The victory sealed East Bengal’s first national league title in 22 years, sparking emotional celebrations among players and supporters as decades of heartbreak and near misses finally came to an end.

Heading into the final day, the title race remained finely balanced, with Mohun Bagan Super Giant also level on points after winning their final fixture. However, East Bengal’s superior goal difference ensured the Red-and-Gold Brigade finished at the top of the standings with 26 points from 13 matches.

Despite the celebrations at full-time, the night began with tension for the home side. Inter Kashi stunned the packed stadium in the 14th minute when Alfred Planas latched onto a long ball and produced a brilliant first-time volley past goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill to hand the visitors the lead.

The goal silenced the stadium and increased the pressure on East Bengal, who struggled to find composure despite creating several opportunities. League top scorer Youssef Ezzejjari came closest before halftime but somehow failed to convert from close range, while Planas continued to trouble the East Bengal defence with dangerous attacking runs.

Inter Kashi nearly doubled their advantage on multiple occasions, but East Bengal survived the difficult spell and entered the break trailing by just one goal. The momentum shifted completely after halftime.

East Bengal emerged with renewed urgency and found the equaliser in the 50th minute through Ezzejjari. A perfectly weighted pass from Anwar Ali split the Inter Kashi defence, allowing the Moroccan forward to race through on goal before calmly rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into the empty net.

The equaliser transformed the atmosphere inside the stadium as belief returned among the home supporters. East Bengal began pushing forward with greater intensity, forcing Inter Kashi deeper into their own half.

The decisive moment arrived in the 72nd minute when Bipin Singh delivered a dangerous cross into the box and Mohammed Rashid stretched to guide the ball into the far corner, sending the stadium into complete celebration.

The final stages were filled with tension as East Bengal defended their narrow lead while keeping an eye on developments elsewhere. However, when the final whistle blew, years of frustration disappeared instantly as players, staff, and supporters celebrated a historic title triumph.

The unforgettable campaign also saw individual recognition for East Bengal stars, with Youssef Ezzejjari winning the Golden Boot and Miguel Figueira claiming the Golden Ball award. Hrithik Tiwari secured the Golden Glove honour, while East Bengal received ₹1.25 crore as champions of the Indian Super League 2025–26.

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A greater prize awaits at the finish line for the teams as the champions of this year’s campaign will get promotion to the Indian Super League 2023-24 edition after the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey confirmed the same.

The match week 1 of the Hero I-league 2022-23 which included some fierce battles, comes to an end, we take a look through the major happenings from the past week.

Defending champs begin with a victory 

In the opening fixture of the Hero I-league 2022-23, defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC defeated Mohammedan SC at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium 1-0 to kick off their campaign on the perfect note.

The score remained 0-0 after an end-to-end first half. Gokulam Kerala FC broke the deadlock in the 57th minute of the game. Their new forward signing Cameroonian Auguste Somlaga’s shot from outside the box slipped through the hands of Mohammedan custodian Zothanmawia and the ball crossed the goal line. Mohammedan SC, who are also considered as a strong contenders for the title this season having just missed the title last season finishing in 2nd spot, will have to take a look into their defense as they allowed Gokulam multiple chances inside the box in an highly physical contest.

RoundGlass Punjab FC come out on top against the Sreenidhi Deccan FC

RoundGlass Punjab FC kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Sreenidhi Deccan FC on Sunday, November 14 at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana.

RoundGlass Punjab FC took the lead in the 23rd minute through Luka Majcen. Brandon Vanlalremdika chipped in a cross for the Slovenian who smartly placed it beyond the keeper via his near post. Samuel Lalmuanpuia’s free-kick goal in the 43rd minute doubled the lead for the side from Punjab. The midfielder took the freekick which was awarded after Luka Majcen was brought down at the edge of the penalty area.

A positive start for Roundglass Punjab with two first-half goals however manner in which they conceded in the second half would be something they would want to avoid. Sreenidhi Deccan’s consolation goal came in the 58th minute from Shahabaaz Khan after Freddy failed to clear his line allowing Rosenberg Gabriel to send in a cross which despite the best efforts from Kiran Linmu was not enough.

