Kolkata, 19 October (H.S.): Mohun Bagan Super Giant ended a 22-year drought in dramatic fashion on Saturday, defeating arch-rivals East Bengal 5-4 on penalties to lift the prestigious IFA Shield trophy. The Kolkata derby final, held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, finished 1-1 after 120 minutes of riveting football, culminating in a nerve-wracking shootout that sealed Mohun Bagan’s first IFA Shield title since 2003.

The match was a rollercoaster of emotions. After a tense start, Mohun Bagan had a golden opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute, but striker Jason Cummings shockingly skied his effort over the bar.

East Bengal immediately capitalized on the reprieve, with Moroccan forward Hamid Ahadad finding the net just three minutes later to give his side a 1-0 lead. However, Mohun Bagan responded emphatically on the stroke of half-time, as midfielder Apuia unleashed a stunning long-range strike that found the back of the net to level the score at 1-1.

Neither side could find a winner in the second half or through 30 minutes of extra time, sending the final to a decisive penalty shootout. East Bengal made a tactical substitution, bringing on veteran goalkeeper Debjit Majumder specifically for the shootout, but the move did not pay off.

The shootout remained deadlocked until East Bengal’s Jay Gupta had his spot-kick saved by Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. Mehtab Singh then calmly converted the final penalty to secure the historic victory for the Mariners, sparking wild celebrations among their supporters.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar