Shillong, July 3: The fixtures and venues for the 135th edition of the Durand Cup were announced on Friday following the unveiling of the 24 participating teams earlier this week, with Shillong set to host six Group E matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Group E features Shillong Lajong FC, Nongkseh SS&CC, Langsning FC, and Mumbay FC. Except for Shillong Lajong, other three clubs are making their Durand Cup debut.
The Shillong leg will begin with an all-Meghalaya clash as Shillong Lajong FC take on Nongkseh SS&CC on July 31 at 5 pm. The two local rivals are joined in Group E by Langsning FC and Mumbay FC, with all six group-stage matches scheduled to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium between July 31 and August 13.
Langsning FC will begin their campaign against Mumbay FC on August 3 at 7 pm before another all-Meghalaya encounter sees Nongkseh SS&CC face Langsning FC on August 6.
Shillong Lajong FC will then take on Mumbay FC on August 8, while Nongkseh SS&CC will conclude their group-stage campaign against Mumbay FC on August 11. The final Group E fixture on August 13 will pit Shillong Lajong FC against Langsning FC.
Despite having six groups but with 8 quarter-final slots, the organizers have explained that at the end of the league stage, the six group winners and the two best second-placed teams will qualify for the knockout phase.
The quarter-finals will begin on August 16 with matches in Ranchi and Kolkata, before the remaining two quarter-finals are played on August 17 in Kolkata and Shillong. The first semi-final will be held in Kolkata on August 19, while Shillong will host the second semi-final on August 20. The final is scheduled for August 23 in Kolkata.
Durand Cup to open with clash of the giants
The 135th edition of Asia’s oldest football tournament will kick off on July 25 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata with an epic opening match between record 17-time champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and 16-time winners East Bengal FC.
This year’s tournament will be held across five host cities – Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati.
Group A features record 17-time champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, 16-time winners East Bengal FC, South United FC and CISF Protectors. With the opener on July 25, the group stage will conclude on August 10 with Mohun Bagan Super Giant taking on CISF Protectors.
Group B features Mohammedan SC, Indian Army FT and Durand Cup debutants Baghpat FC and Samaleswari Sporting. The group opens on July 26 with Indian Army FT taking on Samaleswari Sporting before concluding on August 12 with Mohammedan SC facing Indian Army FT.
Group C features Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, I-League outfit Sporting Club Delhi, Indian Air Force FT and Defenders FC of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, who will be making their Durand Cup debut. All Group C matches will be played at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Ranchi, which will make its debut as a host venue for Asia’s oldest football tournament. The Ranchi leg will get underway on July 26 with Jamshedpur FC taking on Defenders FC and conclude on August 13 when Jamshedpur FC face Indian Air Force FT.
Group D will see local sides TRAU FC, NEROCA FC and FC Raengdai joined by Indian Navy FT. The Imphal leg begins with a Manipur derby between TRAU FC and NEROCA FC on July 28, while the group concludes on August 12 with another all-Manipur encounter as NEROCA FC take on FC Raengdai.
Neighbouring Assam will host the Group F matches in Guwahati, featuring defending champions NorthEast United FC as they bid for a third consecutive Durand Cup title. They are joined in the group by Bodoland FC, FC1 and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC. The Guwahati leg will begin on August 1 with NorthEast United FC taking on Bodoland FC and conclude on August 13 when Bodoland FC face Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC.
