S.W. Kom, right, peels off in celebration with Ryan Williams after scoring Bengaluru FC’s winner against Chennaiyin FC during their Indian Super League football clash at the Jawaharalal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU

FC Goa closed the gap with top-placed Mohun Bagan Super Giant after a flawless 2-0 win against Chennaiyin FC in their Indian Super League match on Saturday. The Gaurs are placed second in the table with 33 points after this win, cutting the gap with the top-positioned Mohun Bagan Super Giant (37) to four points. The loss also extended Chennaiyin FC’s winless run to six games, having last tasted a victory in the ISL during their 1-0 win against Hyderabad FC on December 11.

FC Goa held total control over this game, keeping 58.6% of the possession and taking eight shots on target as opposed to none of Chennaiyin FC.

Iker Guarrotxena got FC Goa ahead in the game with his sharp awareness inside the six-yard box.

Following a corner, Boris Singh received the ball on the right flank. Boris curled in a cross that was mishandled by Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz.

Brison Fernandes lapped upon the chance but his shot ricocheted off the woodwork, and Guarrotxena picked up the loose ball and hammered it into the high centre of the goal in the 11th minute.

Nawaz partly redeemed himself six minutes later, as Aakash Sangwan burst into the box following a fast break by the Gaurs and shot firmly from a narrow angle on the left side.

Nawaz was forced to make an outstretched dive to get his hand at the end of the shot to save his side from conceding another strike. Sangwan did get the better of Nawaz in the 26th minute though, this time, from an even more difficult angle.

The gameplay seemed straight out of the training ground of the Gaurs, as Guarrotxena enabled them to build pressure on the Chennaiyin FC defence.

Abruptly, he broke that passage of play by making a backward pass to Carl McHugh. Unmarked, McHugh played a lobbed ball over the Chennaiyin FC backline for Sangwan, who took a deft touch before castling the ball into the bottom left corner by beating Nawaz on the near post.

FC Goa stepped up the intensity following their second goal, embracing a more proactive outlook in dabbling with multiple ways to test the Chennaiyin FC defence. Guarrotxena operated right down the middle and encountered a chance to triple the lead in the 31st minute.

In a pocket of space with no Chennaiyin FC players around him, he unleashed a thunderous shot directed on target that had to be saved by Nawaz in the top centre of the goal.

While the Gaurs orchestrated multiple incisive attacking moves, Chennaiyin FC struggled to create meaningful chances. FC Goa operated seamlessly in tandem from back to front, with the defence building up attacks and the midfield propelling them to sustain that for reasonable periods of time.

The Marina Machans, however, had a chance to pull a goal back in the 69th minute. Connor Shields, the leading assist maker (8) in the league, sprinted down the right flank before hurling in a cross for Wilmar Jordan Gil at the centre of the FC Goa box.

Wilmar got into a complicated position in his attempt to get the ball down. He instead squared it up for Farukh Choudhary beside him. With ample space to target the net, Farukh ended up striking his shot way too high of the goal. PTI AH AM AH AM AM

Nikolaos Karelis’ early strike earned Mumbai City FC a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League here on Saturday before East Bengal FC triumphed over Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in Kolkata for their fourth win in last five games. With their victory, Mumbai City FC moved from the seventh place to the fourth spot in the points table, accumulating 20 points from 12 games with five victories. This match also marked the third straight away game where the Marina Machans were unable to find the back of the net.

At the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, marksman Dimitrios Diamantakos (60th minute) was the only player on target for the home side as they maintained their mid-season rise under their new tactician Oscar Bruzon.

While the Red & Golds secured their fourth win in their last five matches in the competition, Jamshedpur FC, on the other hand, were inefficient in creating and finishing chances.

Jamshedpur FC were the team on the ascendency in the first 10 minutes of the second half but they lacked the final ball in the box.

In the 54th minute, Albino was called into action as Hector Yuste rose the highest from a corner to head it towards goal. The Spaniard made a good connection but not enough to beat the Jamshedpur FC custodian.

But East Bengal’s continued pressure eventually bore fruit in the 60th minute when Dimitrios broke the deadlock from Nandhakumar’s cross. Cleiton also played a big role in the buildup as Jamshedpur FC defenders were stranded ball-watching.

Earlier in Mumbai, the first quarter of the match saw both teams exert pressure on their opponents with some intricate movement. The game’s first chance fell to the hosts as Cleiton Silva, who found himself in space from a corner, stabbed the ball from close range. However, he was denied by an outstretched Albino Gomes.

A minute later, the Red and Golds recycled possession and Anwar Ali saw his long-range effort rattle the post before going out, catching the entire Jamshedpur FC backline off-guard.

Karelis capitalised on a loose ball in the eighth minute after Yoell van Nieff’s shot was partially deflected, calmly slotting it into the bottom right corner.

Six minutes later, Karelis set up Vikram Partap Singh for a chance, but the latter’s effort went wide.

