Bengaluru FC continued their strong start to the 133rd Durand Cup, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over I-League side Inter Kashi FC in a Group B clash at the Kishore Bharati Stadium on Saturday. Spanish forward Edgar Mendez got the Blues off to a flying start, converting a penalty in the 17th minute. The lead was doubled late in the second half when another Spaniard, Alberto Noguera, found the back of the net. Former India captain Sunil Chhetri, who came on as a late substitute, completed the scoring with a header from a corner in the 82nd minute. Bengaluru FC could have added to their tally, but Inter Kashi goalkeeper Shubham Dhas denied substitute forward Ryan William’s penalty attempt in the 84th minute. This victory sees Bengaluru FC climb to the top of Group B with six points.
Meanwhile, in Group E, Odisha FC put on a dominant display, overwhelming BSF FT 5-0 at the SAI Stadium, Kokrajhar. Rahul Mukhi, Ashangbam Aphaoba Singh, Moirangthem Givson Singh (twice), and Roshan Mukhi all found the net for Odisha FC in the second half.
In other news, Hyderabad FC withdrew from the tournament due to unforeseen circumstances. The Durand Cup Organizing Committee responded to the request of the Government of Meghalaya, replacing Hyderabad FC with local side Rangdajied United FC in Group F, which is being played in Shillong.
