In a concluding match of their 133rd Indian Oil Durand Cup campaign, Mohammedan SC triumphed with a 1-0 victory against the Indian Navy Football Team (INFT) in a Group B encounter. The game took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, where midfielder Sujit Singh scored the only goal in the second quarter of the first half.
With this win, Mohammedan SC secured the second spot in the group standings, accumulating four points. On the other hand, Indian Navy FT ended their campaign at the bottom of the group, having lost all three of their matches. Bengaluru FC advanced to the quarterfinals, maintaining an unbeaten record in Group B.
Despite both teams knowing their chances of qualifying from the group were slim, the match saw tactical adjustments from both coaches. Mohammedan SC’s coach, Hakim Ssengendo, introduced Nikhil Deka in goal, KV Salman Faris in midfield, and Israfil Dewan in the forward line, replacing Ashley Koli, Subhajit Bhattarjee, and Tangva Ragui from the previous game. For Indian Navy, coach Raman Rai made a single change, with Velutha Kulathil Vishnu starting as goalkeeper in place of Shubham Dhas.
The match was largely contested in the midfield during the early stages, with both teams struggling to break through to the final third. Mohammedan SC’s Lalthankima had a chance to score from a long ball near the far post, but his delayed shot was saved by the Navy’s goalkeeper, Robinson, leading to a corner. The corner eventually found Sujit Singh, who skillfully curled the ball into the top left corner, putting Mohammedan Sporting in the lead.
Despite the Indian Navy’s commendable build-up play, they were unable to create significant scoring opportunities in the first half. Mohammedan SC maintained their 1-0 advantage going into the halftime break.
The second half saw increased efforts from the Indian Navy, with Sreyas VG creating a few chances, including a first-touch volley from inside the box that went wide. Pintu Mahata also came close to scoring, with a shot from distance hitting the crossbar before being cleared by Mohammedan’s defense.
In the 84th minute, Mohammedan SC thought they had doubled their lead when Shiba Mandi found the net with a well-timed through ball. However, the goal was disallowed for offside. In the final moments, Mohammedan SC slowed the pace of the game to protect their one-goal advantage and eventually secured their first victory of the tournament.
