The first match of the double-header will be played between ISL heavyweights Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC slated for a 2.30 pm kickoff at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) in Kolkata, followed by North East United FC (NEUFC) taking on Odisha FC (OFC) at 5.30 PM in Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium. The NEUFC v OFC game will be the first ever Durand Cup game in Assam.
Bengaluru FC vs Jamshedpur FC
Simon Grayson’s side will be hoping to get off to a winning start in a bid to add the prestigious Durand Cup trophy to their bag, after failing to qualify for the ISL Playoffs previous season.
The Blues face ISL shield winners Jamshedpur FC. Bengaluru FC (BFC) has as many as eight new signings featuring in their squad with Roy Krishna, Prabir Das, Javi Hernandez, Sandesh Jhingan, Faisal Ali, Hira Mondal, Aleksandar Jovanovic and Amrit Gope making the list.
BFC is grouped in Group A alongside Jamshedpur, Goa, Mohammedan, and Air Force. As only two clubs qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament, the Blues would be eager to begin their campaign with a win and are favourites to top the group.
NorthEast United FC vs Odisha FC
This is a golden opportunity for NEUFC-the Highlanders, to earn their first-ever major club honour and to end their trophy drought. The Guwahati-based club finished 10th in the previous ISL season, hence they went through major changes in the top management in the hope of future glory days.
On the other hand, OFC is yet to win any silverware since the inception of the club back in 2014 as Delhi Dynamos FC. The change in the base from the country’s capital city to Bhubaneswar has instilled a spark in their approach however, they are still far away from fulfilling the expectations.
The build-up to the game will see a short but elaborate and lively opening ceremony, with bands of the Armed Forces on display as well as a performance by star singers Papon and Rewben Mashangwa, of the tournament theme song.
The ceremony concludes with the playing of the FIFA Theme song and introduction of the Chief Guest and dignitaries with the players and their photos with the teams and the Trophies.
Source: Indian Army
Report- Pratyusha Mukherjee
