2023–24 East Bengal FC season
2023–24 season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Owner | Emami East Bengal FC Pvt. Ltd. | |||
Head coach | Carles Cuadrat | |||
Stadium | Salt Lake Stadium East Bengal Ground | |||
Indian Super League | 9th | |||
Calcutta League | Runners-up | |||
Durand Cup | Runners-up | |||
Super Cup | Champions | |||
Top goalscorer | League: Cleiton Silva (8 goals) All: Cleiton Silva (13 goals) | |||
Highest home attendance | 59,845 vs Mohun Bagan SG (10 March 2024, ISL) | |||
Lowest home attendance | 1,500 vs Goa[1] (21 October 2023, ISL) | |||
Average home league attendance | 16,285 | |||
Biggest win | 10–1 Kidderpore (26 September 2023, CFL) | |||
Biggest defeat | 1–4 Punjab (10 April 2024, ISL) | |||
| ||||
All statistics correct as of 10 April 2024. |
The 2023–24 season is the 104th season of East Bengal Football Club and their fourth season in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The Indian football season started in July and ended in April. During the season, East Bengal became runners-up in the Durand Cup and runners-up in the Calcutta Football League, had a ninth-place finish in the Indian Super League and became champions of the Super Cup, thus ensuring a place in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers.
Before the start of the season, East Bengal appointed Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach and finished with the highest ever points the club amassed in the Indian Super League in the four seasons.
Background
[edit]After the end of the 2022–23 season, the club parted ways with the head coach Stephen Constantine after poor results,[2] and appointed former Indian Super League winner Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach for the team on a two-year contract.[3][4][5] The club also roped in the services of Odisha winger Nandhakumar Sekar and Chennaiyin midfielder Edwin Sydney Vanspaul for the season.[6] The club also roped in three Spaniards – Javier Siverio and Borja Herrera from Hyderabad,[7][8] and Saúl Crespo from Odisha for the season.[9] On 3 June, East Bengal announced the departure of eleven players, whose contract period ended and were not renewed, which included the five foreign players from last season apart from Cleiton Silva and Indian players – Jerry Lalrinzuala, Semboi Haokip, Suvam Sen, Himanshu Jangra, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Naveen Kumar.[10] East Bengal also roped in club legend Harmanjot Singh Khabra who had spent seven years with the club previously from 2009–2016 and also left back Mandar Rao Dessai for the season.[11]
On 10 June, the club announced the signing of Nandhakumar Sekar on a three-year deal on a free transfer from Odisha.[12] On 12 June, East Bengal announced the signing of Spanish midfielder Borja Herrera on a one-year contract in a free transfer.[13] On 14 June, the club announced the signing of defender Nishu Kumar from Kerala Blasters on a one-year loan deal.[14] On 17 June, the club announced the signing of Spanish duo Javier Siverio and Saúl Crespo on a one-year contract.[15] On 19 June, the club announced the signings of three players – Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Harmanjot Singh Khabra and Mandar Rao Dessai.[16]
Transfers
[edit]Incoming
[edit]Date | No. | Pos. | Name | Signed from | Fee | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 June 2023 | 11 | FW | Nandhakumar Sekar | Odisha | Free Transfer | [17] |
12 June 2023 | 26 | MF | Borja Herrera | Hyderabad | Free Transfer | [18] |
17 June 2023 | 99 | FW | Javier Siverio | Hyderabad | Free Transfer | [19] |
