Durand Cup 2023: Bengaluru FC vs Indian Air Force Live Updates

5:45 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the Bengaluru FC vs Indian Air Force match in the Durand Cup 2023. The kick-off is just 15 minutes away! I am your host Aishwarya Chakraborty and will keep you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

Durand Cup 2023: Bengaluru FC vs Indian Air Force – Build-up

A crucial Group E clash between Chennaiyin FC (CFC) and Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC (TAFC) will precede champions Bengaluru FC (BFC) beginning their title-defence against the Indian Air Force Football Team (IAFFT), before the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup takes its first break on I5th August i.e. Independence Day, since 3rd of August when the tournament began.

The Group E Chennaiyin-Tribhuvan game on August 14, 2023, in Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium kicks-off at 3pm Indian Standard Time (IST), while the Bengaluru-Air Force Group C game in Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) kicks-off at 6.00pm IST on the same day.

Champions Bengaluru FC have announced a 28-member side, comprising mostly young players and new signings, under coach Bibiano Fernandez, to defend the Durand crown they won last year. The IAFFT on the other hand are under long-time coach Priya Darshan and a settled core, but still came up short against Gokulam Kerala in their first game.

For BFC to do well, it will be important that their new signings like keeper Amrit Gope and central defender Shankar Sampingiraj, both recruited from TRAU FC, settle down well as do such talent as Akash Jha, the young striker recruited from Sreenidi Deccan.

The Air Men will also hope that beside the experience of having played a game at the venue already, their experienced forwards like Mandeep Singh also put their hands up and contribute for a first tournament win.

Coach Priya Darshan exuded confidence on matchday-eve saying, “The players are excited to play against ISL team and defending champions BFC and well prepared to fight and win the game.”

With two strong Kerala sides in the group, both coaches would settle for nothing less than three points it is certain.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.