Just before the 20th minute mark, Lukas Brambilla tried to pull one back for the Marina Machans, interlinking with Kiyan Nassiri and receiving the ball on the left side of the 18-yard box.

Brambilla’s shot was saved by Mumbai City FC goalkeeper TP Rehenesh.

Chennaiyin FC once again came close to equalising in the 34th minute but Brambilla’s shot was blocked by Mumbai defender Tiri.

The visitors ramped up the pressure after the break, with Daniel Chima Chukwu and Irfan Yadwad combining to create chances.

Yadwad’s diving header hit the crossbar in the 48th minute, while Rehenesh made critical saves to deny the Marina Machans and seal full three points.

East Bengal FC registered their third consecutive clean sheet as they blanked Chennaiyin FC 2-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday. PV Vishnu (54th) and Jeakson Singh (84th) were on the scoresheet as East Bengal recorded their first victory away from home in the competition in this campaign. The loss meant that Chennaiyin FC are winless in their last four games of the ongoing season. Chennaiyin FC had the upper hand for most of the first half. They enjoyed the lion’s share of possession with Connor Shields playing a pivotal role in creating chances and stretching the East Bengal defence in wide areas.

Despite controlling play, the Marina Machans had nothing to show for as the visitors held their lines brilliantly and absorbed pressure. Although they failed to break the deadlock, Owen Coyle’s men quickly recycled possession after losing it. They also managed to isolate Dimitrios Diamantakos upfront, cutting him from any supplies from the midfield.

Shields and Daniel Chima Chukwu were at the end of a few openings but either the East Bengal backline or Prabhshukhan Singh Gill were in their way to the goal.

Chennaiyin FC’s best chance of the half came to Laldinpuia Pachuau when he leapt the highest from a Shields corner but his subsequent header lacked power and didn’t trouble Gill at all in goal.

While Chennaiyin FC failed to capitalise on their chances, they also made sure that they didn’t allow the visitors to create many openings in the first period.

Before this match, five out of eight meetings between these two teams were goalless at half-time and this one followed the same route.

The second half started with Chennaiyin FC continuing their dominance in possession. It was Farukh Chaudhury, who found himself in the mix of two chances but he wasn’t clinical enough to test Gill in goal.

In the 49th minute, Oscar Bruzon decided to replace Diamantakos with Cleiton Silva, providing more fluidity in attack for the Red and Gold Brigade.

In the 54th minute, the hosts were the ones to blink first as East Bengal broke the deadlock courtesy of a goal from Vishnu.

A brilliantly delivered dink ball from Naorem Mahesh Singh unleashed Saul Crespo in the penalty box before the Spaniard pulled the trigger. His initial shot was saved by Mohammed Nawaz but Vishnu reacted to the rebound before Laldinliana Renthlei and slotted it home.

In the 59th minute, Crespo was stretchered out of the ground after pulling his hamstring and was replaced by Jeakson Singh. Soon, Coyle also turned to his reinforcements by bringing in Wilmar Jordan Gil and Vincy Barretto to add more flair upfront.

The sustained pressure from the visitors paid off eventually when Jeakson doubled the lead in the 84th minute with a long-range stunner which nestled into the top left corner of the net.

With that goal, East Bengal FC secured their second win of the season whereas Chennaiyin FC remain winless at home in the ongoing season.

Mumbai City FC rode on left-back Nathan Rodrigues’ strike to hold Chennaiyin FC 1-1 in a thrilling draw in the Indian Super League in Chennai on Saturday. Captain Ryan Edwards opened the scoring for Chennaiyin after an hour of gritty play. However their joy was short-lived as Rodrigues levelled the scores three minutes later in the milestone 1,000th contest of the ISL. The Marina Machans moved from seventh to fourth in the standings with 12 points, while the Islanders remained at eighth spot with 10 points.

The action began with a long-range effort from Yoell van Nieff in the 19th minute, who unleashed a powerful shot that tested CFC goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz, but he narrowly missed the mark.

With the hosts’ backline on alert following the visitors’ attempt, a minute later, Tiri rose above the Chennaiyin defenders during a corner, sending a powerful header towards goal, resulting in a nearly-close miss.

MCFC continued with their attack intent, as Nikolaos Karelis found an opening inside the box in the 30th minute and moved in quickly to capitalise on a loose ball.

Although his shot troubled the CFC defence, it lacked the accuracy to find the back of the net.

Both teams had to wait until the subsequent half to score their respective goals.

Following the restart after the break, the Marina Machans broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through a set-piece situation, as Connor Shields provided a straightforward cross into the box.

Edwards jumped above the Mumbai defenders and connected a powerful header, perfectly placed into the bottom right corner.

A corner from Van Nieff resulted in Rodrigues positioning and timing his jump perfectly.

He connected it with a powerful header as the ball raced into the top right corner to level the scoreline.

