Mohun Bagan Super Giant sealed top spot in Group A and booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 135th Durand Cup with a commanding 6-0 victory over CISF Protectors at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday. Sahal Abdul Samad produced the standout performance with a first-half hat-trick, while Manvir Singh, Jamie Maclaren and Tekcham Abhishek Singh also found the net as the Mariners completed a perfect group-stage campaign. The victory took Mohun Bagan to nine points from three matches and ensured they progressed as Group A winners. CISF Protectors, meanwhile, finished their campaign without a point.
Mohun Bagan asserted themselves early and took the lead through Sahal in the 17th minute. The midfielder struck again just two minutes later to put his side firmly in control.
Manvir added the third in the 24th minute as Mohun Bagan continued to dominate proceedings and repeatedly opened up the CISF defence. Sahal completed his hat-trick in the 37th minute, giving the Mariners a four-goal advantage before half-time. His goals came in the 17th, 19th and 37th minutes as Mohun Bagan effectively put the contest beyond their opponents in the opening period. CISF Protectors struggled to contain Mohun Bagan’s attacking movement and were unable to mount a meaningful recovery after conceding four times before the interval.
Mohun Bagan maintained control after the break and added two more goals to complete the emphatic victory. Australian forward Jamie Maclaren scored in the 68th minute to make it 5-0 before Tekcham Abhishek Singh added the sixth five minutes later. The result capped an impressive group stage for the Kolkata giants, who won all three of their matches to finish with the maximum nine points.
Sahal’s hat-trick was the highlight of the evening as Mohun Bagan demonstrated their attacking strength ahead of the knockout stage. The 6-0 victory also confirmed CISF Protectors’ elimination from the competition after they ended the group stage without registering a point. Mohun Bagan will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals as they continue their pursuit of the Durand Cup title following a flawless opening phase of the tournament.