Mohun Bagan emerged victorious in the Kolkata derby on Thursday, beating East Bengal SG 1-0 to lift the IFA Shield in Kolkata.
The Mariners held their nerve in a tense final, with Samir Zeljkovic scoring the only goal of the match just before half-time. Zeljkovic broke the deadlock in the 45th minute after Sahal Abdul Samad delivered a beautifully chipped ball into the East Bengal box. The 29-year-old then brought the ball down with his chest before calmly tapping it past the goalkeeper to give Mohun Bagan a crucial lead.
East Bengal looked for a response after the break, but Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Vishal Kaith produced an impressive performance between the posts to keep his side ahead. The match lived up to the intensity expected from a Kolkata derby, with tempers also flaring between players during the second half.
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East Bengal came close to finding an equaliser in the 87th minute. Dani Ramirez sent an aerial ball into the box, with Lukasz Zwolinski getting his head to it. However, he failed to make clean contact and missed a golden opportunity to level the score.
With the match featuring several stoppages, the referee added seven minutes of injury time. East Bengal continued to push for an equaliser and won back-to-back corners deep into stoppage time, but they could not turn either opportunity into a goal.
The victory also means Mohun Bagan successfully defended the IFA Shield after winning the title in 2025. The Mariners have now won the prestigious trophy 22 times, while East Bengal remain the most successful team in the competition with 29 titles.
Both teams will now shift their focus to the Indian Super League, with the new season set to begin on Saturday, October 10.
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