Diamond Harbour vs East Bengal: Top three players from the Durand Cup Semi-Final

Diamond Harbour knocks East Bengal out of the Durand Cup.

East Bengal vs Diamond Harbour semi-final clash left one side of Kolkata silent as the debutants, Diamond Harbour FC, stormed to the final of the Durand Cup 2025, after a historic 2-1 upset over the Torchbearers. The victory was a historical feat for Diamond Harbour FC, igniting a new era of grassroots football in India.

Though both the Red and Gold Brigades and the Harbour Boys gave their all on the pitch, it was the defensive resilience of Diamond Harbour, coupled with their presence of mind and teamwork, that proved to be the difference maker between the Kolkata sides. They were compact in the back, were never afraid to attack and were tactically solid and determined throughout the match.

Debutants Diamond Harbour FC cause a huge upset, eliminating East Bengal as they march on to their first-ever Durand Cup FINAL! They will face defending champions NorthEast United FC in the final! #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/lppru7II1N

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) August 20, 2025

From Mirshad to Luka Macjen, Gill to Diamantakos, all the players played their heart out. However, some players rose to the occasion and shaped the outcome of the match. Here are the top three performers of the East Bengal vs Diamond Harbour FC semi-final match.

Also Read: Joby Justin fires debutants Diamond Harbour FC to Durand Cup Final beating East Bengal

3. Mikel Kortazar Idiakez

Kortazar was as solid as a rock in the back line and alongside Mandi, Sairuatkima and Ajith, the Spaniard created a compact and strong defensive fortress which paralyzed the East Bengal players and neutralized almost every attack of theirs. The centre-back had a crucial role in shadowing Dimitrios Diamantakos consistently during the match and resisting the Greek striker from crafting attacks.

Kortazar was alert, and his quick-wittedness, both defensively and offensively, was pivotal in shaping the victory for Diamond Harbour. In the second half, the player ventured deep into the attacking third to score the opener for his side in an acrobatic manner to break the deadlock and provide the momentum for Diamond Harbour.

During the final minutes of the game, when East Bengal was constantly attacking to find the equaliser, he stood calm and composed. Marshalled the defence and cleared away the ball during multiple instances to keep the lead and seal the tickets to the finals.

2. Anwar Ali

Anwar Ali was one of the few positives for East Bengal in the entire match. Though the player did not have a significant impact in the backline, it cannot be understated, as he did a pretty decent job defending Luka Macjen and Joby Justin from creating havoc at his goal. Offensively, the centre-back moved higher up the pitch to take some long-distance shots to knock on the doors of Diamond Harbour FC.

In the second half, Anwar made a bad clearance, which went straight to Kortazar, who was lurking at the far post, paving the way for the opponent’s opening goal. However, he compensated for his error by scoring the equaliser in quick succession, after taking a stunning shot from distance and leaving the opponents as spectators, continuing his special quality of scoring goals and troubling the opposition.

With some good blocks, clearances and last-ditch tackles, Anwar definitely had a satisfactory individual performance for the entire duration of the match. However, his team’s lack of teamwork and struggle in finishing meant that he had to be on the losing side of the match.

1. Mirshad Michu

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 – 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢-𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝟐 – 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝 (𝐃𝐇𝐅𝐂)#DHFCEEBFC #SF2 #134thEditionofIndianOilDurandCup #PoweredBySBIandCoalIndia #DurandCup2025 #ManyChampionsOneLegacy #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/3Mc5kUsNE2

— Durand Cup (@thedurandcup) August 20, 2025

Mirshad was nothing short of exceptional throughout the game and was the silent warrior under the sticks. He was busier of the two keepers and was put to the test by the opponents right from the first minute, and almost every time he had the better of them.

The keeper put his body on the line to somehow save the ball whenever the opponents created confusion for his side inside the penalty box. When players like Dimi, Miguel, Mahesh and Bipin tested their luck at goal, Mirshad made some sudden reactions to deliver some point-blank saves for his team. The keeper was also seen communicating efficiently with the backline and kept almost all the potential threats away.

Mirshad’s resilience and shot-stopping masterclass was the key reason why Diamond Harbour was able to control the game throughout the 90 minutes, and this brave performance labelled him as the ‘Wall of Harbour’ and the keeper, for these reasons, arguably is the Man of the Match in the stunning encounter.

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