East Bengal FC booked their place in the Durand Cup 2026 semifinal after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Indian Army Football Team at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.
- V. Vishnu scored the only goal of the second quarterfinal, with his 39th-minute header proving enough for Antonio Habas’ side to progress. East Bengal will now meet Sporting Club Delhi at the same venue on Wednesday for a place in the final.
Coming into the contest after recently qualifying for the AFC Champions League Two, East Bengal controlled much of the opening half against an Army team featuring an all-Indian lineup. Habas fielded his foreign recruits as the Kolkata side enjoyed greater possession and repeatedly pushed forward.
However, their dominance did not immediately translate into goals, with several opportunities going unfinished in the attacking third.
The breakthrough finally arrived six minutes before half-time. Australian forward Christopher Ikonomidis delivered a well-placed cross into the box, where the 24-year-old Vishnu climbed above the Army defence and headed the ball home.
East Bengal had opportunities to make the result more comfortable. Spanish attacker Dani Ramirez failed to make the most of his chances, while substitutes Bipin Singh and Jesin T.K. also missed opportunities after coming on.
Indian Army goalkeeper Bhabindra Malla Thakuri played an important role in keeping the quarterfinal competitive, producing several saves to prevent East Bengal from extending their advantage.
Army attempted to find a way back into the match, but East Bengal remained organised defensively and successfully dealt with the threat to protect their narrow lead until the final whistle.
Earlier, Sporting Club Delhi sealed their semifinal spot with a dramatic 5-1 victory over Durand Cup debutant FC Raengdai at Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi.
Raengdai initially threatened an upset when Chongtham Kishan Singh struck from long range to give the Manipur side an early advantage.
The contest changed after SC Delhi coach Tomasz Tchorz introduced India U-23 forward Joseph Sunny at half-time. Sunny scored twice within 10 minutes to turn the match around and put Delhi 2-1 ahead by the 67th minute.
Rodriguinho, Juan Sebastian Pena and Augustine Lalrochana then added a goal each as SC Delhi completed a five-goal second-half comeback.
The result sets up Wednesday’s semifinal between East Bengal and SC Delhi in Kolkata, with both teams now one victory away from the Durand Cup final.
