The year 2024 was a thrilling chapter in Indian football brimming with unforgettable stories of glory with each competition leaving a mark. The teams that won the titles orchestrated staggering performances filled with high dramas and comebacks. A specific trend was seen in most of these victories this year. A new champion emerged beating the holders of that competition, making the occasion a bit more special. The tournaments were dominated by Kolkata clubs which happened after a long time in Indian football making the year truly joyous for the ‘city of joy’. Other title honours included the dominance of one side ending in the IWL and the Durand Cup won by a club belonging to the northeast for the first time.
East Bengal ends trophy drought
Since entering the Indian Super League in 2020, East Bengal have failed to make it to the playoffs in the league or go higher than ninth place. The Red and Gold also did not win a major trophy for over a decade due to the persisting club’s mismanagement which did not stop even after the new owners’ takeover in their third ISL season. This was not a good look for a club that carried a legacy of over 100 years but things took a different turn in January 2024 when last season’s Super Cup was hosted in Bhubaneshwar. Under former ISL-winning coach Carles Cuadrat, the team was not among the favourites to win the competition carrying not-so-promising form. Only the winners of the four groups could qualify for the semifinals so the challenge was also stiff. The Super Cup winners also secured a spot in the AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers.
Cuadrat’s side faced a tough group with 2022 ISL winners Hyderabad FC, I-League heavyweights Sreenidi Deccan and arch-rivals Mohun Bagan, whom they lost against in the Durand Cup final last year. However, they had the motivation to be the finalists in a competition against all odds after a long time and wanted to use the same in another cup tournament. Though not perfect in their display, the Torch Bearers managed to win their first two games of the group to get set for the decider against the Mariners. The team knew another victory would complete a perfect revenge against their rivals and help them win the group to qualify for the knockouts. East Bengal did not bow down to the pressure this time despite the opposition taking the lead with a Cleiton Silva double and a Nandha Kumar strike recording a memorable 3-1 comeback win.
That victory gave the side belief that they could win the Super Cup which inspired them to a 2-0 victory over an in-form Jamshedpur FC team managed by ex-boss Khalid Jamil. Despite that, Cuadrat’s men were the underdogs in the final as host and defending champions Odisha FC qualified for back-to-back finals with a star-studded squad. The Kolkata giants had the experience of playing in the competition’s final before but lost 4-1 to Bengaluru FC in the inaugural edition in 2018. Signs of a similar fate were looming when Odisha FC’s star striker Diego Mauricio put his side in front in the 39th minute but East Bengal roared back after half-time. Nandha Kumar slotted the equaliser five minutes post-restart while Saul Crespo converted a controversial penalty committed by Mourrada Fall who received his second yellow card shortly after.
When the Red and Gold thought they had control of the final into the lead and with a man advantage, Odisha FC used their home crowd to put pressure and won a penalty right at the end of stoppage time which Ahmed Jahouh converted to force an additional 120 minutes. However, it seemed Cuadrat’s men were ready for any challenge which was thrown at them in this dramatic final as they were not deemed by the host’s comeback nor were rattled by their midfielder Souvik Chakrabarti receiving his second yellow in the 97th minute. Then, in the 111th minute, the moment came which let East Bengal fans celebrate a major title win for the first time in 12 years in one of the grandest ways in Kolkata and beyond. Taking advantage of a catastrophic error from goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte, competition top-scorer Cleiton Silva netted the winner to help his club snatch the Super Cup crown from Odisha FC, getting rid of the pain and frustration and return to Asian club football after a long time.
Odisha’s memorable season in IWL
Despite failing to defend the Super Cup trophy, it was a memorable year for Odisha FC having qualified for the knockouts in their debut AFC Cup campaign and reaching the best points tally in their ISL history under the guidance of the trophy-laden coach Sergio Lobera. However, it was not only the men’s team that enjoyed success as the women’s team also hit unexpected levels in the 2023-24 season. Significant investment in women's football led the Kalinga Warriors to reach the quarterfinals of their debut IWL campaign after winning the state league, although true success was yet to happen. The Odisha FC women’s team made some eye-catching transfer moves in the summer of 2024 with the sole intention of winning the top flight and not resting for anything less.
Their ambition had a major challenge of toppling the untouched domination of record champions Gokulam Kerala who won the league for the past three years. Also, unlike the previous edition, the 2023-24 IWL became the first season where a proper league format was adopted spanning over months rejecting the erstwhile knockout stage. Hence, the team needed an edge in the squad that would go toe-to-toe with the Malabarians so recruits like serial winner Indumathi Kathiresan, Malaysia’s all-time top goal-scorer Win Theingi Tun and several other national teamers alongside quality players were roped in. Under the tutelage of an experienced head like Crispin Chettri, the team produced fireworks on the pitch.
