BHUBANESWAR: The last league round Group-A match of the Kalinga Super Cup is all set for the Kolkata Derby between two football powerhouses, Mohun Bagan Supergiant and East Bengal FC on Friday. Both teams will battle it out for the semi-final spot.
The two teams will be meeting each for the first time since the Durand Cup 2023 final, where the Mariners clinched a 1-0 win and a record 17th title. Having built a robust football infrastructure, Odisha is able to host as many as 16 football teams simultaneously for the Kalinga Super Cup 2024. Coaches from both Mohun Bagan Supergiant and East Bengal heaped praise on Odisha's sports infrastructure.
Both the Group A teams gathered six points each before the last league match and a goal differential of +2. However, East Bengal leads by a narrow margin in goals scored. A draw will take East Bengal to the semifinals of the super cup. In the pre match press meet East Bengal forward Cleiton Silva said, “We have to win the game, we can’t settle for a draw. A derby is always an entertaining game to play. It’s the largest game in India."
East Bengal Head Coach Carles Cuadrat stated, “I am familiar with Odisha as I have been in India for a long time. The football infrastructure here is exceptional. The pitches are great for training and as always, the accommodation is also great. I must congratulate the government of Odisha for their efforts in football.”
Mohun Bagan’s Assistant Coach, Clifford Miranda said, "For me Odisha is like home, I have spent a lot of time here recently. The people are very warm here and I must laud the government of Odisha for their approach towards developing football. Football is moving in the right direction in Odisha, not only have they built excellent infrastructure where the quality of the pitches is the best in the country, but they are also using the infrastructure to host national and international tournaments.”