17 June 2023 | 21 | MF | Saúl Crespo | Odisha | Free Transfer | [19] |
19 June 2023 | 8 | MF | Edwin Sydney Vanspaul | Chennaiyin | Free Transfer | [16] |
19 June 2023 | 7 | DF | Harmanjot Khabra | Kerala Blasters | Free Transfer | [16] |
19 June 2023 | 17 | DF | Mandar Rao Dessai | Mumbai City | Free Transfer | [16] |
12 July 2023 | 13 | GK | Prabhsukhan Singh Gill | Kerala Blasters | Undisclosed[a] | [20] |
12 July 2023 | 33 | DF | Gursimrat Singh Gill | Mumbai City | Free Transfer | [21] |
21 July 2023 | 30 | MF | Vanlalpeka Guite | Aizawl | Free Transfer | [22] |
21 July 2023 | 35 | MF | Gurnaj Singh Grewal | Chandigarh Football Academy | Free Transfer | [22] |
5 August 2023 | 44 | DF | Jordan Elsey | Perth Glory | Free Transfer | [23] |
5 August 2023 | 4 | DF | José Antonio Pardo Lucas | Eldense | Free Transfer | [23] |
1 September 2023 | 84 | MF | Sayan Banerjee | Kalighat Milan Sangha | Free Transfer | [24] |
2 September 2023 | 50 | GK | Julfikar Gazi | Bengal Football Academy | Free Transfer | [25] |
28 September 2023 | 19 | DF | Hijazi Maher | Al-Hussein | Free Transfer | [26] |
31 January 2024 | 9 | MF | Víctor Vázquez | Toronto FC | Free Transfer | [27] |
1 February 2024 | 91 | FW | Felicio Brown | Qingdao Hainiu | Free Transfer | [28] |
15 February 2024 | 28 | DF | Aleksandar Pantić | Doxa Katokopias | Free Transfer | [29] |
Loan in
[edit]Start date | End date | No. | Pos. | Name | Loaned from | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 June 2023 | End of season | 22 | DF | Nishu Kumar | Kerala Blasters | [30] |
31 August 2023 | End of season | 6 | MF | Ajay Chhetri | Bengaluru | [31] |
Outgoing
[edit]Exit Date | No. | Pos. | Name | Signed to | Fee | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 June 2023 | 6 | FW | Sumit Passi | Inter Kashi | Free Transfer | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 8 | MF | Amarjit Singh Kiyam | Goa | End of Loan | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 14 | MF | Alex Lima | Released | [10] | |
1 June 2023 | 17 | DF | Jerry Lalrinzuala | Odisha | Free Transfer | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 18 | MF | Himanshu Jangra | Delhi | End of Loan | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 24 | MF | Jordan O'Doherty | Released | [10] | |
1 June 2023 | 25 | GK | Suvam Sen | Released | [10] | |
1 June 2023 | 26 | FW | Semboi Haokip | Jamshedpur | Free Transfer | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 32 | GK | Naveen Kumar | Goa | End of Loan | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 40 | DF | Charalambos Kyriakou | Doxa Katokopias | Free Transfer | [10] |
1 June 2023 | 77 | FW | Jake Jervis | Kuopion Palloseura | Free Transfer | [10] |
26 July 2023 | 12 | MF | Wahengbam Angousana | Mohammedan Sporting | Free Transfer | [32] |
26 July 2023 | 13 | GK | Pawan Kumar | Delhi | Free Transfer | [32] |
1 September 2023 | 4 | DF | Iván González | Chitwan | Free Transfer | [10] |
1 September 2023 | 33 | DF | Pritam Kumar Singh | TRAU | Free Transfer | [10] |
Loan out
[edit]Start date | End date | No. | Pos. | Name | Loaned to | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 August 2023 | End of season | 16 | DF | Sarthak Golui | Chennaiyin | [33] |
8 January 2024 | End of season | 15 | MF | Mobashir Rahman | Chennaiyin | [34] |
30 January 2024 | End of season | 26 | MF | Borja Herrera | Goa | [35] |
31 January 2024 | End of season | 99 | FW | Javier Siverio | Jamshedpur | [36] |
Team
[edit]First-team squad
[edit]- The below list contains the names and details of the first team squad for East Bengal.
