Bipin Singh Thounaojam (11th minute) handed East Bengal an early lead before Youssef Ezzejjari (70th and 84th) struck twice in the second half to wrap up a comfortable win for the Red and Gold Brigade. Photo: X@IndSuperLeague

Noah Sadaoui’s last-gasp goal handed Kerala Blasters a narrow 3-2 win over Odisha FC in their Indian Super League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday. Noah scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of the added time after both sides were locked 2-2. Blasters’ other two goals were scored by Kwame Peprah (60th) and Jesus Jimenez (73rd). Jerry Mawihmingthanga (4th) and Dori (80th) were the goal-scorers for Odisha FC. The Juggernauts are now winless in their last four games, and the Kochi-based team is unbeaten (W5, D2) in all seven games that Noah has found the back of the net this season, as the home team scored thrice in the final half hour of the game.

The Juggernauts made a positive start in the fourth minute, opting for a relatively direct route to surprise the Kerala Blasters defence.

Once inside the box, Dori aerially overpowered Pritam Kotal to make a headed pass for Jerry Mawihmingthanga, who was in the middle of the 18-yard area.

Jerry covered a few crucial yards with quick pace, made an impressive adjustment and deposited the ball into the bottom right corner with a slightly high footed shot to open the scoring.

Kwame Peprah managed to pull an equaliser in the 60th minute.

Korou Singh produced a creative through ball from the right flank that swung inside the Odisha FC defence. The pass was delivered at the perfect pace, but it was Peprah who outpaced Mourtada Fall and Rohit Kumar to get at the end of the pass and hammer it into the bottom left corner.

Kerala Blasters stepped up their attacking moves thereafter. The entire frontline came to the fore to dissect the Odisha FC defence in the 73rd minute.

Adrian Luna shifted to the right flank and curled in a cross for Noah on the far left post. Noah produced his smarts, making a headed pass to Jesus Jimenez at the centre rather than going for the goal.

Jimenez met the assist perfectly, booting the ball to the high centre of the net and getting the home side the lead.

Odisha FC regrouped following Jimenez’s strike. Diego Mauricio took a free-kick from the edge of the box down the centre, which was aimed perfectly at the top right corner, but saved in time by Sachin Suresh.

The ball was cleared but met Saviour Gama outside the 18-yard box. Gama unleashed a powerful effort that had to be saved by the Kerala Blasters goalkeeper at the high centre of the goal.

Dori immediately pounced upon the rebound, depositing the ball into the net from extremely close distance to level the scores in the 80th minute. However, their momentum was disrupted by Carlos Delgado getting sent off in the 83rd minute for picking his second yellow card.

Kerala Blasters capitalised on this one-man advantage, by outnumbering the Odisha FC defence in the final third. They kept chasing the winner deep inside the added time of the second half, with Noah delivering the finishing touch to enable them to get the three points from the night.

On a high after a three-game unbeaten run, hosts East Bengal will hope to continue their momentum when they clash against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League here on Thursday. East Bengal registered two straight victories but the Juggernauts will present a tough challenge, having defeated the Kolkata-based side 2-1 earlier this season. The Juggernauts are placed fifth in the points table with 16 points from 11 matches. East Bengal FC have been on the rise of late, securing seven points from nine matches.

After enduring a difficult start with seven losses in their opening eight matches, the Red & Gold Brigade, under coach Oscar Bruzon, appear to have turned the tide and a win on Thursday would mark East Bengal FC’s first three-match winning streak in the ISL.

Defensive solidity has been key to their turnaround, with two consecutive clean sheets at home. The last time they achieved a longer streak was in December 2023, which included a goalless draw against Odisha FC.

Odisha, on the other hand, boast the league’s most efficient attack this season, having found the back of the net every 43 minutes this season. Their 23 strikes thus far are the most that they have managed after 11 games in any season.

Diego Mauricio and Mourtada Fall lead the charts after netting seven and four times respectively.

After conceding in six straight away games, Odisha’s backline held firm in their last away fixture, securing a stunning 6-0 win against Hyderabad FC.

In their nine matches so far, Odisha FC have emerged victorious seven times, whereas East Bengal FC have won only once.

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon acknowledged his team’s admirable run of form but maintained that they still have a long way to go to realise their ambitions for the season.

“The players are positive. We are not conceding too many chances. We are a team that is on a good run of results. But, we are still far off from where we want to be in the league table,” Bruzon said.

Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera, too, appreciated East Bengal FC for making some key improvements in the last few matches.

“East Bengal FC are a very competitive team. They’re working well, improving not just footballing wise but also in terms of their mental motivation. It will be a very difficult game,” Lobera said. PTI ATK AH AH

Odisha FC beat East Bengal 2-1 in ISL encounter© X (Twitter)

Odisha FC defeated Jamshedpur FC 2-1.© X/@OdishaFC

Former India captain Sunil Chhetri came in as a late substitute to nod home a corner and complete the scoring process for Bengaluru FC. File
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

Former ISL champion Bengaluru FC waltzed to its second consecutive win by downing the I-League side Inter Kashi FC 3-0 in a Group B league match of the 133rd Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Stadium here on Saturday. 

Spanish forward Edgar Mendez opened the scoring converting an early penalty before his compatriot Alberto Noguera doubled the lead late in the second session.

Former India captain Sunil Chhetri came in as a late substitute to nod home a corner and complete the scoring process for Bengaluru FC.

The Blues could have ended with a bigger scoreline but for Inter Kashi goalkeeper Shubham Dhas, who saved substitute forward Ryan William’s penalty attempt in the 84th minute. With this win, Bengaluru FC reached the top of the group standings with six points.

Odisha FC brightened up its performance in the second half to overwhelm BSF FT 5-0 in a Group E encounter played at the SAI Stadium, Kokrajhar.

In another development, Hyderabad FC pulled out of the event “due to unforeseen circumstances”. The Durand Cup Organising Committee heeded the request of the Government of Meghalaya to include the local side Rangdajied United FC in the former’s place in Group F, which is being played in Shillong.

The results

Group B (Kolkata): Bengaluru FC 3 (Edgar Mendez 17-pen, Alberto Noguera 77, Sunil Chhetri 82) bt Inter Kashi FC 0.

Group E (Kokrajhar): Odisha FC 5 (Rahul Mukhi 55, Ashangbam Aphaoba Singh 56, Moirangthem Givson Singh 58, 80, RoshanMukhi 78) bt BSF FT 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

Odisha FC revived their AFC Cup campaign with a 6-1 demolition of Maziya.© Twitter