An overview of the campaigns of ISL clubs in the 132nd Durand Cup
After a month-long football festival, we finally have our champions of the 132nd Durand Cup. Mohun Bagan Super Giant becomes the most successful team in the Durand Cup history. Even though they were a man down they managed to secure a win in the Finale against their Arch-rivals East Bengal.
Both the clubs were terrific throughout the competition. However, other ISL teams also made the news for some other reasons. Today we will look at the performance of ISL teams that fielded their main team in the Durand Cup 2023.
- Mohun Bagan Super Giant – The Champions of the tournament, with a squad of over a market value of 70 crores, and some high-profile signings, every Indian football fan had set their eyes on the Mariners. They did win the title but their performance didn’t match the expectations. First a group-stage defeat against East Bengal and then getting dominated by FC Goa and East Bengal in the knockouts were concerning. The team lacked cohesion and had to rely on individual brilliance. With the AFC Cup and the Hero Indian Super League season starting this month, they would be looking to change things. Anwar Ali, Hugo Boumous, Liston Colaco, and Dimitri Petratos were the difference makers for them. The other new signings will be looking to make a mark as well in the future for them
- FC Goa – The most consistent team in the history of ISL surely made a mark in the 132nd Durand Cup. Under the new manager Manolo Marquez Roca they look more tactically sharp and well-drilled. Hadn’t there been the controversial penalty decision in the Semi-final against the Mariners they sure had the shot at the title. On the field, they were one of the best teams in the competition. New signings like Carlos Martinez, Victor Rodriguez, Carl Mchugh, and Odei Onaindia surely made an impact. Jay Gupta rose to the ranks and will be instrumental in the absence of Aibanbha Dohling.
- Emami East Bengal – The finalist and the most clutch team in the tournament. After a terrible past few seasons, this particular campaign brought ‘joy’ to the Red and Gold brigade. They topped the group which consisted of Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Punjab FC. The highlight is the Kolkata Derby win after almost half a decade. The thrilling semi-final against Northeast United FC made headlines. The appointment of Carles Caudrat has surely brought a new vision to the club. They will be looking to qualify for the ISL playoffs for the first time in their history this season. They look like a solid counter-attacking unit which can upset any team on their day. It will be really interesting to see how they finish on the ISL points table. Nandha Kumar Sekar, Saul Crespo, Lalchununga, and Narem Mahesh Singh were the stars of this campaign.
- Kerala Blasters – KBFC had the most disappointing campaign for an ISL main team. They lost to local rivals Gokulam Kerala FC. The most depressing match however was the draw against Bengaluru FC reserves. They were very close to losing but thanks to Md. Aimen’s equaliser they managed to share the spoils. The Blasters will surely have to improve their performance if they want to qualify for the playoffs again this season. The Hala Blasters tour in UAE will be helpful in that context. Muhammad Aimen’s emergence seemed to be the only silver lining. He surely showed promise and can be the one to replace Sahal Abdul Samad.
- Northeast United FC – The highlanders reached the semi-finals of the competition. They surely were the most underrated team in the Durand Cup 2023. They showed some real attacking intent throughout the tournament. The team has surely bounced back under the new manager Juan Pedro Benali. The last ISL season was devastating where they got a mere 5 points with the help of just one win. They surely will be wanting to turn the tables this time around. They do show promise. Pragyan Gogoi was the star of the campaign for the highlanders.
- Mumbai City FC – The islanders were consistent throughout the tournament.They scored the most 12 goals in the group stages of Durand Cup 2023. They have mostly retained the ISL winning squad ,they picked up from where they left last season. The new signing Yoell Van Nieff was impressive. The routine performers like Greg Stewart, Chhangte, and Jorge Diaz were balling throughout the tournament. Barring the quarter-final loss against the Mariners they had a pretty decent run.
- Chennayin FC– With Owen Coyle back at the club they surely look different. Their performance was decent. They dominated their group however lost 4-1 to the Gaurs in the quarterfinals. They will surely want to improve their performance. Players like Ayush Adhikari, Farukh Chowdhary, Jordan Murray, and Connor Shields showed the promise. Hopefully Owen Coyle can take them back to the glory days.