No. | Name | Nat. | Pos. | Date of Birth (Age) | Signed From | Signed In | Contact Ends | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goalkeepers | |||||||||
1 | Kamaljit Singh | GK | 28 December 1995 | Odisha | 2022 | 2025 | 26 | 0 | |
13 | Prabhsukhan Singh Gill | GK | 2 January 2001 | Kerala Blasters | 2023 | 2026 | 32 | 0 | |
27 | Aditya Patra | GK | 27 April 2000 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
50 | Julfikar Gazi | GK | 6 May 2006 | Bengal FA | 2023 | 2026 | 0 | 0 | |
75 | Ranit Sarkar | GK | 9 November 2004 | RFYC | 2023 | 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
Defenders | |||||||||
5 | Lalchungnunga | CB | 25 December 2000 | Sreenidi Deccan | 2022 | 2026 | 50 | 0 | |
7 | Harmanjot Singh Khabra | RB | 18 March 1988 | Kerala Blasters | 2023 | 2024 | 246 | 13 | |
12 | Mohammad Rakip | RB | 14 May 2000 | Mumbai City | 2022 | 2024 | 48 | 0 | |
17 | Mandar Rao Dessai | LB | 18 March 1992 | Mumbai City | 2023 | 2024 | 24 | 0 | |
19 | Hijazi Maher | CB | 20 September 1997 | Al-Hussein | 2023 | 2024 | 22 | 2 | |
22 | Nishu Kumar | LB | 5 November 1997 | Kerala Blasters | 2023 | 2024 | 30 | 1 | |
25 | Athul Unnikrishnan | CB | 1 February 2000 | Kerala United | 2022 | 2025 | 16 | 0 | |
28 | Aleksandar Pantić | CB | 11 April 1992 | Doxa Katokopias | 2024 | 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
33 | Gursimrat Singh Gill | CB | 2 November 1997 | Mumbai City | 2023 | 2026 | 11 | 0 | |
37 | Tuhin Das | LB | 7 March 2000 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 23 | 2 | |
40 | Tingku Kangujam | RB | 23 January 2001 | NEROCA | 2023 | 2024 | 0 | 0 | |
Midfielders | |||||||||
6 | Ajay Chhetri | CM | 7 July 1999 | Bengaluru | 2023 | 2024 | 21 | 1 | |
8 | Edwin Sydney Vanspaul | CM | 24 September 1992 | Chennaiyin | 2023 | 2025 | 13 | 0 | |
9 | Víctor Vázquez | AM | 20 January 1987 | Toronto FC | 2024 | 2024 | 10 | 0 | |
21 | Saúl Crespo | DM | 23 July 1996 | Odisha | 2023 | 2024 | 25 | 7 | |
23 | Souvik Chakrabarti | CM | 12 July 1991 | Hyderabad | 2022 | 2025 | 42 | 0 | |
29 | Naorem Mahesh Singh | LW | 1 March 1999 | Kerala Blasters | 2022 | 2027 | 70 | 12 | |
30 | Vanlalpeka Guite | AM | 26 October 2006 | Aizawl | 2023 | 2026 | 8 | 1 | |
35 | Gunraj Singh Grewal | DM | 9 January 2007 | Chandigarh FA | 2023 | 2026 | 9 | 0 | |
57 | Mahitosh Roy | CM | 11 November 1998 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 12 | 5 | |
61 | Tanmay Das | CM | 2 May 2001 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 13 | 1 | |
62 | Aman C. K. | RW | 19 March 2003 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2026 | 15 | 5 | |
66 | Shyamal Besra | CM | 25 September 2004 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
Forwards | |||||||||
10 | Cleiton Silva (captain) | FW | 3 February 1987 | Bengaluru | 2022 | 2024 | 55 | 27 | |
11 | Nandhakumar Sekar | FW | 20 December 1995 | Odisha | 2023 | 2026 | 31 | 10 | |
20 | V. P. Suhair | FW | 27 July 1992 | NorthEast United | 2022 | 2025 | 45 | 10 | |
59 | Jesin TK | FW | 19 February 2000 | East Bengal Reserves | 2022 | 2024 | 17 | 7 | |
70 | Abhishek Kunjam | FW | 17 August 2003 | RKM Football Academy | 2023 | 2025 | 13 | 6 | |
82 | P. V. Vishnu | FW | 24 December 2001 | Muthoot FA | 2023 | 2026 | 31 | 7 | |
84 | Sayan Banerjee | FW | 14 January 2003 | Kalighat MS | 2023 | 2026 | 10 | 1 | |
91 | Felicio Brown Forbes | FW | 28 August 1991 | Qingdao Hainiu | 2024 | 2024 | 11 | 1 |
New contracts
[edit]No. | Pos. | Date | Name | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
29 | MF | 23 September 2023 | Naorem Mahesh Singh | [39] |
Other player under contract
[edit]No. | Pos. | Name | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
4 | DF | José Antonio Pardo Lucas | [40] |
44 | DF | Jordan Elsey | [41] |
Current technical staff
