East Bengal to Face South United in Durand Cup Opener Amid ISL Team Absences

The 134th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, is set to kick off on Wednesday with a high-voltage clash between East Bengal and debutant South United FC at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. A grand opening ceremony, expected to be attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will precede the curtain-raiser.

While the tournament retains its historic stature, this year’s edition has seen a dip in representation from the Indian Super League (ISL), with a majority of top-tier teams opting out. Their withdrawal is reportedly due to uncertainty over the start of the upcoming ISL season, which has yet to receive a confirmed schedule.

Despite the setbacks, six ISL teams have committed to the tournament. Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mohammedan Sporting SC will join East Bengal in representing the city. The other participating ISL sides include NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, and Punjab FC — each drawn into separate groups.

The 24-team field is bolstered by a blend of clubs from the I-League and I-League 2, along with teams from India’s Services and Paramilitary forces. International flavour has also been added with the inclusion of Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC and a joint squad from the Malaysian Armed Forces.

These 24 teams are distributed across six groups for the league stage, which will be hosted across five cities: Kolkata (which will host two groups), Jamshedpur, Shillong, Kokrajhar, and Imphal. From this stage, the six group winners and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

The opening match is poised to offer a glimpse into the tournament’s competitive intensity, as East Bengal look to assert their pedigree against the relatively unknown challenge of South United FC. For South United, the game marks their first appearance in the Durand Cup, offering a massive platform to test their mettle against one of Indian football’s most storied sides.

With local enthusiasm running high and a wide range of teams from various tiers of Indian football, the tournament promises to deliver a unique blend of tradition and opportunity,despite the absence of several big names from the ISL.