Kolkata, Aug 10 (IANS) After winning their first two matches in the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, East Bengal FC will look to maintain their perfect record in Group A when they face Indian Air Force Football Team at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Sunday.
By virtue of winning their first two matches, the Red & Golds have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. A 1-0 win over Namdhari FC on Wednesday ensured that they would finish top of the group regardless of Sunday’s result, thanks to their head-to-head superiority over Namdhari.
EB kicked off their Durand Cup 2025 campaign with a commanding 5-0 win over South United FC on 23 July, followed by a dominant performance against Namdhari FC that saw them create multiple scoring chances. Yet, the match ended in a 1-0 win for the sixteen-time Durand Cup champions as debutant and Moroccan international forward Hamid Ahadad scored with a header off fellow debutant Miguel Figueira’s corner kick in the 68th minute.
EB will head into Sunday’s match with a goal difference of +6, having scored six goals in two matches without conceding any. The two teams met earlier in last year’s Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, with the Red & Golds securing a 3-1 victory.
Indian Air Force, meanwhile, are out of contention for the knockouts, having secured a solitary point from two matches (a 3-3 draw against South United FC and a 4-2 defeat to Namdhari FC).
Speaking on the sidelines of his team’s matchday minus one training session, EB Head Coach Oscar Bruzon said, “We have qualified for the quarter-finals, having dominated the first two games. However, we cannot afford to be complacent. We need to maintain our winning momentum with another good performance. Barring just two or three matches, every match in this Durand Cup has been highly competitive.”
–IANS
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