Odisha FC Women defeated the reigning champions Gokulam Kerala in their first meeting of the season, securing a 2-0 victory at Kalinga Stadium. That was one of the 10 wins the side managed from 12 matches with just one loss to show. Chettri’s team also pumped in an incredible 31 goals with the local girl Pyari Xaxa scoring eight goals with Tun being the second-most scorer adding seven to her name. Their defence stood strong like no other conceding only four goals keeping nine clean sheets. The result was Odisha FC clinching their first-ever IWL title win in only their second season with a 6-0 thrashing of Kickstart FC on the final day in March 2024, breaking Gokulam’s monopoly. It was a remarkable achievement for a club whose women’s division was established only three years ago.
First Shield for the Mariners
The year 2023 was unforgettable for Mohun Bagan Super Giant as they grabbed the ISL Cup for the first time and beat their eternal rivals East Bengal to be the outright winners of the Durand Cup, a record previously shared with the Red and Golds. The triumphs came under Juan Ferrando who now set the goal of winning the only piece of domestic silverware missing from the Green and Maroon’s extensive trophy cabinet, the ISL Winner’s Shield. The team added two promising strikers in the form of Jason Cummings, A-League’s Golden Boot winner Jason Cummings and Albanian star striker Armando Sadiku alongside the talisman Dimitri Petratos to the already talented squad. Their firepower was the sole reason everyone branded them favourites for the crown.
However, the opening half of the 2023-24 season did not go as planned with the team facing a disappointing group stage exit from the AFC Cup and later succumbing in the ISL resulting in Ferrando stepping down from his role. Entered two-time ISL Cup winner, Antonio Lopez Habas in his second spell with the club but not before Mohun Bagan faced another humiliation by exiting from the group stage of the Super Cup. The Spaniard took charge in the campaign's second half and had a tough job charging up a morally down squad to hit their silverware-winning levels again. Despite the severe challenge, fans believed Habas was the right man to change their fortunes having mounted a Shield challenge earlier. The manager’s excellent CV showed that.
The supporters were not wrong as the team sparked a miraculous comeback to fulfil their dream. The amazing aspect of the Mariners was that they did not play in the pragmatic style of play that any typical Habas-led side is known for. Instead, the team inclined to a scintillating attacking display, a change in philosophy that stunned the opposition. Establishing an eight-game unbeaten run in the league at the start of the year got them close to the top spot in toe-to-toe with holders Mumbai City. Despite their unexpected loss to Chennaiyin FC at Salt Lake, they make the result appear like a fluke by demolishing Bengaluru FC 4-0 at Kanteerava in the penultimate league game of the season.
The stage was set in the winners-take-all decider final league match against the Islanders at the fully packed Saltlake. Mohun Bagan was on the doorstep of creating history, but they had to win to secure the Shield, while the visitors required just a draw. Mumbai City also beat the home side in a similar scenario back in the 2020-21 season, while Habas lost all trophy-winning games against the opponent. To top it off, the Mariners failed to win this fixture in the ISL. With the odds stacked against them, the side knew they could not miss the opportunity to reward their crazy support in their home. Their excellent turn of form was not just a sympathy earner.
Hence, Mohun Bagan did what Mohun Bagan does best, securing the historical win at home with a memorable performance. Liston Colaco’s stunner in the first half set the tone which carried until the big money buy Cummings slotted in the winner after a sensational counter-attack. Although the stoppage time was nervy with Lallianzuala Chhangte reducing the deficit and centre-back Brendan Hamil shown back-to-back yellows within seconds, the Green and Maroons held on to lift the ISL Shield for the first time and remaining the most successful club in Indian history by winning a record-extending sixth top-flight title. They also recorded the highest number of wins registered by any side in ISL with 15.
Islanders come on top again
While Mumbai City lost the defence of the Shield which they won in record-breaking fashion in 2023, they still had one silverware to fight for in the form of the ISL trophy. The Islanders had a change of hands in the managerial hot seat midway through the season with star coach Des Buckingham joining Oxford United and Petr Kratky stepping in. Irrespective of that, the consistency in their performance remained so it was disappointing for the side not to retain their honour even after coming so close to doing so. However, the side went into the playoffs to cap off the season with a title hand and they were not disappointed.
Facing a powerhouse Goa in the semifinals sparked a challenge and it looked like the Islanders were in deep trouble when they went down 2-0 inside 60 minutes at Fatorda in the first leg. Kratky rang some changes with midfielder Jayesh Rane proving to be the super-sub. With time running out and the fear of not taking anything back home loomed, the star winger Lallianzuala Chhangte shone by reducing the deficit on the stroke of stoppage time. That gave Mumbai City enough motivation to pull off an unreal comeback with Vikram Pratap levelling the scores within seconds before Chhangte smashed in the crazy last-minute winner. Such a terrific victory brought great relief to the squad and confidence in sealing their path to the final.
