Mohun Bagan Super Giant kicked off its Durand Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over arch-rival East Bengal FC, courtesy of Sahal Abdul Samad’s second-half strike in the Group A fixture here on Saturday.
With both sides missing several first-team players, neither of them started with a foreigner. The opening period was evenly contested as Bagan dominated possession while East Bengal looked dangerous on counter-attacks. Bagan created a few openings but lacked sharpness in the final third.
Sahal came up with a shot from inside the box in the 18th minute, but goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill made a comfortable save. The 29-year-old appealed for a penalty in the 24th minute after his attempted cross struck Jeakson Singh’s hand inside the 18-yard box. The referee, however, waved off the appeal.
Bagan finally broke the deadlock seven minutes after the interval. Kiyan Nassiri won possession near the East Bengal penalty area and delivered a low cross after driving into the box. Manvir Singh failed to connect with an attempted backheel flick, but Sahal arrived unmarked to slot home the eventual winner.
East Bengal introduced two foreigners — Mohammed Rashid and Daniel Ramirez — in search of an equaliser, but Bagan defended resolutely to preserve its lead.
The result: Mohun Bagan 1 (Sahal Abdul Samad 52) bt East Bengal 0.
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