Football
East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan after 1666 days: Watch
Nandhakumar Sekar, playing in his first Kolkata derby, broke a 1666-day jinx for East Bengal against rivals Mohun Bagan.
East Bengal celebrate Nandhakumar Sekar's goal in the Kolkata derby (Durand Cup)
East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan in the Kolkata derby after 1666 days as Nandhakumar Sekar's goal gave EEB a 1-0 win over MBSG in the 2023 Durand Cup Group A match at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.
It was Nandhakumar Sekar, the Chennai-born 27-year-old, playing his first ever Kolkata derby, who scored in the 60th minute as East Bengal took a 1-0 lead.
The last time East Bengal had beaten Mohun Bagan was back in January 2019 in an I-League match. Jaime Santos and Jobby Justin had scored in a 2-0 win for East Bengal back then.
This was EB's first win in eight derbies, the first in more than four years, and the first since their introduction into the ISL.
The last time East Bengal had scored against Mohun Bagan was back in January 2022 in a 1-3 defeat. This was their first goal against their city rivals in 363 minutes. They had failed to find the net in the Kolkata derby since then.
With this win, East Bengal have climbed to 4 points from 2 matches in Group A of the 2023 Durand Cup. They are still at second spot, but have a game in hand over first-placed Mohun Bagan, who have 6 points from 3 matches. Only the top-placed side in each group is assured an entry into the quarterfinals.
