Durand Cup 2025 Group A Preview: East Bengal, Indian Air Force & other clubs battle in the world's oldest football tournament

The historic tournament will be held across five cities: Kolkata, Shillong, Jamshedpur, Kokrajhar, and the new host, Imphal.

The 2025 Durand Cup is going to kick off on 23 July, starting from what is going to be an exciting Group A! Group A will feature Indian Super League (ISL) side East Bengal, who will be joined by I-League side Namdhari FC. I-League Two side South United and the Indian Air Force sides will also complete the group, which should result in some highly entertaining matches.

As per the Durand Cup rules, the winners of the group will automatically qualify for the quarterfinals. Moreover, two of the best second-place teams will also progress to the knockout rounds, which means the sense of competitiveness should be really high among the Group A teams.

East Bengal are, obviously, the favourites to finish atop of the group. Even though they finished in ninth place in the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign, the Red & Gold Brigade performed pretty well in cup competitions. East Bengal were knocked out of the Durand Cup in the quarterfinals in 2024 and will be aiming to go all the way this time around.

The Kolkata giants have a pretty strong squad that has already been strengthened by the signing of Edmund Lalrindika. They are likely to bring a strong squad for the Durand Cup, as Oscar Bruzon aims to add some silverware to his stint at East Bengal and dominate group A with some thrilling attacking football.

Namdhari FC finished in sixth place in the 2024-25 I-League campaign, winning nine of their 22 matches and producing some impressive football. They will be gunning for a strong showing at the Durand Cup under manager Fernando Capobianco. They’ll look to play some incisive attacking football and be threatening on counter-attacks to help their side excel.

South United FC have been impressing in the Bangalore Football scene, having finished as the runners-up of the BDFA Super Division on four occasions. They’ll be the underdogs of the group along with the Indian Air Force Football team, which is one of the five Indian Armed Forces teams competing in the 2025 Durand Cup.

Players to Watch

Dimitrios Diamantakos (East Bengal)

Dimitrios Diamantakos had a bit of a topsy-turvy campaign with East Bengal in the 2024-25 campaign. He scored nine goals across all competitions for the Red & Gold Brigade, which included just four in the ISL and a single goal in the Durand Cup.

However, the Greek striker has been retained and is being given one more chance by the East Bengal side to prove his quality as a consistent goalscorer for them. Diamantakos will look to begin the campaign on good terms by harassing defenders in the Durand Cup matches with his clever movement and efficiency in the final third.

He can be a troublesome figure because of his goal threat as the striker looks to uplift his popularity among the East Bengal fans.

Also Read: Durand Cup 2025 Full fixtures, teams, groups & telecast details

Manvir Singh (Namdhari FC)

Manvir Singh is coming off a pretty decent 2024-25 I-League campaign, where he led the line efficiently for Namdhari FC. The 28-year-old forward scored two goals and provided two assists in 12 I-League games, showcasing an impressive edge in the final third.

He’ll aim to trouble defenders with his stellar off-the-ball runs and be lethal with his final product to uplift his chances of getting past the group stages.

Umesh Harijan (South United FC)

A former India youth international, Umesh Harijan, has been continuing to play football competitively with South United. He’s played for Salgaocar FC in the past and been an energetic forward presence for South United in recent years.

He’ll look to use his clever link-up style and decisive final product to help his side take the fight to opponents in the Durand Cup.

Samuel Vanlalpeka (Indian Air Force)

The 20-year-old winger could be a real driving force for the Indian Air Force FC at the Durand Cup because of his admirable qualities. Vanlalpeka will be pushing to trouble the defenders with his speedy forward runs and also create big chances with his crossing ability.

Fixtures

July 23: East Bengal vs South United

July 27: Indian Air Force vs South United

July 30: Namdhari vs South United

August 3: Namdhari vs Indian Air Force

August 6: East Bengal vs Indian Air Force

August 10: East Bengal vs Namdhari FC

Where and how to watch Durand Cup 2025?

The 2025 Durand Cup Group A matches will take place from 23 July to 10 August, with East Bengal and South United kicking off the tournament in the opener on 23 July. All the 2025 Durand Cup matches will be shown on Sony Ten Sports and Sony LIV. The Group A matches will all take place in Kolkata, India.

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