10-man Rajasthan United FC defeats Churchill Brothers FC Goa 

In another high-intensity game, Rajasthan United FC got the better of Churchill Brothers FC Goa 2-1 to start their campaign with a win. The Rajasthan outfit has been on an upward run ever since they made their presence in the national league and after some solid transfer season, the clubs look ready to battle it out against the best in the league.

Martin Chavas looks like a great acquisition for the club. The 24-year-old Uruguayan setup both goals for his side and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions himself. This was the second time these two sides faced each other this season with the earlier fixture coming in the Baji Rout Cup 2022 final which the Desert Warriors trumped as the champions.

Rajasthan United FC took the lead in the 29th minute of the game through Melroy Assisi off a Martin Chaves corner. Abdoulaye Sane then found the back of the net in the stoppage time of the first half and brought the red machines back in the game.

Despite starting off brightly, the goan outfit failed to finish off the final third as they were soon left to rue their chance with the Rajasthan finding the net for the second time in the game. Britto PM received a brilliant back-heel pass from Martin Chaves and curled a first-time shot into the back of the net.

Rajasthan defender Hardik Bhat was sent off in the 84th minute after receiving his second yellow card which gave Churchill a numerical advantage, though, they couldn’t capitalize.

Kenkre No Pushovers this time

Having finished bottom of the table last season, Kenkre were given a lifeline to survive relegation after they were reinstated to I League season by AIFF. The closure of the Indian Arrows project played a major part in their reinstatement.

The Mumbai outfit showcased they belong and are no pushovers this time around as they displayed some courage going forward in attack while displaying gritty defensive performance. Playing with an all-Indian playing XI, Kenkre defeated Sudeva Delhi FC to open their points tally from the very first game.

One of the brightest prospects from Mumbai, Azza Noorani who made his league debut capped off the occasion with a clean strike behind the Sudeva Keeper to score the winner for his side. Earlier in the day Faiz Khan too had scored his maiden I League goal. A competitive Kenkre side and good season in I league will bode well for Mumbai Football.

Positive start for Real Kashmir under Wadoo, Aizwal, TRAU share spoils

Real Kashmir FC began the I-League season on a winning note, beating hosts Neroca FC 1-0. Having parted ways with David Robertson who had been with the club for 6 years, Real Kashmir had signed former India International Mehrajuddin Wadoo, who hails from Kashmir himself.

The first half of the match at Khuman Lampak Stadium was dominated by the Kashmir side and Neroca FC was slow to get off the blocks. Despite RKFC’s intent, the deadlock could not be broken and the scoreline remained 0-0 at halftime. It was Issahak Nuhu’s excellent 53rd-minute strike that sealed all three points for new head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo’s team. A tougher test awaits ahead and it will be interesting to see how the clubs goes forward.

Meanwhile at the picturesque Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl, Mizoram the spoils were shared between Aizawl FC and TRAU FC as the game ended 1-1. A goal in each half by Sagolsem Bikash Singh and K Lalrinfela for TRAU and Aizawl, respectively, meant that the two sides went home with a point each, as per a press release from the I-League.

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The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal fixture, popularly known as the Kolkata Derby is a 100-year-old footballing rivalry with a rich history. The match is locally known as the ‘boro match’ which means ‘big match’ in Bengali. The first match between these two sides was played on 8 August 1921 in the Coochbehar cup, which ended as a goalless stalemate. Since then, both of these sides have battled it out against each other around 382 times, in which, East Bengal came out victorious 132 times and Mohun Bagan won 125 games. The rest of the games ended in a draw.

Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan joined the Hero ISL two seasons back.  Ahead of the first ISL fixture that is going to be played in front of home fans in Kolkata, we take a look at some of the memorable games between these two sides over the last 10-12 years

East Bengal 3-3 Mohun Bagan, East Bengal won 3-2 on penalties (Mohammedan sporting platinum jubilee cup, November 14, 2010)

To commemorate their maiden triumph of the prestigious Calcutta Football League in 1934, the Mohammedan sporting club organized the platinum jubilee cup with Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and the world’s first-ever football club Sheffield FC being the participants. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal made it to the final of the two-day contest and produced a goal-fest. Alvito D’cunha put East Bengal in front in the stoppage time of the first half, but Mohun Bagan returned in the second half with goals from Satish Kumar and Ashim Biswas giving them the lead. Their celebrations didn’t last long as Robin Singh equalized for East Bengal and the game went to extra time. East Bengal looked to have won it when Robin scored again in the extra time to make it 3-2 in the 101st minute of the game. But, Mohun Bagan responded well and Harpreet Singh’s strike took the final to penalties, which East Bengal won 3-2.

