Kolkata: Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC), keep in mind the name. At a time when clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) are stating they can not continue, DHFC have actually revealed that there is life beyond the leading tier. A diamond that can be the 3rd force from Bengal.
< source media ="(max-width:767px)" alt ="Diamond Harbour FC and East Bengal in action in the Durand cup semi-final. (Durand Cup)" title ="Diamond Harbour FC and East Bengal in action in the Durand cup semi-final. (Durand Cup)"> < img src ="https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/08/20/550x309/Diamond-Harbour-FC-and-East-Bengal-in-action-in-th_1755713317467.jpg"alt ="Diamond Harbour FC and East Bengal in action in the Durand cup semi-final. (Durand Cup)"title ="Diamond Harbour FC and East Bengal in action in the Durand cup semi-final. (Durand Cup)"> “We can be much better however we can refrain from doing more,” stated coach Kibu Vicuna one day prior to the semi-final versus East Bengal in the 134th Durand Cup. Even the Spaniard would have been amazed at how his group lived up his mantra.
Now, protecting champs NorthEast United, 1-0 winners versus Shillong Lajong in Tuesday’s semi-final, stand in between them and a title in Asia’s earliest, and the world’s 3rd earliest, competition. Wednesday’s 2-1 win versus all chances made sure that.
Forget being overawed in their very first Durand Cup, forget being terrified by the track record of their challengers who had actually convincingly beaten ISL champs Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the quarter-final, or the truth that they had just 2 immigrants less than half of East Bengal. Forget even the reality that their advocates would, by a positive price quote, remain in the hundreds amongst the 18,960 that brought up with loud hailers on a midweek night at Salt Lake arena.
DHFC took in the shock of allowing Anwar Ali’s equaliser one minute after Mikel Kortazar’s stunning back-volley had them ahead, scored once again from a melee through Jobby Justin and after that hung on as East Bengal tossed the kitchen area sink, nay the entire cooking area, at them.
Miguel Ferreira thudded the structure, Mohamad Bashim dragged his shot wide, Dimitrios Diamantikos stopped working to keep a totally free header on target when in each half as did Kevin Sibille prior to half-time. Kortazar produced a goalline conserve in very first half blockage time. And when all was lost, there was Koottappuna Mirshad about whom we will concern in a bit.
Justin, whose profession had actually grown at East Bengal, is getting a 2nd wind at the club that was established on April 15, 2022, likewise the Bengali New Year’s Day. Vicuna’s 4-3-3 development depended upon the tracking back of his broad forwards and Justin and Halicharan Narzary did simply that.
That East Bengal were pushed into removing Edmund Lalrindika and Lalchungnunga, who was on a reservation, include strength in midfield by presenting Jeakson Singh and getting Bashim in hours after he had actually flown back from USA after his daddy’s death, was evidence of how efficient DHFC were, particularly in shifts. By half-time, Samuel Lalmuanpuia might have had an objective and a help however his 23rd minute shot crashed the horizontal and his pass over Lalchungnunga was skied by Justin 3 minutes later on.
And now about Mirshad, likewise a previous East Bengal gamer. The goalie was amazed by the vicious curl and power of Ali’s shot from 40 backyards however had actually conserved one from the main protector in the 21st minute. He produced a double conserve in the relocation that had the Spaniard Kortazar, who put in an excellent shift, clearing from the line. He likewise toppled Sibille’s header and an effective drive from Singh. That remained in the 56th minute. Right after, Vicuna made a triple modification and the replacement had a hard time to enter into the rhythm of the match.
It caused East Bengal asserting themselves however versus the run of play, among the alternatives, Girik Khosla won a free-kick. From range, Paul Ramfangzuava swung the shot which Ali headed however just as far as Kortazar, the 26-year-old main protector from Ondarroa. As Prabhsukhan Gill went towards him, Kortazar back-volleyed into the bottom corner in the 66th minute.
Hardly had actually DHFC had actually done commemorating, that Ali’s error levelled the problem in the 67th. DHFC arranged themselves into a low block and kept warding off East Bengal. When the chance developed, they would break into a counter-attack as Paul did, taking on a Justin pass and screening Gill. From the corner-kick, Luka Macjen kept the ball alive and Justin handled to stab home. He did not commemorate.
Macjen believed he had actually settled it with another counter-attack, set passing Justin however Wahengbam Angousana, another replacement, was off-side. No issue. DHFC revealed they had the steel to hang on.
“We are here to remain,” Vicuna had actually stated on Tuesday. Fed up with being inquired about East Bengal at the per-match interview, he had likewise stated: “We too are an excellent group.” A little over 24 hours later on, the 53-year-old Spanish coach, who had actually won Mohun Bagan their last I-League in 2019-20, demonstrated how right he was. In 5 years in India, he has yet to lose versus East Bengal.