Mohun Bagan Super Giant to play Durand Cup 2024 quarterfinal in Jamshedpur on August 23

Defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play its Durand Cup 2024 quarterfinal match in Jamshedpur on August 23.

Jason Steven Cummings (35) of Mohun Bagan SG celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the 2024 Durand Cup football match between Mohun Bagan SG and Indian Air Force, at VYBK stadium in Kolkata, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

Defending Durand Cup champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play its quarterfinal match at the JRD Tata Complex Stadium on August 23.

The Mariners, which qualified for the knockouts as the Group A topper has remained undefeated in the tournament so far, winning both its games, 1-0 against Downtown Heroes and 6-0 against Indian Air Force.

After its final group stage match, against arch-rival East Bengal on August 18, was abandoned a day before the game due to security issues, each side was awarded a point, with Mohun Bagan finishing at the top, having a higher goal difference.

Sportstar understands that José Francisco Molina’s side will reach Jamshedpur on August 21 and is likely to face Punjab FC, which finished second in Group C, for a spot in the semifinals.

Jamshedpur is touted to be one of the potential options to shift Kolkata’s remaining Durand Cup 2024 games but any final decision on the same has yet to arrive.

As per the original schedule, two quarterfinals were scheduled at the Salt Lake Stadium, while the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur and the SAI Stadium in Assam got one each. Both the semifinals and the final were supposed to take place at the Salt Lake.

It remains to be seen if there are further developments in the coming days.

Mohun Bagan is the most successful team in the Durand Cup, having won the title 17 times, including the previous edition, where it beat East Bengal 1-0 in Kolkata.

There have been managerial changes at the club since, and Molina, who had led the now-defunct Atletico de Kolkata to the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy in his previous stint in India in 2016, will look to continue where he left off, in Indian football.

Mohun Bagan has also been very active in this summer transfer window, roping in seven new players, including the highest-ever goalscorer in Australia’s top division, Jamie Maclaren and former Indian Super League Golden Ball winner Greg Stewart.

However, it remains to be seen whether Maclaren and Dimitri Petratos, one of Mohun Bagan’s most reliable forwards over the previous two seasons, can be registered in time for the tournament, by the club.