Defending Champs Mohun Bagan Super Giant to Face Downtown Heroes in Durand Cup Opener

Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take on Downtown Heroes FC in the opener of the 133rd Durand Cup on July 27 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The tournament will feature 24 teams across six groups, with matches broadcast live on Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv.

Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) will square off against Downtown Heroes FC of Kashmir in the opening match of the 133rd Durand Cup on July 27. The clash is scheduled for 6 PM IST at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata.

The group stage fixtures are set to conclude on August 18 with the high-stakes Kolkata Derby between MBSG and city rivals Emami East Bengal (EEB), another Indian Super League (ISL) team. This significant match will also take place at VYBK.

Fans can catch all 43 matches of the 133rd Durand Cup live on the Sony Sports Network and on the SonyLiv OTT platform. While Kolkata will host matches from Groups A, B, and C, Jamshedpur, hosting for the first time, will host Group D matches. The opening match in Jamshedpur features hosts Jamshedpur FC against the Bangladesh Army Football Team.

Group E matches commence in Kokrajhar on July 30, with Bodoland FC locking horns with ISL's NorthEast United FC. Meanwhile, Shillong will see hosts Shillong Lajong FC face Nepal's Tribhuvan Army Football Team starting August 2 as the first fixture of Group F. The tournament will be held across various venues including VYBK, Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. The 24 participating teams are divided into six groups, with the top team from each group and two best second-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage.