East Bengal edge Indian Army 1-0 to reach Durand Cup semi-finals

East Bengal FC secured a place in the Durand Cup 2026 semi-finals after edging past the Indian Army Football Team 1-0 in a tense quarter-final in Kolkata on Sunday.

East Bengal had plenty of chances but could not add to their solitary goal. PV Vishnu's 37th-minute header, set up by Australian winger Chris Ikonomidis, ultimately proved enough for the reigning Indian Super League champions to progress.

PV Vishnu breaks the deadlock

East Bengal dominated the shot count but found it difficult to turn their opportunities into goals. Their breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Ikonomidis delivered a cross into the box and Vishnu headed it home.

The goal gave East Bengal the lead, but Indian Army continued to threaten and remained within touching distance of an equaliser.

East Bengal eventually finished with 21 shots, while Indian Army managed 13 attempts, underlining how open the contest was despite the narrow scoreline.

Indian Army threaten late

The final stages became increasingly tense as Indian Army pushed for a leveller.

A corner created another opening when Christo's delivery found a player attempting a diving header, but the effort went straight at the goalkeeper. Another chance soon followed, although the attempt went wide.

Indian Army also had a major appeal for a penalty late in the game after their forward went down inside the box when East Bengal goalkeeper Lachenpa came off his line. The referee instead ruled that the forward had dived.

Five minutes of added time gave Indian Army one last opportunity to force extra time, but East Bengal held on.

East Bengal face SC Delhi next

East Bengal will now meet SC Delhi in the semi-finals. SC Delhi booked their place in the last four earlier in the day with a convincing 5-1 win over FC Raengdai.

East Bengal had entered the quarter-finals as the best second-placed team and will now look to build on their hard-fought win as they chase a place in the Durand Cup final.

"FULL TIME! East Bengal are through to the Durand Cup semi-finals!"