East Bengal 3-0 Mohun Bagan (I-league 2012)

A wave of violence erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium as this derby fixture was forced to be called off. 

It all started when East Bengal took the lead through Harmanjot Khabra from a Mehtab Hussain freekick in the 43rd minute of the game. Things started to heat up when Bagan’s star recruit Odafa Okolie was given a straight red card by referee Vishnu Chauhan for expressing his displeasure. Soon after the incident, Mohun Bagan fans started pelting stones and bricks at the field, one of them hitting a Mohun Bagan midfielder Syed Rahim Nabi’s face. He was quickly hospitalized and Bagan players came off the field. The match was then called off after Bagan refused to field their player’s in the second half. Mohun Bagan was given a two-year suspension for the same reason.

East Bengal 4-0 Mohun Bagan (2015)

East Bengal clinched the Calcutta Football League title for the 6th consecutive time by thrashing Mohun Bagan 4-0 in their penultimate game of the league.

In front of a packed 65000 crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium, East Bengal’s South Korean star recruit Do Dong-Hyun netted two freekicks in the first half while goals from Muhammad Rafique and Rahul Bheke in the second half completed a 4-0 rout against their arch-rivals, Mohun Bagan.

Mohun Bagan 2-1 East Bengal (I-league 2019)

This was the last Kolkata Derby game in the I-league era. Mohun Bagan made it one to remember as goals from Joseba Betia and Baba Diawara on either side of the break gave the Mariners 3 points and the much-needed edge in their title race with East Bengal’s consolation goal coming from Marco’s Jimenez in the 72nd minute being too late.

ATK Mohun Bagan 3-1 SC East Bengal 

One of the dramatic encounters between the two sides in the ISL has to be the 2021 fixture where a young Kiyan Nassiri, son of former East Bengal legend Jamshad Nassiri stunned the red and gold with his second-half hat-trick heroics that won the game for the Mariners. Darren Sidoel had given East Bengal the lead in the 56th minute of the game, but Kiyan came on and soon equalized in the 64′ minute, However, his dramatic double strike deep in the injury time killed the game for East Bengal as Mariners extended their winning streak against the rivals.

Today as Kolkata prepares for another derby day, it will be interesting to see whether Juan Ferrando’s high-flying ATK Mohun Bagan come on top or will it be Stephen Constantine’s pragmatic East Bengal that breaks the jinx, either ways expect a high-octane encounter.

Photo Credit – ISL Media

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“I am really happy and grateful about the organisation of this game, and we will do our best to have such games like this one,” Stimac stated post-match. “We won’t mind having such matches regularly, and maybe in another 7 days we may think and want another practice game like this,” the coach averred. “Kolkata is a great football place and during the pandemic when it is difficult to find games, this is one of the best places to train.”

The match which was organised to commemorate the ‘Khela Hobe’ Divas in West Bengal was graced by Mr. Arup Biswas, Government of West Bengal’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Power; Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary AIFF; Mr. Subrata Dutta, Senior Vice President, AIFF; Mr. Abhishek Yadav, Assistant General Secretary, AIFF, also Director National Teams; Mr. Joydeep Mukherjee, General Secretary, IFA, and a host of other dignitaries.

“I was cautious about my players not picking up injuries, and wanted to understand how they handled the game. They went into the pitch after a long time, and without much practice,” Stimac opined.

The coach who coached Croatia to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 also hinted that he “may consider releasing Sandesh Jhingan from the ongoing camp.”

Referring to Sandesh’s move to Croatia to play League Football, Stimac expressed: “Having in mind that the Croatian League has already had 5 rounds, and the players are fit, we are thinking as to how we can help Sandesh get into form as soon as possible, and also try to facilitate him get his place in the team. It’s important for him to get into the playing XI. So we may consider releasing him from the camp and bringing him back but allow him to stay with the club,” the coach informed.

