132nd Durand Cup: Bengaluru FC Begin Title Defence; Chennaiyin Take On Tribhuvan Army In Key Clash

Indian Air Force Football Team: Reigning champions Bengaluru FC will start their title defence in a clash with Indian Air Force Football Team in the 132nd Durand Cup after a crucial Group E clash between Chennaiyin FC (CFC) and Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC (TAFC) before the event takes a break for the Independence Day.

The Group E game between Chennaiyin Fc and Tribhuvan Army on Monday will be played in Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium while the Group C game between Bengaluru FC and Air Force Football Team (IAFFT) will be played in Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) on Monday.

Chennaiyin favourites against Tribhuvan

Purely on the strength of performance and result of their respective first games in this tournament, the Marina Machans go into their game against Tribhuvan Army FC (TAFC) as the overwhelming favourites to win.

Winning on Monday will moreover give their qualifying chances from Group E a major boost and therefore a competitive game can be expected.

TAFC gave a good account of themselves against newly-promoted I-League side Delhi FC to earn a point from that game and Chennaiyin will be wary of Tribhuvan’s gritty display.

However, what will comfort their British coach Owen Coyale will be the fact that both his foreign frontmen, Australian Jordan Murray and Briton Connor Shields have found goal-scoring form from the very first game of the season.

Bengaluru FC start title defence

Champions Bengaluru FC have announced a 28-member side, comprising mostly young players and new signings, under coach Bibiano Fernandez, to defend the Durand crown they won last year. The IAFFT on the other hand are under long-time coach Priya Darshan and a settled core, but still came up short against Gokulam Kerala in their first game.

For BFC to do well, it will be important that their new signings like keeper Amrit Gope and central defender Shankar Sampingiraj, both recruited from TRAU FC, settle down well as do such talent as Akash Jha, the young striker recruited from Sreenidi Deccan.

The Air Men will also hope that besides the experience of having played a game at the venue already, their experienced forwards like Mandeep Singh also put their hands up and contribute to a first tournament win.

Coach Priya Darshan exuded confidence on matchday-eve saying, “The players are excited to play against ISL team and defending champions BFC and well prepared to fight and win the game.”

With two strong Kerala sides in the group, both coaches would settle for nothing less than three points it is certain.