Durand Cup 2025: Home Favourites Hope For Strong Start To Wrest Early Advantage

Last Updated:July 19, 2025, 18:35 IST

The 134th Durand Cup begins July 23, 2025, featuring 10 matches in Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Shillong, Kokrajhar, and Imphal. East Bengal FC and Jamshedpur FC start early.

Durand Cup trophies. (News18.com/Ritayan Basu)

The 134th Durand Cup, commencing on July 23rd, 2025, features 10 matches spread across the host cities of Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Shillong, Kokrajhar, and Imphal. This promises to be an exciting first week of football action, especially with popular home favourites aiming to gain an early advantage through strong starts.

Top Indian Super League (ISL) teams, East Bengal FC (16-time former winners) and Jamshedpur FC (former ISL League Winners Shield winners), will kick off on the first two match days. Additionally, three local derbies featuring other top local contenders like Mohammedan Sporting (former champions), Shillong Lajong FC, and NEROCA FC (former finalists) are expected to attract significant local interest.

Teams like ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, defending champions NorthEast United FC, and ISL side Punjab FC will begin their campaigns in week two. Early victories will be crucial for teams aiming to secure knockout berths.

Who Plays Who In Opener?

The action starts in the plains before moving to the beautiful hills of the North East. The first game of the tournament, a tricky Group A opener, pits giants East Bengal against Bengaluru League top division side South United FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata.

This will be followed by Jamshedpur FC taking on Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army at the JDR Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. The Red Miners will also play their second Group C game in week one against the Malaysian Army team, with their fans expecting nothing less than two wins.

Likewise, with a new lineup of foreign recruits, East Bengal fans will demand a confident win in their opener.

How Many Derbies Are There?

The first derby of the 134th Durand Cup features a different kind of Kolkata derby, with century-old Mohammedan Sporting taking on Calcutta Premier Division League rivals Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC), the I-League 2 champions. Mohammedan are seeking their first win over the newly formed and fast-rising DHFC, who have won one of the two matches played between them so far.

The second derby will see the popular Shillong Lajong FC face another Shillong side, Rangdajied United, as both teams aim to regain lost glory. This Shillong derby will be the opening game of Group E at the JLN Stadium.

The final derby of week one will be the renowned Imphal derby between old rivals Neroca FC and TRAU FC, marking the return of the Durand Cup to Manipur’s capital. It will be a delight to see the picturesque Khuman Lampak stadium filled with football enthusiasts once again.

Who Are The Debutants?

Week one will also showcase exciting talent from Durand Cup debutants making their national stage debut. Besides South United and DHFC, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will face fellow debutants Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC in their first Group D game at Kokrajhar’s SAI stadium on July 27th.

Naamdhari FC from Punjab, another Durand debutant, will play on July 30th, taking on South United FC in what will be South United’s final and Naamdhari FC’s first game in Group A.

If week one is any indication, the 134th Durand Cup is set to provide great insights into potential knockout berths by the end of the 10 games.

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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