PANAJI
Defending champions FC Goa will take on last year's runners-up Mohammedan Sporting Club in the opening fixture of Durand Cup 2022, which is the 131st edition of the prestigious tournament to be held from August 16 to September 18.
This will be the third time that the Gaurs are participating in the Durand Cup, coming on the back of a stellar campaign last year that saw them remain undefeated throughout the tournament.
In the Durand Cup 2021 finals played at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on October 3, Edu Bedia’s 105th-minute strike helped the Men in Orange overcome the challenge posed by the Kolkata-based Mohammedan to lay their hands on the trophy for the first time ever.
This year the Durand Cup has grown to 20 teams from 16 last year and all 11 teams of the Indian Super League (ISL) have confirmed participation. Five teams from the I-League and four Services teams will also be vying for the coveted honours. FC Goa are in Group A alongside Mohammedan SC, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC and Indian Air Force.
There will be a total of 47 games in the Durand Cup this year, with West Bengal hosting Group A and Group B matches, while Imphal and Guwahati will host Group C and Group D games respectively. All the seven knockout games will be held across the three venues in West Bengal. The tournament will culminate with the final scheduled on September 18 at VYBK.
Meanwhile, during the Trophy Tour for the 131st edition of the tournament was kickstarted in Goa. Rohan Khaunte, the Minister for Tourism, Information Technology and Printing and Stationery, and Lt Gen KK Repswal, SM, VSM, Chief of Staff, Eastern Command and Chairman Durand Organising Committee attended the function.
Goa was the final stop of a five-city Trophy Tour, a first in the tournament’s century-long existence. The Trophy Tour was flagged off from Kolkata on July 19, 2022, travelling to Guwahati, Imphal and Jaipur before arriving in the State.