India will be travelling to Kathmandu later this month to play Nepal in two International Friendlies in September. “It is very difficult to organise matches under such circumstances. You need to understand that no one is able to come to India, and if we want to go out to play there are quarantine rules. So the options are very limited,” he added.

“We had agreed to first play Libya and Jordan in Istanbul. But the long duration of quarantine in Istanbul didn’t allow us to proceed with the matches. We also looked at other options wherein we agreed to play Nepal and Malaysia in Nepal. But Malaysia couldn’t travel owing to quarantine rules back home in their country,” the coach pronounced.

“Now we need to prepare for the next 12 days before we head to Nepal. We also have the SAFF Championship in October followed by the AFC U-23 Qualifiers — maybe the best option will be to hold on with the U23 team all throughout October.”

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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Q. How does it feel to play in Kolkata against Kolkata?
A. Debabrata- This is not a new experience for me. In fact I have played in Kolkata against Kolkata couple of times before. I actually enjoy it. Tomorrow’s match is very critical for the Kolkata team, considering their game performances in the last few matches. Atletico de Kolkata is a very strong team. Right at this moment, the team is going through a bad phase. They are not dependent on their match with us. They have their own qualities and can make up with them.

Q. How is your team unity now?
A. Debabrata- The unity in our team is very strong. We have consistently played because of the same. Our performance has been consistent from the start to the semi final. We were just not getting the results initially. Otherwise our performance has been quite good and so has been our team unity.

Q. You have already reached the semi finals. From that perspective, how serious are you for tomorrow’s match? And how do you view tomorrow’s match? Any particular player from the Atletico de Kolkata team you are particularly worried about?
A. Debabrata- Each match is critical to our success, so each match is very important to us. Atletico de Kolkata is obviously a very strong team; therefore there is no one particular player that can be named.

Q. There was a phase when you played well, but were not getting results. How difficult was it for you to keep faith on yourself and on your coach?
A. Debabrata- It was actually a reverse situation. Despite the losses, the coach kept his faith high on us and the team and encouraged us all along.

Q. How does it feel to be training under a legendary player like Zico?
A. Debabrata- This is a great experience for me. I am immensely enjoying this entire experience. This training experience is like a dream come true for me.

Q. Eight years back when you came to Kolkata, you came as a coach for Japan. You had a disappointing experience on this ground. You have come back on this ground with a different team. How would you describe your comeback and what do you expect?
A. Zico- Last time we had come here for the World Cup qualifiers and we were expecting everything to be right. I was not disappointed at all last time because we had received good response from the viewers here. So I have good memories of Kolkata. The only difference I see now is that last time it was real grass and now it is artificial turf and I don’t think it is suitable to play football.

Q. How difficult is it to put out a team for a game like this where you don’t want your players to rest and yet you don’t want to lose the match?
A. Zico- I already have made a decision about tomorrow’s game and I have already kept the team ready for it and you will get to know tomorrow.

Q. Can you tell us about the first eleven for tomorrow?
A. Zico- You will get to know about it tomorrow.

Q. Who would you rather face in the semi finals, Chennaiyin FC or Atletico de Kolkata?
A. Zico- We can’t choose. We have qualified for the semifinals; we are ready and are well prepared to face any team.

Q. You have coached many teams around the world. Considering the circumstances here, your team was last at one point and the qualified for the semifinals. Would you say that this has been one of the best moments for you as a coach?
A. Zico- Of course it s one of the greatest moments of my career because it is not easy to have a turnaround like this just before the semifinals. Moreover, now every team is fighting for the top spot.

Q. Would you ask your boys to restrain temper on the pitch tomorrow?
A. Zico- I always tell all the teams that I have coached, to go on the field and play football and nothing else.

Q. What is the strong point for Atletico de Kolkata?
A. It is a great team with good and experienced players and due to which they have reached in the top four.

Q. Do you think Andre Santos is the best player in your team?
A. Zico- He is one of the best players since he is doing really well. But there are other players also in the team who are doing great.

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