KOLKATA : Mohun Bagan Super Giant retained the IFA Shield with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over arch-rivals East Bengal on Thursday, with Bosnian midfielder Samir Zeljkovic scoring the only goal in a fiercely contested Kolkata Derby.
Zeljkovic struck in the 45th minute to secure Mohun Bagan’s 22nd IFA Shield title and complete a league-and-cup double that the club had not achieved for nearly five decades.
The last time Mohun Bagan won both the Calcutta Football League (CFL) and IFA Shield in the same season was in 1976, when the late P.K. Banerjee was coach.
Neither side produced a fluent performance, but Mohun Bagan looked considerably more assured than they had in the Durand Cup final earlier this season, when East Bengal thrashed their city rivals 4-1.
Zeljkovic broke the deadlock shortly before halftime after controlling a chipped pass from Sahal Abdul Samad on his chest before calmly slotting the ball past the East Bengal goalkeeper.
The goal proved decisive as East Bengal pushed for an equaliser after the break but were unable to breach the Mohun Bagan defence.
East Bengal and coach Antonio Habas will be disappointed with the result, particularly with the Indian Super League season due to begin in the coming days. The Red-and-Gold brigade had impressed on their way to the final but struggled to reproduce their attacking fluency against their city rivals.
East Bengal had reached the final after a 7-2 demolition of NorthEast United FC in the semi-final, with David Lalhlansanga scoring a hat-trick.
Mohun Bagan’s route to the final was more difficult, as they edged past Punjab FC on penalties after their semi-final finished goalless following 120 minutes. The Mariners won the shootout 4-3, with goalkeeper Vishal Kaith making a key contribution.
The victory gave Mohun Bagan some revenge for their Durand Cup final defeat and extended a run of high-profile encounters between the Kolkata rivals.
The two teams had also met in last year’s IFA Shield final, when Mohun Bagan prevailed on penalties, making Thursday’s match their second successive meeting in the tournament’s title clash.
It was the fifth meeting between the sides in 2026, underlining the intensity of one of Indian football’s biggest rivalries.
The Shield triumph gives Mohun Bagan a timely boost ahead of the new ISL season, while East Bengal will look to bounce back quickly as they prepare to begin their title defence.