[edit]East Bengal appointed former Indian Super League winner Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach for the club on a two-year contract.[4] The club also extended the contract with assistant coach Bino George till 2026, as he would also remain as the head coach of the reserves and developmental squad.[42] The club also appointed former Indian Super League winner Dimas Delgado as the assistant coach on a two-year contract.[43] The club also roped in three more Spaniards into the backroom – Goalkeeper coach Javier Pinillos, Physiotherapist Senen Alvarez and Sports Scientist Albert Martinez Bernat.[44]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Carles Cuadrat |
Assistant coach | Dimas Delgado |
Bino George | |
Goalkeeping Coach | Javier Pinillos |
Strength & Conditioning Coach | Albert Martinez Bernat |
Physiotherapist | Senen Alvarez |
Physical Rehabilitator | Gabriel Effio |
Assistant Physiotherapist | Tejas Lasalkar |
Performance Analyst | Aromal Vijayan |
Team Manager | Pratim Kumar Saha |
Team Doctor | Dr. Mustufa Poonawalla |
Masseur | Rajesh Basak |
Masseur | Robin Das |
Preseason and friendlies
[edit]East Bengal started their preseason under Bino George and later under Carles Cuadrat in July. East Bengal played their first preseason friendly against Indian Navy on 30 July and won 2–1 with Lalchungnunga and Mandar Rao Dessai scoring for East Bengal in the match ahead of the Durand Cup.[45] On 13 September, East Bengal faced Hyderabad in a preseason friendly game ahead of the Indian Super League and lost 0–1 at the East Bengal Ground.[46]
Matches
[edit]Win Draw Loss
30 July 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 2–1 | Indian Navy | Rajarhat |
19:00 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: AIFF National Centre of Excellence Attendance: 0[A] |
13 September 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 0–1 | Hyderabad | Kolkata |
17:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
18 September 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 2–2 | Inter Kashi | Kolkata |
17:00 IST |
| Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
16 October 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 2–3 | Neroca | Kolkata |
12:00 IST |
|
| Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
26 October 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 0–0 | Diamond Harbour | Kolkata |
12:00 IST | Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
30 October 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 4–0 | Mohammedan Sporting | Kolkata |
19:00 IST | Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
16 November 2023 Friendly | East Bengal | 2–1 | TRAU | Kolkata |
09:00 IST | ? | Stadium: East Bengal Ground Attendance: 0[A] |
Competitions
[edit]Overall record
[edit]Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
Durand Cup | 12 August 2023 | 3 September 2023 | Group stage | Runner-up | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 50.00 |
Indian Super League | 25 September 2023 | 10 April 2024 | Matchday 1 | 9th | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 27.27 |
Super Cup | 9 January 2024 | 28 January 2024 | Group stage | Winners | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 100.00 |
Calcutta Football League[B][C] | 13 July 2023 | 30 November 2023 | Round Robin | Runner-up | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 10 | +40 | 76.47 |
Total | 50 | 27 | 11 | 12 | 98 | 51 | +47 | 54.00 |
Last updated: 10 April 2024
Source: Soccerway
Durand Cup
[edit]East Bengal participated in the 2023 Durand Cup and was grouped into Group A along with Mohun Bagan SG, Punjab, and Bangladesh Army and would play their group stage matches in Kolkata.[48] On 6 August, East Bengal began their campaign against Bangladesh Army at the Salt Lake Stadium and managed a 2–2 draw. East Bengal took a 2–0 lead at halftime with Saúl Crespo and Javier Siverio scoring for the team but Nishu Kumar received a red card in the second half as Bangladesh Army scored two late goals to make it 2–2 and the points were shared.[49] On 12 August, East Bengal faced their arch—rivals Mohun Bagan SG in the Kolkata Derby fixture at the Salt Lake Stadium and managed a 1–0 win courtesy of a solitary goal from Nandhakumar Sekar in the second half.[50][51] On 16 August, East Bengal defeated Punjab 1–0 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan to secure the top spot in the group and qualify for the quarterfinals. Javier Siverio scored the only goal of the match.[52] On 25 August, East Bengal faced Gokulam Kerala at the Salt Lake Stadium in the quarterfinals and won 2–1. Jordan Elsey scored for East Bengal in the very first minute but Gokulam Kerala equalized in the second half courtesy of a goal from Aminou Bouba. However, East Bengal found the winner in the seventy-eighth minute when Nishu Kumar's cross deflected off Aminou Bouba into the net as East Bengal managed to hold onto the 2–1 lead to progress into the semifinals.[53] On 29 August, East Bengal faced NorthEast United in the semifinals at the Salt Lake Stadium, where after the match ended 2–2, East Bengal managed to progress into the finals after winning the penalty shootout 5–3. East Bengal went 2–0 behind with goals from Míchel Zabaco and Konsam Phalguni Singh however, they rallied from behind with goals from Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar Sekar to equalize the match to take it to the penalty shootout. East Bengal scored all five of their penalty kicks but Parthib Sundar Gogoi missed the penalty for NorthEast United as East Bengal won the shootout and progressed into the final for the first time since 2004.[54] On 3 September, East Bengal faced Mohun Bagan SG in the final at the Salt Lake Stadium and suffered a 0–1 defeat to finish runners-up of the tournament. Dimitri Petratos scored the only goal in the final for Mohun Bagan SG.[55] Nandhakumar Sekar was adjudged as the player of the tournament.[56]
Group stage
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EAB | MBG | BAN | PUN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Bengal (H) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | Qualify for the knockout stage | — | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | |
2 | Mohun Bagan SG (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 6 | 0–1 | — | 5–0 | 2–0 | ||
3 | Bangladesh Army | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||
4 | Punjab | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 | — | — | 0–0 | — |
Knockout stage
[edit]Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
24 August – IGAS | ||||||||||
Indian Army | 0 | |||||||||
29 August – VYBK | ||||||||||
NorthEast United | 1 | |||||||||
NorthEast United | 2(3) | |||||||||
25 August – VYBK | ||||||||||
East Bengal | 2(5) | |||||||||
East Bengal | 2 | |||||||||
3 September – VYBK | ||||||||||
Gokulam Kerala | 1 | |||||||||
East Bengal | 0 | |||||||||
26 August – IGAS | ||||||||||
Mohun Bagan SG | 1 | |||||||||
Goa | 4 | |||||||||
31 August – VYBK | ||||||||||
Chennaiyin | 1 | |||||||||
Goa | 1 | |||||||||
27 August – VYBK | ||||||||||
Mohun Bagan SG | 2 | |||||||||
Mumbai City | 1 | |||||||||
Mohun Bagan SG | 3 | |||||||||
Matches
[edit]Win Draw Loss Void
6 August 2023 Group stage | East Bengal | 2–2 | Bangladesh Army | Kolkata |
16:45 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 9,820 Referee: Ijamal Mohamed Man of the Match: Harmanjot Khabra (East Bengal) |
12 August 2023 Group stage | Mohun Bagan SG | 0–1 | East Bengal | Kolkata |
16:45 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 55,857 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Nandhakumar Sekar (East Bengal) |
