The oldest Asian football tournament, Durand Cup is all set to commence its 134nd edition from today, i.e. July 23 with with 16-time champions East Bengal FC facing South United FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
The Durand Cup, which began in 1888, is the only event in India where teams from the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League, and the Armed Forces compete. The event will feature 24 teams, competing across a total of 43 matches. The tournament will culminate with the final on August 23.
The teams are divided into six groups of four, with each team playing the others in its group once in a single round-robin format during the group stage. The six group winners and the two best second-placed teams across all groups will advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled to take place on August 16 and 17.
The semi-finals are set for August 19 and 20, with the grand finale taking place on August 23 at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
Furthermore, the group matches will take place at six different sites across five cities. Kolkata will host Groups A and B, while Jamshedpur (Group C), Kokrajhar (Group D), Shillong (Group E), and Imphal (Group F) will each host a group.
Mohun Bagan SG, the record 17-time Durand Cup champions, is in Group B, while NorthEast United FC, the incumbent champions, is in Group E.
Bodoland FC and ITBP FT will play their final group-stage match on August 12 in Kokrajhar.
TV and Streaming details:
The event can be watched on India’s top premium sports broadcasting network, Sony Sports Network. Fans can also catch the tournament live on Sony’s OTT network, SonyLIV.