Goa was understandably shocked and rattled by the events that unfolded in the first leg with Mumbai taking full advantage by securing a comfortable 2-0 win in the second leg in Andheri to enter the ISL Cup final with authority. The Islanders crossed roads with the recently crowned Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Salt Lake again in front of the crazy home support with the memories of their heartbreaking defeat still fresh in their mind. Despite starting the final on a positive note and testing opposition keeper Vishal Kaith, the visitors fell behind with Jason Cummings scoring against them for the third time in a season on the stroke of half-time. Kratky’s side conceded the goal at the worst possible time facing the same scenario of trailing at the break.
However, the side learnt a lot from the previous loss in this fixture and the stunning semifinal victory so they could not give away another chance of winning a trophy against the same opponents. Mumbai City maintained their tempo of the first half but increased their intensity in the second period resulting in another stunning comeback victory. Star striker Jorge Diaz equalised seven minutes after the restart with Bipin Singh scoring against the Mariners in an ISL final again before substitute Jakub Vojtus sealed the deal in stoppage time in a show which silenced the electrifying home support. Mumbai City put the stamp of remaining the only side to do an ISL trophy double while matching Chennaiyin FC and the erstwhile ATK record of winning the ISL Cup more than once. For detailed stats: Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC ISL 2023-24 Match Facts
Mohammedan’s historic I-League triumph
Over in the I-League, another historical event took place Mohammedan SC winning an Indian football league for the first time in 19 years making them the second side to earn promotion to the Indian Super League. It ended a long wait for a major trophy for the club and replaced their relegation nightmare from the league, then top-flight, in 2014. The achievement added to the Black Panther’s legacy reviving their glory days. The brain behind their sensational campaign was Andrey Chernysov who also helped the club to win a third straight Kolkata league in his second spell. The I-League trophy run was a dominating one for the team as they lost just twice in the entire campaign.
Their start was incredible as they did not concede any defeat in the first 12 games of the season with another sensational run of 11 games in the second half of the campaign after they faced an unexpected loss in February 2024. The 2-1 success over Shillong Lajong in the penultimate game secured them the league title to the sheer joy of the fans. Mohammedan SC amassed a delightful 52 points from 24 games with 15 wins and scoring 44 goals. They finished four points better than second-placed Sreenidi Deccan. The top-scorer for the side was Eddie Hernández with 13. Most of his strikes came in crucial moments with the Honduras striker finishing as the fourth-best striker in the division last season.
NorthEast’s fairytale success
Another memorable title triumph which could be referred to as a fairytale success happened in the Durand Cup 2024. NorthEast United refined themselves under Juan Pedro Benali last season with the Spaniard lifting the club from bottom fraggers to playoffs contenders. While the team missed out on the top six in his debut campaign with the club by just a point, it showed the potential the Highlanders could reach given the right management and structural investment into the squad. The side also made it to the semifinals of the Durand Cup last year so they had the gile to go even better this time. Handed an easy group with the BSF football team, Bodoland FC and the reserve side of Odisha FC, the team glided through the knockouts winning all their games. Benali’s men scored 11 times, conceding only once, with Jithin M.S netting four while new signings Guillermo Hierro and Alaeddine Ajaraie.
The foreigners became immensely impactful in the final after the team got past the challenge of a spirited Shillong Lajong team in the semifinal who stunned East Bengal in the previous round. The team cruised through the northeast derby with Thoi Singh, Ajaraie and Parthib Gogoi scoring in the 3-0 victory after they took care of the Indian Army football team in the quarterfinals. However, the final was a different challenge altogether as they took on the defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant who had a remarkable year themselves. The Mariners showed why they have qualified for back-to-back finals with Cummings and Sahal giving a two-goal lead at half-time leaving the Highlanders all to do in the second half.
NorthEast’s passive approach became the issue in the opening half prompting Benali to change things with Hiero brought in before the restart to give a more attacking edge to the team. The change was swift as the Highlanders wasted no time to swing the game to their favour at Salt Lake. Ajaraie reduced the deficit in the 55th minute before Hierro's stinging strike equalised the score. NorthEast kept pushing but failed to find the winner against a stunned Bagan in normal time so penalties became the decider. Newly bought keeper Gurmeet Singh became the hero by denying Liston Colaco and the final spot-kick from Subhasish Bose to help his side lift the Durand Cup in one of the most incredible ways. To put the cherry on top of the cake, it was the first silverware the club won since the franchise formation in 2014.
