which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee.

All 43 matches of the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup will be broadcast LIVE on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Ten2 HD) as well as livestreamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform

The 2023 runner’s up, East Bengal will look to start Group A proceedings with a win against the Bengaluru Super Division side, who are making their debut in the Durand Cup. They had retained only Dimitrios Diamantakos and Saul Crespo from last season as the foreign signings and have brought in Miguel Figueira, Mohammed Rashid, Hamid Ahadad and Kevin Sibille apart from Indian internationals Bipin Singh and Edmund Lalrindika and youngster Martand Raina.

Head Coach Oscar Bruzon did not specify which players will be involved for tomorrow’s match but indicated that Saul Crespo, Mohammed Rashid and Dimitrios Diamantakos will play a part in the match. “We are trying to understand the fitness levels of all our players because the whole team assembled only two days before and the Durand Cup doesn’t allow any mistakes. So it’s about understanding who is ready to start and also how to improve the team during the 90 minutes of the game of tomorrow, Bruzon said

Speaking about the opposition Bruzon said, “South United have a lot of young players with a lot of energy. They

have been practising for a longer period than us. So of course we need to show on the pitch the difference in the level of both teams. And for doing that, we have to play at our best.”

South United FC, who primarily play in the Bengaluru Super Division and have also played in I - League 2 multiple times will look to give a good account of themselves in their debut appearance. Comprising of mostly youngsters from the academy, South United will look to impress against one of the most decorated teams of Indian football. Players like Noel S, Euhan Kuruvilla, Rowan James. Tarun Kumar and Huzafah Ahmad Dar are the ones to watch out for in the side.  Speaking ahead of the match, South United Head Coach, A. Kaja Mohindeen Bhadussa said, “We’ve come with a young squad because this tournament is the perfect platform for exposure. It’s about growth, development, and testing ourselves against strong opposition. More importantly, it’s about embracing the spirit of sportsmanship, learning from every challenge, and respecting the game at the highest level.” East Bengal will look to take the early advantage in the group stages while South United FC will look to create an upset in the very first day of the 134th edition of Asia’s oldest football tournament.  (Agencies)

Also Read: Guwahati and Secretary XI shared points in RG Baruah match

Also Watch: