From 24 teams that participated in the group stages of this edition of the Durand Cup, we are down to the final eight. Six group winners - Indian Army, East Bengal, Gokulam Kerala, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City with two best runners-up in NorthEast Utd and Mohun Bagan make up the teams qualified to this stage. The quarterfinal will start on Thursday, 24 August 2023 and will be played in two venues - Guwahati and Kolkata. The knockout stage of the Durand Cup will not have extra-time if the games are tied after 90 minutes. Instead, it will go straight to penalty shootout to decide the outcome of the game.
Quarter-finals
Image Credits: Durand Cup Twitter
Thursday, 24 August 2023
QF1: NorthEast Utd vs Indian Army - SAI Stadium (6:00 PM)
NorthEast United was the best runners-up in the tournament, missing out on the top spot only by goal difference to a star-studded FC Goa side. Both teams ended on seven points in Group C and did not lose a game. The Highlanders were impressive starting with a 4-0 win over Shillong Lajong, an entertaining 2-2 draw with Gaurs and a 3-1 victory against DownTown Heroes that earned them the second spot. They will fight the Indian Army team who outmuscled I-League team Rajasthan United, regional club Bodoland FC and Odisha FC’s side to win Group F.
Friday, 25 August 2023
QF 2: East Bengal vs Gokulam Kerala - Salt Lake Stadium (6:00 PM)
Joint-most Durand Cup champions East Bengal will face 2019 winners Gokulam Kerala in the second quarterfinal match. The Red and Gold started the Durand Cup drawing 2-2 with Bangladesh Army but turned up the gear defeating arch-rivals Mohun Bagan 1-0 in the season’s first Kolkata derby and then beating Punjab FC 1-0. Ending as group-winners they will face Gokulam Kerala having played them in the I-League and in this tournament before. The Malabarians came out of a tough group containing fellow Southern clubs Kerala Blasters, Bengaluru FC and the Indian Air Force team by winning Group C.
Saturday, 26 August 2023
QF 3: FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC - Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (6:00 PM)
Guwahati will experience an all-ISL clash between FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC with both teams going through major changes for the new season. Especially in the dugout where there will be an epic battle between ISL winner with Hyderabad FC, Manolo Marquez and the returning Owen Coyle. The Gaurs topped their group courtesy of goal difference with two big wins over Shillong Lajong and DownTown Heroes while they drew with NorthEast United. Meanwhile, Chennaiyin FC dominated their group, winning all their matches by scoring eight goals and conceding just two.
Sunday, 27 August 2023
QF 4: Mohun Bagan Super Giants vs Mumbai City - Salt Lake Stadium (6:00 PM)
Probably the eye-catching fixture at the quarterfinal stage, ISL champions and record tournament holders Mohun Bagan will clash against Shield winners Mumbai City. The face-off has the ingredients and sense of a final matchup with two expensive and high-quality teams and a rivalry that brewing up between both sets of fans. Both teams are also playing at the Asian level and will be gunning for silverware in the upcoming campaign. Hence, this early meeting will make a statement for the winners. The Kolkata giants were the second-best runners-up in the tournament while Islanders qualified as group winners after collecting full points from all of their games so far.
Semi-finals
Tuesday, 29 August 2023
SF1: Winner of QF 1 vs Winner of QF 2 - Salt Lake Stadium (4:00 PM)
Thursday, 31 August 2023
SF2: Winner of QF 3 vs Winner of QF 4 - Salt Lake Stadium (4:00 PM)
Final
Sunday, 3 September 2023
Final: Winner of SF 1 vs Winner of SF 2 - Salt Lake Stadium (4:00 PM)
Must Read | 2023 Durand Cup Squad List of Teams