16 August 2023 Group stage | East Bengal | 1–0 | Punjab | Kolkata |
18:00 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Kishore Bharati Krirangan Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Rahul Gupta Man of the Match: Nandhakumar Sekar (East Bengal) |
25 August 2023 Quarter—final | East Bengal | 2–1 | Gokulam Kerala | Kolkata |
18:00 IST |
| Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 8,131 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Jordan Elsey (East Bengal) |
29 August 2023 Semi—final | NorthEast United | 2–2 (3–5 p) | East Bengal | Kolkata |
18:00 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 21,567 Referee: Aditya Purakayasta Man of the Match: Nandhakumar Sekar (East Bengal) |
Penalties | ||||
3 September 2023 Final | East Bengal | 0–1 | Mohun Bagan SG | Kolkata |
16:00 IST | Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 59,797 Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta Man of the Match: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan SG) |
Indian Super League
[edit]Summary
[edit]East Bengal began their Indian Super League campaign at home against Jamshedpur on 25 September at the Salt Lake Stadium with a goalless draw to share the points.[57] On 30 September, East Bengal faced Hyderabad in their second match at the Salt lake Stadium and secured their first victory of the campaign. Hitesh Sharma put Hyderabad ahead but Cleiton Silva scored twice including a stoppage-time freekick winner to complete the comeback as East Bengal secured the victory.[58]
On 4 October, East Bengal faced Bengaluru away at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium and suffered a 2–1 defeat. Naorem Mahesh Singh had put East Bengal ahead but Sunil Chhetri and Javi Hernández scored for Bengaluru as East Bengal suffered their first defeat of the campaign.[59] On 21 October, East Bengal faced Goa at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar due to administrative issues,[1] and suffered a 2–1 defeat. Naorem Mahesh Singh had put East Bengal ahead however, Goa rallied from behind with two goals within a minute from Sandesh Jhingan and Víctor Rodríguez as East Bengal suffered consecutive defeats.[60] On 4 November, East Bengal faced Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium and suffered a 2&1 defeat.[61] On 25 November, East Bengal faced Chennaiyin away at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and drew 1–1, to end their three-match defeat streak.[62]
On 4 December, East Bengal faced NorthEast United and recorded a 5–0 win. Borja Herrera opened the scoring for East Bengal and Cleiton Silva and Nandhakumar Sekar scored a brace each as East Bengal recorded their biggest-ever win since their inception in the Indian Super League.[63] On 9th December, East Bengal faced Punjab and settled for a 0–0 draw.[64] Next, on 16 December, East Bengal faced Mumbai City away at the Mumbai Football Arena and again settled for a 0–0 draw.[65] On 22 December, East Bengal faced Odisha at home and once again settled for a 0–0 draw, the third consecutive goalless draw before ending the first leg of the league before the break for the Asian Cup.[66]
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | NorthEast United | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 26 | |
8 | Punjab | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 35 | −7 | 24[a] | |
9 | East Bengal | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 24[a] | ACL 2 preliminary stage[b] |
10 | Bengaluru | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 34 | −14 | 22 | |
11 | Jamshedpur | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 21 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) fair play ranking
Notes:
- ^ a b Head-to-head points: Punjab 4, East Bengal 1.
