FC Bengaluru United advance to Durand Cup semis after Army Red withdraw

Some COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the Army Red squad.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Durand Cup 2021 has called off the quarter-final game between Army Red and FC Bengaluru United (FCBU). The match was originally set to happen on Friday, September 24 at the Kalyani stadium.

Some positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Army Red squad. As a result, the team have decided to withdraw from the tournament. FCBU, in turn, have received a bye into the semi-finals. "All decisions have been taken, keeping in mind the health and safety of players and officials primarily and the continuity and success of the tournament," the official statement from Durand Cup said.

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This comes as another blow to the 130th edition of Asia's oldest footballing competition, which has already been affected by heavy rains, water-logging issues, limited availability of training facilities and more.

FC Bengaluru United qualified to the knockouts of the competition after winning all of their three matches in Group A. They were also the group toppers. Army Red, meanwhile, finished second in Group D behind defending champions Gokulam Kerala - with two wins from three games.

At the time of writing, Gokulam Kerala and Mohammedan SC are facing each other in the first Durand Cup 2021 quarter-final. Marcus Joseph scored for Mohammedan against his former club late in the first half. Gokulam Kerala are hence trailing, but they second half is yet to start and they have plenty of time to bounce back.

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The winner of this game will face Bengaluru United in the last-four. The other two quarter-final clashes are FC Goa vs Delhi FC, and Bengaluru FC vs Army Green.

A total of ₹70 Lakh is up for grabs at Durand Cup 2021 in the form of prize money. The winners will take home ₹40 Lakh, while the runners-up will be gifted ₹20 Lakh. The other two semi-finalists will get ₹5 Lakh each.

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