Thereon, the two sides gave their all, but despite their best efforts, no team could manage a winner.

A dominant Chennaiyin FC returned to winning ways in style as they pumped in five goals to register a crushing 5-1 victory over Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League here on Monday. It was a thoroughly professional performance from Chennaiyin FC as they dominated the match from start to finish with Irfan Yadwad, Connor Shields, Wilmar Jordan Gil, and Lukas Brambilla all registering their names on the scoresheet.

Javi Hernandez scored the only goal for the hosts. With this win, the Marina Machans secured their third victory of the season.

The visitors started the game strongly as they were dynamic through the flanks and bombarded the penalty area with plenty of crosses.

One such cross from Vincy Barretto on the right wing was delivered in the area of uncertainty and lack of communication between Albino Gomes and Pratik Chaudhuri saw the latter toe-poke it into his own net to hand Chennaiyin FC the lead in the sixth minute.

Chennaiyin FC eventually doubled their lead courtesy of individual brilliance from Irfan Yadwad. The youngster picked up the ball near the halfway line and got the better of his markers with a sensational turn.

He went past the defenders and completed the move by slotting the ball into the bottom right corner in the 22nd minute.

Jamshedpur FC were clearly out of ideas to contain the Chennaiyin frontline as the visitors added their third goal in the 24th minute.

Connor Shields played an intricate one-two with Yadwad and the youngster opened up a pocket of space for Shields to hammer home his first goal of this season with a vicious left-footed strike.

Chennaiyin FC continued the same aggressive momentum from the start of the second period. They showed exceptional persistence and were rewarded in the 54th minute when Yadwad pick-pocketed Pratik and played a pass towards Gil in space. With only Albino to beat, the Colombian held his nerve and slotted it home.

Hunting for more goals, Owen Coyle decided to freshen up his frontline as he brought on Daniel Chima Chukwu, Lukas Brambilla, and Gurkirat Singh.

Chennaiyin eventually found their fifth in the 71st minute when Lalrinliana Hnamte played Brambilla in space and the Brazilian midfielder came up with a sensational curling effort to catch Albino completely off-guard.

Jamshedpur FC pulled a goal back in the 81st minute, against the run of play when Yadwad handled the ball in the penalty area following a free-kick. The hosts were rewarded with a penalty and Javi Hernandez stepped and scored the consolation goal. 

Bengaluru FC’s Sunil Chhetri. File
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Argentine striker Jorge Pereyra Díaz found the target twice to help Bengaluru FC prevail over a 10-man Indian Navy football team 4-0 in a Group B league match of the 133rd Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Wednesday.

Rahul Bheke opened the scoring process before captain Sunil Chhetri doubled the lead off a penalty to have Bengaluru leading 2-0 at halftime. Diaz came in as a late substitute to find two quick goals and see Bengaluru giving an emphatic start to its campaign. The Indian Navy defender was ejected with a red card in the 39th minute.

Liton Shil struck late in the opening half to help Indian Army FT surprise former ISL champion Chennaiyin FC by a solitary goal in a Group D encounter at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur. The win had the Indian Army joining host Jamshedpur FC on top of the group standings with three points.

The results

Group B: Bengaluru FC 4 (Bheke 10, Chhetri 41-pen, Díaz 79, 90) bt Indian Navy FT 0.

Group D: Indian Army FT 1 (Liton Sil 42) bt Chennaiyin FC 0.

Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and their archrivals East Bengal FC, the two finalists from the previous edition, have been drawn together in the same group as the group stage draw for the upcoming Durand Cup 2024 was unveiled on Thursday. The 24 teams from the ISL, I-League, international teams, and teams from the Armed Forces will fight it out in Asia’s oldest football tournament, scheduled to commence on July 27. Notably, international teams will also feature with Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC and Bangladesh Army Football Team, both returning from the previous edition.

This year, Jamshedpur and Shillong join Kokrajhar and Kolkata as host cities, with each hosting group stage fixtures. Kolkata, the main venue, will host three groups, while Jamshedpur, Shillong, and Kokrajhar will each host one group.

The tournament will follow a round-robin league format with knockout stages, culminating in the final at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. In total, 43 matches will be played and the top teams from each group, along with the two best second-placed teams, will advance to the knockout phase.

Here are the groups for Durand Cup 2024:

Group A (Kolkata): Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Indian Air Force FT, Downtown Heroes FC

Group B (Kolkata): Bengaluru FC, Inter Kashi FC, Indian Navy FT, Mohammedan SC

Group C (Kolkata): Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC, CISF Protectors FT

Group D (Jamshedpur): Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Indian Army FT, Bangladesh Army FT

Group E (Kokrajhar): Odisha FC, NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC, BSF FT

Group F (Shillong): FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Tribhuvan Army FC

File image of Mohun Bagan players Anirudh Thapa and Jason Cummings.© X (Twitter)