- ^ East Bengal qualified for the AFC Champions League Two preliminary stage by winning the 2024 Super Cup.[67]
Result summary
[edit]Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 19 | −5 |
Results by match
[edit]A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches
[edit]The league fixtures were announced on 7 September 2023, with the season starting on 21 September.[68]
Win Draw Loss Void
25 September 2023 Round 1 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Jamshedpur | Kolkata |
20:00 IST |
| Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 11,143 Referee: I Jamal Mohamed Man of the Match: Elsinho (Jamshedpur) |
30 September 2023 Round 2 | East Bengal | 2–1 | Hyderabad | Kolkata |
20:00 IST | Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 11,577 Referee: Ashwin Kumar Man of the Match: Cleiton Silva (East Bengal) |
4 October 2023 Round 3 | Bengaluru | 2–1 | East Bengal | Bengaluru |
20:00 IST |
| Report | Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium Attendance: 5,913 Referee: Senthil Nathan Man of the Match: Ryan Williams (Bengaluru) |
21 October 2023 Round 4 | East Bengal | 1–2 | Goa | Bhubaneshwar |
17:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Venkatesh R Man of the Match: Víctor Rodríguez (Goa) | ||
Note: The home match was shifted to Bhubaneshwar due to administrative issues.[1] |
4 November 2023 Round 6 | East Bengal | 1–2 | Kerala Blasters | Kolkata |
20:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 16,575 Referee: M. Ashwin Man of the Match: Sachin Suresh (Kerala Blasters) |
25 November 2023 Round 7 | Chennaiyin | 1–1 | East Bengal | Chennai |
17:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Attendance: 6,329 Referee: Crystal John Man of the Match: Rafael Crivellaro (Chennaiyin) |
4 December 2023 Round 8 | East Bengal | 5–0 | NorthEast United | Kolkata |
20:00 IST | Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 6,973 Referee: Aditya Purkayastha Man of the Match: Nandhakumar Sekar (East Bengal) |
9 December 2023 Round 9 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Punjab | Kolkata |
20:00 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 14,977 Referee: Venkatesh R. Man of the Match: Suresh Meitei (Punjab) |
16 December 2023 Round 10 | Mumbai City | 0–0 | East Bengal | Mumbai |
20:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Mumbai Football Arena Attendance: 3,488 Referee: M. Ashwin Man of the Match: Hijazi Maher (East Bengal) |
22 December 2023 Round 11 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Odisha | Kolkata |
20:00 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 12,226 Referee: Senthil Nathan Man of the Match: Souvik Chakrabarti (East Bengal) |
3 February 2024 Round 5 | Mohun Bagan SG | 2–2 | East Bengal | Kolkata |
20:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 57,983 Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta Man of the Match: Dimitri Petratos (Mohun Bagan SG) |
10 February 2024 Round 12 | NorthEast United | 3–2 | East Bengal | Guwahati |
17:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Attendance: 3,597 Referee: M. Ashwin Man of the Match: Tomi Juric (NorthEast United) |
13 February 2024 Round 13 | East Bengal | 0–1 | Mumbai City | Kolkata |
19:30 IST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 11,172 Referee: Venkatesh R. Man of the Match: Iker Guarrotxena (Mumbai City) |
17 February 2024 Round 14 | Hyderabad | 0–1 | East Bengal | Hyderabad |
19:30 IST | Report |
| Stadium: G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium Attendance: 1,348 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar Man of the Match: Cleiton Silva (East Bengal) |
22 February 2024 Round 15 | Jamshedpur | 2–1 | East Bengal | Jamshedpur |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: JRD Tata Sports Complex Attendance: 15,611 Referee: Crystal John Man of the Match: Jérémy Manzorro (Jamshedpur) |
26 February 2024 Round 16 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Chennaiyin | Kolkata |
19:30 IST |
| Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 13,153 Referee: Aditya Purkayastha Man of the Match: Nandhakumar Sekar (East Bengal) |
29 February 2024 Round 17 | Odisha | 2–1 | East Bengal | Bhubaneshwar |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Attendance: 7,348 Referee: I Jamal Mohamed Man of the Match: Princeton Rebello (Odisha) |
6 March 2024 Round 18 | Goa | 1–0 | East Bengal | Margao |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Fatorda Stadium Attendance: 5,856 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Noah Sadaoui (Goa) |
10 March 2024 Round 19 | East Bengal | 1–3 | Mohun Bagan SG | Kolkata |
