Durand Cup: Will Mohun Bagan, East Bengal face action for holding back players from national team camp for quarterfinal?

 ‘Club vs country’ has been a forever debate as far as Indian sports is concerned, especially cricket and football.

While Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been at the receiving end lately for his ‘workload management’ woes in international cricket while representing Mumbai Indians in the IPL, 10 Indian footballers skipped a national team camp for a Durand Cup quarterfinal match set to be played tomorrow.

For those who are well-versed in Indian football, this should not come as a surprise, as the two teams in question are arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC, and they will be squaring off at the hallowed Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata at 7pm on August 17, 2025.

Such is the pressure of this Kolkata derby that Mohun Bagan have decided to hold back seven players – Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia (Apuia), Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad and Vishal Kaith – and East Bengal three – Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Naorem Mahesh Singh.

Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC, too, are holding back two players (Manvir Singh, Albino Gomes) and one (Jithin M.S.) respectively for the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup.

This when the AIFF had urged all clubs to release national players for the senior men's team camp from August 15-25, in Bengaluru for their maiden participation in the CAFA Nations Cup. The camp will also prepare the squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore (away and home).

However, the clubs are unlikely to face any action from the AIFF as the first match of the four-nation CAFA Nations Cup is against Tajikistan on August 29, which is not part of the official FIFA window. Hence clubs are not under any obligation to release players. The upcoming FIFA window runs from September 1-9.

The losing teams are expected to release its players for the camp, but if any of these teams go the distance – especially, Mohun Bagan which has seven players in their ranks – the player(s) is/are unlikely to join the camp as the Durand Cup final is on August 23.

CAFA Nations Cup schedule:

Aug 29: vs Tajikistan

Sep 1: vs IR Iran

Sep 4: vs Afghanistan

Mohun Bagan SG vs East Bengal FC: Head-to-head record

Meanwhile, East Bengal would be looking to end Mohun Bagan’s dominance in the Kolkata derby in recent times. Last season the teams did not play against each other due to protests over the rape and murder of a female doctor inside the premises of RG Kar Medical College. This year, there were questions over the draw of the quarterfinals after both teams, despite topping their respective groups, were pitted against each other.

While Mohun Bagan have a record 17 Durand Cup titles, East Bengal have 16. But, Mohun Bagan have beaten East Bengal four times in a row at the top-tier level and last lost to them in the Super Cup on January 19, 2024 (1-3). In the Durand Cup, the Mariners defeated East Bengal 1-0 in 2023 final to claim a record 17th title, though the Red-and-Golds had edged them 1-0 in the group stage of the same edition.

Mohun Bagan are yet to lose to East Bengal in the top-tier Indian Super League, from 10 matches with the Mariners winning nine of them.