Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Odisha FC on the first matchday of the AFC Cup at the Kalinga Stadium, Odisha on 19th September. This will be Odisha's inaugural entry in the prestigious competition. This much-anticipated clash will mark the beginning of their journey in Group D of the south zone, alongside other prominent teams such as Bashundhara Kings from Bangladesh and Maziya Sports & Recreation Club from Maldives. The teams will compete in the group stage matches, which will be held on a home-and-away basis. Securing the top position in the group will grant them a spot in the inter-zone play-off semi-finals.

Read Also: "We will be playing for India:" Odisha FC coach Sergio Lobera before the Mohun Bagan game in the AFC Cup

Thoughts on Odisha FC ahead of the AFC Cup opener

Juan Ferrando explained a lot about their opponents and the preparation Mohun Bagan is doing ahead of the AFC Cup in the pre-match press conference. He clearly stated that Mohun Bagan is not taking anyone lightly.

"It's much the same. So the preparation is working hard. Obviously, they might be a very, very tough opponent. The match will be difficult. They have a very good squad, they have very good players. So, we have to be focused through the whole 90 minutes."

Can the Mariners carry on their Durand Cup-winning momentum in the AFC Cup?

Juan Ferrando wants his team to focus only on the AFC Cup right now as this is the present. And If the Mariners have to go deep in the competition, the focus will play a huge role and the coach knows it.

"No, because this is the past, our focus is on tomorrow. Durand Cup is a different competition. It is a new competition. It is a new tournament. This was two weeks ago in football. The most important is the present. So I think it is best to keep focus on the present time and forget the emotions for the last tournaments or the last matches. It's not necessary to consider because we have an important match tomorrow," he explained.

Thoughts on Ashique Kuruniyan's injury

Ashique Kuruniyan's knee injury will keep him outside of the match for the rest of the season. Mohun Bagan head coach expressed his disappointment for losing Ashique but at the same time he also voiced an important message for the player and told him to stay strong as the players often lose their mental state after sustaining injuries like these.

"Yeah, we are very disappointed, of course, because my point of view when the squad is very, very good, We have very good players. But I'm happy because, you know, sometimes it's difficult to find two or three players in the same position with good performance. In my case, I have a list, I'm very happy for them, but we are disappointed but it's part of football and I repeat in the dressing room. Also the medical staff, the the coaching staff are trying to do their best for him to prepare the plan because not only the injury, you know, sometimes it's the thoughts of the player thinking about it is not possible to help the team in this season. It's difficult to lose him. It is difficult, but it is part of football," Juan Ferrando said.

The Mariners can follow Manchester City's road to glory

Juan Ferrando has a belief their team can lift the title if they can stay focused enough and competitive throughout the season and drew a comparison with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on how they went on their own created path to lift the UCL title.

"We have a big responsibility because it's a difficult tournament to reach the semi-finals and very difficult to reach the final after the group stages. But we're very excited. Our mentality is to go upward and to improve. The most important is for this club to try, try, and try to get to the final and maybe in one season we'll have success," Juan Ferrando said.

"All the big clubs won big trophies because they've been fighting for the past 3-4 seasons before the achievement. For example, in Europe, Manchester City have been fighting in the Champions League semi-finals for many seasons and only last season they had the success of winning the competition for the first time. Obviously, we want to win the AFC Cup, this is our dream, but it's necessary for us to try and try every season and hope to win the trophy for this club in one year," he concluded with.

Indian football team winger Liston Colaco scored a stunning free-kick, including a brace, to help Mohun Bagan Super Giant kick off their Durand Cup 2025 journey with a 3-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting Club ar VYBK on Thursday.

Liston's Goalzo

Coincidentally, Liston had also scored a stunning free-kick goal during the practice game between Mohun Bagan senior and Mohun Bagan junior ahead of the season opener. Just in the 21st minute of the match, Liston himself earned a free-kick after being fouled by a trio of Mohammedan defenders at the edge of the box.

Liston took the charge into his hand, in fact, on his feet as he lined up to take the free-kick, the Cristiano-way. Liston took a deep breath and then decided to go over the wall of defenders to beat Subhajit Bhattacharjee in the goal and hit the back of the net.

Beautiful free Kick from Liston Colaco pic.twitter.com/nbi6XQNhSx

— Hari (@Harii33) July 31, 2025

Read Also: East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: Head to Head Stats [UPDATED]

What happened in the match?

After Liston's goal in the 23rd minute, Mohun Bagan faced a setback at the stroke of the half-time mark. Aupia Ralte received a red card for dissent after he was tackled by Mohammedan in the 43rd minute of the match.

Mohammedan took advantage of Mohun Bagan's one-man less defence as Ahsley Koli scored in the 50th minute to make everything level again. But Mohun Bagan, the champions of the Indian Super League, had tricks up their sleeves as Suhail Ahmed Bhat scored in the 63rd minute to restore their lead. Liston provided the assist for the Kashmiri striker.

In the dying minute of the match, Liston earned the penalty and turned it into a goal from the spot to make a near-perfect match for him and Mohun Bagan SG.

Mohammedan have now lost both of their Group B match of the Durand Cup 2025.

As far as local sporting rivalries go, few on this planet can compare to the one between East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan, commonly known as the Kolkata Derby. 

The two giants hailing from the same city, Kolkata, have been at each other's throats since East Bengal's inception a century and some change ago on August 1st, 1920, and their rivalry has scripted the most glorious chapter in the history of Indian football.

The two teams are not just two football entities but represent two sets of inhabitants of the state of Bengal, who simply cannot stand losing to the other side.  East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan evokes passion unlike any other sporting contest in the country. So ahead of the new season's Kolkata Derby, we take a brief look at the rich history of the rivalry.

Though the data is just an approximation, as of 27th July 2025, it is believed that the tally of overall meetings stands at 403 matches up till now, (including friendlies), where East Bengal have been triumphant 139 times, while Mohun Bagan 135 times. 129 matches have been drawn.

Read Also | Most Iconic Rivalries in European Football Leagues: History & Stats

East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: Head-to-Head

Since 2020-21, these two teams have played 10 times against each other in ISL, while Mohun Bagan Super Giants have won 9 matches, with only one draw between the two. Mohun Bagan Super Giant is a merger of Mohun Bagan AC and ATK FC.

Mohun Bagan's domination over East Bengal in ISL comes while the two teams enjoy fairly competitive records against each other in other tournaments. In 45 matches of the I-League, East Bengal have won 17 so far and Mohun Bagan 15, while 13 ended in a draw.

In 22 Federation Cup matches, East Bengal have won eight and Mohun Bagan six, while eight matches ended in a draw. In 12 Rovers Cup matches, both teams have won four each, while four matches ended in a draw.

In 163 Calcutta Football League matches, East Bengal won 56, Mohun Bagan 48 and 59 ended in a draw. East Bengal enjoy a massive record against their archrivals in the IFA Shield. Out of 41 matches, they have won 21, while Mohun Bagan has managed to win only seven of those.

East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan overall record

I-League, the second tier of Indian Football, was once the top-tier football league of the country, before the Indian Super League (ISL) replaced it. From 1996 to the 2006-07 season, the league was named the National Football League, and from 2007-08, it was rebranded as the I-League. 

The league operates on a relegation and promotion system with I-League 2 and a first-only promotion system with the ISL, from the 2022–23 season. This means the I-League winners get a promotion to the Indian Super League, whereas the bottom team gets relegated to I-League 2. 

Since the rebranding of the league, Dempo SC have won the league most times (3). Churchill Brothers, Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru and Gokulam Kerala have won the league twice.

Read Also | Top 5 Indian Players to Watch in ISL 2025

Inter Kashi were on Friday declared I-League 2024-25 champions after the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Appeal Committee's decision of awarding the title to Churchill Brothers of Goa. 

This made Inter Kashi only the third team to get promoted from I-League to ISL, after Punjab FC (RoundGlass Punjab), Mohammedan Sporting.

Read Also | Most Promising U-21 Footballers in India

Why was there confusion about announcing the I-League 2024-25 winners?

On 31st May 2025, the AIFF announced Churchill Brothers as the I-League 2024-25 champions after its Appeal Committee ruled against Inter Kashi in a matter related to the fielding of an 'ineligible player'. Inter Kashi finished as the runners-up after getting two points deducted. 

However, Inter Kashi filed an appeal against AIFF's decision on 4 June 2025.  On 18th July 2025, the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) asked the AIFF to reverse its decision of awarding the 2024-25 season title to Churchill Brothers.

Inter Kashi thus now have won the I-League in their second season in Indian Football. 

Read Also | 5 memorable performances by Indian football teams in Asian competitions

Clubs promoted to ISL from I-League

I-League winners since 2007-08

In a groundbreaking moment for Indian football, Rahul KP, the dynamic winger of Odisha FC, has been extended a prestigious invitation to represent English Premier League powerhouse West Ham United in the highly anticipated summer edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), an elite 7 v 7 football competition featuring 48 teams from across the globe.

This is the first time in Indian football history that an Indian player will represent a top-division English Premier League club men’s team. This is a monumental achievement not only for Rahul's burgeoning career and Odisha FC but also for the continued growth and recognition of the state of Odisha and Indian football on the international stage.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 4 to June 9, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The tournament boasts a diverse international roster, with participating teams and players hailing from countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, and India. The star-studded event will notably feature teams led by legendary footballers such as Luis Nani, Sergio Agüero, and Hope Solo.

Rahul KP will join a distinguished West Ham United squad that includes notable personalities like actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin, former Argentina international Mauro Zárate, and several professional athletes who have represented the United States in the World Indoor Football Cup.

The three group stage games featuring West Ham United will be broadcast live on YouTube channels. Additionally, these matches will be televised live on ESPN.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) celebrated the best of Indian football at the AIFF Awards 2025, held today in Bhubaneswar, honouring outstanding players, coaches, referees, and member associations for their contributions during the 2024-25 season.

The ceremony highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian football, with Mohun Bagan SG’s Subhasish Bose and East Bengal FC’s Soumya Guguloth crowned Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, respectively. 

AIFF Awards 2025 Winners

Individual Awards

• Men's Player of the Year: Subhasish Bose (Mohun Bagan SG, Defender)
  • Recognised for his leadership as captain and stellar performances for Mohun Bagan SG as the mariners became the first team to defend the ISL Shield, along with reclaiming the ISL Cup. Bose kept 13 clean sheets as a defender and scored 6 goals as well. 
• Women's Player of the Year: Soumya Guguloth (East Bengal FC, Forward)
  • Honoured as the top Indian scorer in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and a key player for the Blue Tigresses. She helped East Bengal FC win the IWL 2024-25 title.
• Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan SG)
  • Awarded for holding the record for the most clean sheets in Indian Super League (ISL) history. Kaith had a record 15 clean sheets in ISL 2024-25 and conceded only 19 goals across 26 appearances
• Most Promising Men's Player of the Year: Brison Fernandes (Midfielder)
  • Noted for his midfield mastery and potential as a rising star.
• Most Promising Women's Player of the Year: Neha (Haryana, Winger)
  • Recognised for her performances, including 2 goals in the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship and 3 goals in the Senior Women’s National Championship.
• Men's Coach of the Year: Khalid Jamil (Jamshedpur FC)
  • Won for the second consecutive year for leading Jamshedpur FC to the Kalinga Super Cup semifinals.
• Women's Coach of the Year: Sujata Kar (Sreebhumi FC)
  • Awarded for guiding newly-promoted Sreebhumi FC to a third-place finish in the IWL.
• Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
  • Acknowledged for consistent officiating on the pitch.
• Female Referee of the Year: Tekcham Ranjita Devi
  • Recognised for her officiating excellence.
• Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
• Male Assistant Referee of the Year: Vairamuthu P

Member Association (MA) Awards

• Most Successful MA (Club Competitions): Indian Football Association (West Bengal)
  • For dominance in men’s competitions, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal winning major titles.
• Most Successful MA (NFC Competitions): All Manipur Football Association
  • Recognised for success in the National Football Championships.
• Best MA for Supporting Women’s Football: Punjab Football Association
  • Honoured for contributions to women’s football development.
• Best MA for Hosting Most AIFF Competitions: Football Association of Odisha and Goa Football Association
  • For hosting numerous AIFF events.
• MA with Most Player Registrations (Men’s): Kerala Football Association
  • For the highest number of male player registrations.
• MA with Most Player Registrations (Women’s): Western India Football Association (Maharashtra)
  • For leading in female player registrations.
• Special Award for MA Launching New Projects: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For innovative football initiatives.
• MA with Most Grassroots Activities: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For extensive grassroots programs.
• MA with Most Youth Tournaments Conducted: Karnataka State Football Association
  • For organising numerous youth tournaments.
• MA with Most Coaching Courses: Punjab Football Association
  • For conducting the most coaching courses.
• MA with Most Refereeing Courses: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For leading in referee training programs.