20:30 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 59,845 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar Man of the Match: Dimitrios Petratos (Mohun Bagan SG) |
3 April 2024 Round 20 | Kerala Blasters | 2–4 | East Bengal | Kochi |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Attendance: 23,418 Referee: Venkatesh R Man of the Match: Saúl Crespo (East Bengal) | ||
Note: The third goal for East Bengal has been awarded to Naorem Mahesh Singh by the league.[69] |
7 April 2024 Round 21 | East Bengal | 2–1 | Bengaluru | Kolkata |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Salt Lake Stadium Attendance: 19,989 Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar Man of the Match: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (East Bengal) |
10 April 2024 Round 22 | Punjab | 4–1 | East Bengal | New Delhi |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Crystal John Man of the Match: Madih Talal (Punjab) | ||
Note: Closed door match due to security concerns. |
Super Cup
[edit]East Bengal along with the other ten Indian Super League teams and four I-League teams shall participate in the Super Cup, which will be in Odisha in January 2024.[70] East Bengal has been grouped in Group A, alongside Indian Super League sides – Mohun Bagan SG, Hyderabad and an I-League side Sreenidhi Deccan.[70] On 9th January, East Bengal faced Hyderabad in the opening fixture of the campaign and managed a 3–2 victory with Cleiton Silva scoring a brace and Saúl Crespo scoring the third.[71] On 14 January, East Bengal faced Sreenidhi Deccan and won 2–1 with goals from Hijazi Maher and Javier Siverio.[72] On 19th January, East Bengal faced their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giants in the Kolkata Derby fixture in a virtual quarter-final tie that would decide the group champions and who would progress into the semi-finals and East Bengal won 3–1 with captain Cleiton Silva scoring a brace while Nandhakumar Sekar scoring the other, as East Bengal won all three matches in the group to qualify for the semi-final.[73] On 24 January, East Bengal faced Group B winners Jamshedpur in the semi-finals and won 2–0 with goals from Hijazi Maher and Javier Siverio as they entered the final for the second time, after 2018.[74] On 28 January, East Bengal faced the defending champions Odisha in the final at their home ground Kalinga Stadium. Odisha took the lead in the first half as Diego Mauricio scored however, East Bengal came back with goals from Nandhakumar Sekar and Saúl Crespo to lead 2–1 however, East Bengal conceded a penalty in the last second of the match and Ahmed Jahouh scored the equalizer from the spot to take the game into extra time. However, captain Cleiton Silva scored the winner in the 110th minute as East Bengal secured a 3–2 victory to become the champions and lift a major trophy after twelve years.[75]
Group Stage
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EAB | MBG | SRD | HYD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Bengal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | |
2 | Mohun Bagan SG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | — | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
3 | Sreenidi Deccan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 3 | — | — | — | 4–1 | ||
4 | Hyderabad | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
Knockout Stage
[edit]Semifinals | Final | ||||||||
A1 | East Bengal | 2 | |||||||
B1 | Jamshedpur | 0 | |||||||
SFW1 | East Bengal (a.e.t.) | 3 | |||||||
SFW2 | Odisha | 2 | |||||||
C1 | Mumbai City | 0 | |||||||
D1 | Odisha | 1 |
Matches
[edit]Win Draw Loss Void
9 January 2024 Group stage | East Bengal | 3–2 | Hyderabad | Bhubaneshwar |
14:00 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Pitch 1 Attendance: 300 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Cleiton Silva (East Bengal) |
14 January 2024 Group stage | East Bengal | 2–1 | Sreenidhi Deccan | Bhubaneshwar |
19:30 IST | Report |
| Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Attendance: 500 Referee: Harish Kundu Man of the Match: Hijazi Maher (East Bengal) |
19 January 2024 Group stage | Mohun Bagan SG | 1–3 | East Bengal | Bhubaneshwar |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Attendance: 6,457 Referee: R. Venkatesh Man of the Match: Cleiton Silva (East Bengal) |
24 January 2024 Semi—final | East Bengal | 2–0 | Jamshedpur | Bhubaneshwar |
19:30 IST | Report | Stadium: Kalinga Stadium Attendance: 1,080 Referee: Rahu Kumar Gupta Man of the Match: Hijazi Maher (East Bengal) |
28 January 2024 Final | East Bengal | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Odisha | Bhubaneshwar |
19:30 IST |
|