Mohun Bagan received the CFL trophy before cruising past Sreenidi Deccan 6-0 in their IFA Shield opener, with Lalrinzuala Chhangte scoring a hat-trick.

On 23rd September, 2026, Mohun Bagan Super Giant took the field against Sreenidi Deccan FC in the IFA Shield opener and secured a strong 6-0 win. Lalrinzuala Chhangte scored three goals, along with Sooryavanshi, Sandeep Malik and debutant Lee Erwin. Rain remained a constant challenge this afternoon, and both teams struggled to retain possession. The homecoming remained bittersweet for Pronoy Halder and Pritam Kotal. Mohun Bagan fielded four foreigners in the beginning: Jamie MacLaren, Miguel Ferreira, Alberto Rodriguez and Dejan Drazic. Lee Erwin joined the field later in the second half.
The day remained special for the Mariners not only for the sweet victory, but also because they were awarded the CFL trophy.

Memorable day in the Mariners’ house

As they prepared to play at their home ground, Mohun Bagan kicked off the day by hoisting their flag. Kiyan Nassiri and Sandip Malik participated in the ceremony alongside CFL head coach Bastab Ray and the club’s general secretary, Debasish Dutta.
Right from the start of the match, Mariners firmly controlled the match, setting the tone of the match, with the first goal in just the 8th minute of the match. Mohun Bagan ended the first half with a 2-0 lead.

In between the halves, Mohun Bagan was awarded the CFL trophy. West Bengal’s Sports Minister Indranil Kha handed out the award to Mohun Bagan’s CFL team. Before the prize distribution ceremony, the trophy was paraded around the whole ground.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant continued to attack and controlled the entire match.

The outcome was determined well before the final whistle, but the most significant takeaway was the quality of Mariner’s performance. Sreenidi Deccan found it difficult to contain the Mariners as the match went on, while Chhangte consistently found space and capitalised on every opportunity. For the defending champions, it was a convincing start to their Shield campaign, and an afternoon where nearly every strategy worked effectively.

Mohun Bagan’s IFA Shield schedule

After defeating Sreenidi by a big margin, Mariners will find themselves in a comfortable position. They will next face North East United on September 29th.

Calcutta Customs will face East Bengal in the next match of the IFA Shield.