Which was first ISL club to win Durand Cup?

The Gaurs beat Mohammedan SC to win Durand Cup in 2021

FC Goa became the first ever Indian Super League (ISL) side to lift the Durand Cup title and made their names into Durand’s history book after they defeated Mohammedan SC 1-0 in 2021.

The all ISL clubs made their debut in 2019 at the 129th edition of the Durand Cup when some selected ISL teams participated for the very first time following the venue shifting to Kolkata.

They created history with the title and marked their name securing the prestigious tournament on 3rd October, 2021 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. Captain of the Gaurs Edu Bedia scored the winning goal in the 105th minute during the extra time of the match in front of 34,000 spectators.

A great night for The Gaurs as it was one of the most important trophies in their cabinet which brought the glory to their coach Juan Fernando who coached Mohun Bagan later in the ISL.

FC Goa clinched the Durand Cup in 2021

The Gaurs success feels very important in the Indian football calendar and it indicates the growing presence of ISL teams in Asia’s oldest football competition and that’s why their victory showed that ISL clubs have the power and ability to compete at the highest level along with the Indian Super League.

FC Goa beat Mohammedan SC in a very narrow match where both teams played in a compact manner, and Gaurs captain Edu Bedia saved the day after scoring the sole winning goal for his side when the Goan side managed to get past the Black Panthers 1-0. From the very beginning of the game, both sides looked very spontaneous with their attacking intent as Mohammedan SC’s Marcus Joseph took the first shot of the game at the 3rd minute, then Goa also created ample amount of chances which could have led them to the goal in the very first half, but the Kolkata outfit’s last line of defence stood still.

Romario & Nemil played the longer durations in the Mohammedan’s defence, looking to operate with their line breaking passes and goal conversion ability, as Romario had one of the best chances, but that went wide from the goal post. Goa captain Bedia scored from a fantastic free-kick awarded just outside the Mohammedan box in the 105th minute owing to a foul by Milan Singh.

And after he scored, FC Goa became the first ever Indian Super League (ISL) side to bag the Durand Cup’s 129th edition, which led many other league clubs to improve their structure to play in both competitions.

A path for the other ISL clubs

This is the glorified path that became the stepping stone for all the other ISL clubs that followed FC Goa after they reached the Durand Cup’s final and thrashed the Black Panthers at their home as visitors, and not only that, the win in the esteemed tournament, which has a rich legacy, compelled the other clubs to follow them in the cup competitions.

After the win of the Goan side in the 2022 Durand’s season, Bengaluru FC won the title for the first time after thrashing Mumbai City FC 2-1 as Alan Costa & Sunil Chhetri sealed the game for the Blues. And now as the Durand Cup 2026 season entered its vital stage, where eight clubs will fight in the four designated quarter-finals, it is very evident to look back at who started the all-ISL sides to win the tournament.

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