look news india
‘Kolkata Derby’, one of the most prestigious and historical matches of Indian football, once again thrilled the sports lovers. In the much-discussed IFA Shield final played in front of a packed audience on Thursday, 8 October 2026 at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium), Kolkata, Mohun Bagan Super Giant won the glittering trophy by defeating its arch-rival East Bengal by a close margin of 1-0. The only and decisive goal of the match was scored by Samir Zeljkovic during the first half, which decided the direction of the entire match. Thousands of Mariners supporters present in the stadium burst into celebration as soon as the final whistle blew to end the match. This is a historic 22nd IFA Shield title for Mohun Bagan, with which they have proved that their experience and strategy in big pressure matches is unmatched.
This contest was not limited to winning just one title for Mohun Bagan, but it was a battle for their self-respect. In the opening round of the same season, East Bengal had given a huge blow to Mohun Bagan by defeating Mohun Bagan 4-1 in the title match of the Durand Cup. After that shameful defeat, many questions were being raised on the team’s balance, strategy and the passion of the players. In such a situation, while entering this final, there was huge pressure on the players of Mohun Bagan to save their reputation. The Bagan warriors took to the field and answered the critics with their game. In this tough match that lasted for 90 minutes, they not only took the initial lead but also kept their lead safe till the end by thwarting every offensive attempt of East Bengal. This victory will prove to be a boost to the team’s morale just before the start of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.
The biggest challenge of this final match for both the teams, especially Mohun Bagan, was the physical fatigue of the players and the busy schedule of international football. The Indian national football team recently completed its three-match window campaign against strong international teams like Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, the last match of which was played on October 6. Just 48 hours after the end of national duty, the players joined the club directly for the high-voltage final on 8 October. For East Bengal, Jai Gupta was playing after returning from the national team camp, while Mohun Bagan’s starting playing eleven included three key players who had come straight into the field without any adequate rest. Despite this tremendous physical stress, the energy and professionalism displayed by the players on the field surprised even football pundits.
In the first half of the match, when the match was going on in a very balanced situation, Samir Zeljkovic took advantage of the opportunity and put the ball in the net and gave Mohun Bagan a precious 1-0 lead. Talking about his match-winning performance after the match, Sameer said that this moment is very special and wonderful for him, which is difficult to describe in words. After falling behind by one goal, the East Bengal team maintained control of the ball for a long time and launched an all-out attack to achieve parity. However, Mohun Bagan’s defensive structure looked extremely disciplined and organised. The Mariners avoided taking unnecessary risks and turned their defense into an impenetrable wall.
If we look at the journey of both the teams till the final, their paths were completely different. East Bengal had booked the ticket to the final by defeating NorthEast United by a huge margin of 7-2 in the semi-final match, in which David Lalhlansanga scored a sensational hat-trick. But in the great final match, the same forward line of East Bengal looked helpless in front of Bagan’s defence. Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, had a very difficult and struggling path to reach the final. Their semi-final match against Punjab FC was a goalless draw for 120 minutes of scheduled and extra time, after which goalkeeper Vishal Kaith made two brilliant penalty saves in the penalty shootout to take the team into the title fight.
In the last 15-20 minutes of the final, the East Bengal head coach introduced fresh strikers like AK Loba and Lukasz Zwolinski to increase the aggression. Despite this, the East Bengal team failed to create any clear chance in the last part of the penalty box. In injury and extra time, East Bengal put huge pressure on Bagan by winning several consecutive corners, but Mohun Bagan’s goalkeeper and defenders cleared the ball safely both in the air and on the ground, ensuring a historic victory. Winning the IFA Shield by defeating East Bengal for the second consecutive season has been recorded as a golden chapter in the history of Mohun Bagan.