Durand Cup 2025: Liston Colaco Scores Twice As 10-Man Mohun Bagan SG Defeat Mohammedan SC 3-1
Liston Colaco netted two goals and set up the third as 10-man Mohun Bagan Super Giant registered a 3-1 victory over Mohammedan Sporting Club in the 134th Durand Cup.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant overcame the odds to beat Mohammedan Sporting Club 3-1, despite being reduced to 10 men in their Group B clash of the 134th Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday.
Liston Colaco found the net twice and provided the assist for the third goal, which was scored by Suhail Ahmad Bhat, helping the Mariners secure the win over the Black Panthers.
The all-Indian encounter started off cautiously with both Indian coaches watching closely from the sidelines. The game soon intensified as both teams hit the crossbar—Mohammedan’s Ashley Alban Koli and Mohun Bagan’s Suhail Ahmad Bhat came close just after the 10th minute.
Vishal Kaith also had a close call when Sajal Bag took a shot, but Dippendu Biswas managed to restore calm at the back.
A moment of brilliance came in the 23rd minute. Liston Colaco danced past defenders before being fouled by Joseph Lalmuanawma just outside the penalty area. The referee awarded a free-kick. As Colaco stood over the ball with Anirudh Thapa nearby, he curled the shot over the five-man wall straight into the top corner. Mohun Bagan struck first.
Mohun Bagan kept pressing for another. Their attack was relentless, and so were Mohammedan’s challenges. Kiyan Nassiri was at the receiving end of some rough tackles on the right wing.
Just before halftime, tension boiled over when Tangva Ragui collided with Apuia going for the ball. Apuia retaliated with a headbutt, leading to a scuffle at the centre of the pitch. The referee had little choice but to act.
Both sides were visibly frustrated. Dippendu Biswas showed his dissent shortly after play resumed and was booked again.
What began as a respectful contest ended the first half with tempers flaring.
Mehrajuddin Wadoo made a single substitution during the break—taking off a defender and adding an attacker. The change yielded quick results.
Switching to a back-three, Mohammedan launched aggressive attacks. In the 50th minute, Lalthankima unleashed a powerful strike from distance, which Vishal Kaith parried. But the rebound fell to Ashley, who calmly slotted it into the net.
Kaith faced another scare when Sajal Bag’s long-range shot nearly caught him off guard. As the ball bounced in front of him, he leapt to collect but collided painfully, requiring medical attention.
Despite the pressure, it was Mohun Bagan who scored next. In the 63rd minute, Liston made a dazzling run to drag defenders away before backheeling the ball to Suhail. His first attempt was blocked by Subhajit Bhattacharjee, but the rebound was hammered home.
Even with one player less, assistant coach Bastab Roy refrained from making substitutions, while Mehrajuddin Wadoo brought in fresh legs after the 80th minute.
Still, the Mariners stood strong, defending well for more than half the match.
In the 90th minute, Kaith produced a crucial save by rushing out to stop Bamiya Samad, who was played in behind the defence by Maharabam Maxion. Kaith’s leg made the decisive contact.
During stoppage time, Liston was fouled inside the box while receiving a pass from Thapa. Pukhrambam Dinesh Meitei was shown a yellow card for the foul. Liston stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, sealing a convincing 3-1 win for Mohun Bagan.
