Durand Cup 2023: What to expect from Group A

The competition is going to be fierce at the Durand Cup 2023.

The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup is set to kick off on 3 August 2023. It will take place across three venues in Kolkata, Guwahati and Kokrajhar. With 24 participating teams, the 2023 Durand Cup is set to be a long and exciting tournament that kickstarts the football season in the country. 

Defending champions Bengaluru FC will face stiff competition for the title as they strive to defend their crown. The round-robin format of the tournament will see teams battle it out in group stages in order to secure qualification for the knockout stage. Among the groups, Group A is particularly interesting as it involves two giant clubs of Kolkata, the I-League champions and the army team of Bangladesh.

As the tournament nears its start, here is a look at what Group A has to offer to the football fans who will be tuning in:

Strengths 

Bangladesh Army football team are a relatively unknown entity for the Indian football teams and that may work in their favour. It will be interesting to see how they compete against heavy-hitting teams from the Indian Super League. As one of the two foreign armed forces teams in the tournament, a lot of eyes will be on the Bangladesh Army side.

East Bengal are going through revolutionary changes after delivering a mediocre performance in the previous season of the ISL. The outfit has appointed ISL-winning tactician Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach in order to turn their fortunes upside down. With players like Saul Crespo, Javier Siverio, Borja Herrera and more stepping into the side, it will be interesting to see how the Spanish mentor fields the team and utilises the abundance of talent at his disposal.

Mohun Bagan have one of the strongest squads in Indian football. Signing players like Anirudh Thapa, Anwar Ali and Sahal Abdul Samad is a sign of ambition shown by the club. The 2022-23 winners of the ISL are strong contenders to win the 2023 Durand Cup. Juan Ferrando may choose to give game-time to fringe players to prepare for the ISL but they too, are of high quality.

Punjab FC made history by becoming the first club to earn promotion from the I-League to the Indian Super League on merit. By winning the former, the side will compete in the top-tier of Indian football from this upcoming season onwards. They have several talented players that make them a strong contender for the Durand Cup trophy. Having a winning mentality is one of the strong points of PFC.

Weaknesses

Bangladesh Army may be the weakest link in Group A because of a lack of foreign talent in the side. While the side are retainers of the National Championship, they will be punching above their weight against three ISL teams in Group A. 

East Bengal have a lot of strength on paper but they have not been tested yet in a competitive fixture. It remains to be seen how Carles Cuadrat gets the players working together who joined from different teams. It takes time to build chemistry and that is an area which could hurt the Red & Gold Brigade.

Mohun Bagan may not field their strongest side at the 2023 Durand Cup and that may work against them. Juan Ferrando would like to make several changes to the line-up in order to discover an ideal combination for the season ahead. On many occasions, experimentation leads to negative results.

Punjab FC have a lot of doubters to prove wrong. Eyes will be on them as they begin their season as an Indian Super League team. This weight of expectations can cause the most experienced players to crumble. Any mistake or unforced error may end up being projected as the club not being ready for the step up to the ISL. While the pressure may not categorise as a weakness in the squad, it can expose weaknesses in terms of player mindset, squad cohesion and more.

Favourites to qualify

Mohun Bagan are the outright favourites to qualify from Group A. The reigning ISL 2022-23 Trophy winners have an exceedingly talented squad which can thwart any team in Indian football. Juan Ferrando’s men have what it takes to finish as group toppers to secure qualification into the knockout stage. 

Underdog to qualify

Punjab FC is definitely the underdog of Group A. While the bets will be on East Bengal and Mohun Bagan to advance into the knockouts, the I-League 2022-23 winners could spring up a surprise. Be it finishing as group winners or the best second-placed team, Punjab FC have the ammunition for making it into the quarter-finals and cause an early upset in the tournament.