Mohun Bagan 0(4) - 0(3) NorthEast United FC: Key takeaways from Durand Cup 2026 semi-final

The Mariners edge past the Highlanders, relying on Vishal Kaith’s heroics

Mohun Bagan were able to fight their way into earning a place in the finals of the 2026 Durand Cup with a gritty 0-0 (4-3) win over NorthEast United in the semifinal clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong on Thursday (20 August, 2026). Despite dominating the majority of the possession in the game, the Mariners were just not clinical enough to be able to break the Highlanders’ defensive shape in normal time.

They did have five shots on target and restricted NorthEast to zero efforts on goal, but the lack of any goals forced an extra-time. Here, Vishal Kaith proved to be decisive for the Mariners and saved two penalties to help Mohun Bagan reach the final of the Durand Cup to set up a mouth-watering battle against bitter rivals East Bengal.

Here are our talking points of the 2026 Durand Cup semifinal between NorthEast United and Mohun Bagan.

4. Liston Colaco’s form remains a concerning factor for Mohun Bagan

Liston Colaco was given a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders by Dilmperis Panagiotis in the semifinal clash against NorthEast United, knowing his historical good form against them (having scored five goals in the past against them). However, his performance in the Durand Cup 2026 semi-final was just a continuation of what has been a really sloppy and frustrating outing for him at the ongoing Durand Cup tournament.

Colaco headed into this semi-final clash with zero goals to his name in the competition, seeing the likes of Manvir Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad score multiple goals in Panagiotis’ new system.

He did try a few ambitious stuff against the Highlanders, but the pressure on Colaco was visible in his performance. He was too over-eager to score a special goal, trying hapless shots from afar and failing to create anything noteworthy either.

He did have a shot in the first half saved well, but Colaco’s overall performance was sloppy again. In fact, he was fortunate with his converted penalty in the shootout as it went through Gurmeet Singh’s grasp, and this performance doesn’t bode well for Colaco’s chances of starting in the final at all.

3. Rahul Bheke and Eneko Satrustegui showcase gritty leadership qualities in sturdy defensive showing

Even though the Durand Cup 2026 semifinal between the two Indian Super League (ISL) sides wasn’t exactly a classic in attacking football, at least fans were subject to some really good defensive work from both sets of players. For Mohun Bagan, Rahul Bheke was a standout in their backline as he held things together and even covered for the more aggressive Alberto Rodriguez when he ventured far forward to make challenges.

Bheke was impressive in keeping a tight mark on Alaeddine Ajaraie, and even made an excellent last-ditch tackle to stop him from going through on goal and possibly scoring in the second half.

On the other side of the pitch, NorthEast United’s experienced Eneko Satrustegui utilized his utmost experience to ensure that his side can withstand the pressure from the Marines really well. Eneko was bullish in neutralising Manvir Singh’s threat and also kept the dangerous Jamie Maclaren quiet in the second half, winning many key duels and making crucial clearances.

Both defences worked their socks off to preserve a clean sheet in normal time for their team, indicating that they might be tough nuts to crack in the upcoming ISL campaign.

2. Alaeddine Ajaraie fails to turn up in clutch moment for NorthEast United

Heading into the 2026 Durand Cup semifinal against Mohun Bagan, Alaeddine Ajaraie was in top form as he had scored nine goals in just four games prior to this clash. That included two hat-tricks that he scored against both Bodoland (in the group stages) and also against Shillong Lajong (in the quarterfinal) – with the Moroccan forward having an inspired return to Indian football after spending the previous campaign out on loan. However, when it came to turning up big in the big-time clash in the semifinal against the Mariners, Ajaraie ended up coming up short in disappointing fashion.

He was barely able to get involved in the action in the final third, failing to latch onto any of the few chances that his side was able to create. His threat was neutralized, and Ajaraie was personally unable to get a grip on the game, or take the ball to make an inspired forward run to create or set-up chances for himself. He did convert his penalty, but the Moroccan’s overall performance left much to be desired.

1. Vishal Kaith exorcises Durand Cup penalty demons to inspire Mohun Bagan’s revenge

For both Mohun Bagan and Vishal Kaith, the aspect of defeating NorthEast United (in their home ground) on a penalty shootout in a Durand Cup clash must’ve tasted especially sweet. That is because it was two years ago in August (2024) that the Highlanders defeated the Kolkata giants at the Salt Lake Stadium in the 2024 Durand Cup final.

In that clash, Kaith was in the goal for Mohun Bagan and not only did he concede two goals in normal time – but he couldn’t tap into his penalty-saving heroics in the penalty shootout. However, Kaith was determined to tarnish those ghosts lingering over him in this penalty shootout.

Just as he did against Jamshedpur FC in the quarterfinal, Kaith turned up clutch in the shootout and made two excellent saves – anticipating the penalties of Parthib Gogoi and Robin Yadav and saving them superbly to deny them. Vishal continues to prove himself as a master of the penalty shootout in Indian football, and he’s now determined to continue his heroics to ensure his side can defeat East Bengal to win the 2026 Durand Cup title.

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