Despite its image as the grand old man of football competitions, the Durand Cup has feted debutants as champions in recent years, seeing teams like Gokulam Kerala FC and FC Goa winning the title in their maiden appearances (in 2019 and 2021).
This will definitely inspire newcomer Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC) as it sets its sights on the crown while taking on defending champion NorthEast United FC in the final of the 134th edition of the world’s third-oldest tournament, at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.
While the legacy teams and pre-tournament favourites like Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Emami East Bengal have already fallen by the wayside, Diamond Harbour FC (barely three years old) emerged from the shadows of its famed compatriots to become the surprise challenger for the title.
The final will thus witness an interesting matchup where the strength and pedigree of the reigning champion will be pitted against the audacious ambition of the debutant, which is playing its first final of a national tournament.
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Diamond Harbour, which became the I-League Division 2 champion this year, beat ISL heavyweights such as Jamshedpur FC and East Bengal in the quarterfinals and the semifinals to reach the final. DHFC will now be looking to bring a successful end to the remarkable progress by upstaging the mighty NorthEast United, which happens to be its third opponent from the country’s top league.
NEUFC, which has remained unbeaten since the group stages, will be keen to continue the unbeaten run and defend the title in the process.
Returning to defend the title for the second consecutive year, the Highlanders have showcased consistency by securing four wins in five appearances in the group and the knockout stages, where they beat sides like Shillong Lajong FC (twice), Malaysian Armed Forces, and Bodoland FC 4-0.
The only occasion NorthEast failed to register full points was when Rangdajied United FC held it to a 2-2 draw. With its Moroccan forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie regaining his prolific form after picking up the golden boot as the highest scorer of ISL earlier in the year, NorthEast United has found the going relatively easy so far. It remains to be seen how the Highlanders fare against Diamond Harbour, which has remained defensively composed for the greater part of the tournament.
“We have done a lot of travelling and have played in varying temperatures, which surely takes a toll on the players. We are basically in the pre-season, and it is too early to regain the form we showed last year. We are gradually improving and trying to perform better with each match that we play,” NorthEast United coach Juan Pedro Benali said while assessing his team’s progress in the new season.
“We are playing the final, and there is no big team or small team in the final. There will be two successful teams who have progressed to this stage after winning their previous matches. They deserve to be here with all the respect to the other opponents in the tournament, and hence there will be no favourites in the final,” the Spanish gaffer added.
NorthEast United FC beat Shillong Lajong 1-0 to reach its second Durand Cup final on the trot.
| Photo Credit:
Durand Cup Media
NorthEast United FC beat Shillong Lajong 1-0 to reach its second Durand Cup final on the trot.
| Photo Credit:
Durand Cup Media
After securing the I-League berth earlier this year as the I-League Division 2 champion, Diamond Harbour continued its impressive run in the Durand Cup especially in the way it disposed of the superior opponents in the knock-out stages, which happened in the form of a clinical 2-0 win over Jamshedpur FC in the quarterfinals and an even more emphatic 2-1 win against the 16-time Durand Cup champion East Bengal.
Showing doggedness in the face of the opponent’s aggression and creativity in its own attacks, Diamond Harbour chiseled out a great win as its Spanish defender Mikel Kortazar fetched the lead with an acrobatic overhead volley, while Jobby Justin secured the win by showing great opportunism to capitalise on East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill’s mistake. DHFC’s goalkeeper Mirshad Michu delivered a man-of-the-match performance by holding off a great number of the East Bengal attacks to help his team notch a remarkable win in the semifinal.
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“We are playing against the defending champion, who has a very good team. We are prepared for the match, but we will be showing all the humility to our opponent. We don’t have additional pressure, but there will be some nervousness arising from competitive stress, which happens to every team playing the final.
It’s a special game to play a Durand Cup Final, and here we feel pressure is a privilege,” said the Diamond Harbour coach, Kibu Vicuna. The Spanish coach, who helped Mohun Bagan win the I-League title in 2020, has a fairly long experience of Indian football and is expected to conjure a special plan to help his team produce another surprise in the final.
Published on Aug 22, 2025
