Durand Cup 2024: NorthEast United FC Down Army, Shillong Lajong Edge Out East Bengal

NorthEast United FC got the better of the Army team in the quarterfinal clash of the 2024 edition of the Durand Cup on Wednesday, while Shillong Lajong, beat East Bengal in the second game of the day.

NEUFC posted a 2-0 win over the Army unit with strikes from Nestor Albiach and Guillermo proving the difference between the sides at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar.

Nestor put the Highlanders ahead in the 52nd minute of the game after a goalless first period. NEUFC doubled their lead through Spaniard Guillermo in the 73rd minute of the fixture to secure their passage further in the Durand Cup.

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Lajong handed ISL side East Bengal a surprise as they dug out a 2-1 win over torchbearers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

The hosts went into the lead as early as the eighth minute of the fixture when Brazilian Marcos Rudwere Genar Silva found the back of the net to send the supports into a tipsy. However, the side from Kolkata pulled level thanks to a strike from Nandhakumar Sekar after 77 minutes of play.

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But the side from Shillong, playing on home turf picked up the all-important win with an 84th-minute trike from Figo Syndai to edge out the Kolkata heavyweights.

NEUFC and Lajong will slug it out in the semifinal of the tournament for a place in the championship clash.

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Mohun Bagan Super Giant will square up against Punjab FC on Thursday in the third quarterfinal of the event at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, followed by the fourth quarterfinal of the tournament between ISL sides Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata.