When Mohun Bagan and East Bengal last played in Durand Cup final

Brace from Chandan Das helped East Bengal clinch the trophy

The "Kolkata Derby," a rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, has been going on for a century, and it is just as intense now as it was then. The competition between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, which is the centre stage of the Kolkata Derby, has deep roots not only in the sport of football played in India but also in the culture and history of the who live there. So, we can say that the excitement around the Kolkata derby will never die off among football enthusiasts.

Mohun Bagan overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat FC Goa and go to the final of the Durand Cup on Thursday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The Albanian forward, Armando Sadiku was instrumental in leading Mohun Bagan to victory. The victory opened the stage for a fairytale Durand Cup finals on 'Super Sunday' as it set up Mohun Bagan's derby confrontation against their arch-rival East Bengal in a replay of the 2004 Durand Cup final.

Looking back to 2004, the last time that Mohun Bagan and East Bengal competed in the Durand Cup final.

What happened in the 2004 Durand Cup final

The Durand Cup is the nation's most prestigious and longest-running football tournament. The 117th Durand Cup Final was played on November 10, 2004, at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi where East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, two of the most successful football teams in Kolkata, faced off against each other in the cup final.

With a final score of 2-1, East Bengal claimed victory and their 16th Durand Cup under coach Subhash Bhowmick. East Bengal's captain Chandan Das scored a brace that night, the second of which was the game-winning goal that he scored in the nick of time. The only goal that Mohun Bagan scored that day was an own goal from East Bengal's Douglas Silva. On the night of the 2004 kolkata derby, Chandan Das was named man of the match for his outstanding performance.

The Durand Cup has been shared 16 times between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. This was the first Durand Cup final for Mohun Bagan since they lost to Gokulam Kerala in 2019. Also Since 2000, Mohun Bagan have not won any silverware ever since they had defeated Mahindra United via golden goal in the penalty shootout.

It has been 19 years since the last time the Durand Cup final included a Kolkata derby, so the fact that there will be another one in the cup final on September 3rd at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan is enough reason for Indian football fans to mark that day on their calendar to witness this might rivalry that lays-ahead.