Kokrajhar, August 3, 2025: Punjab FC began their 134th IndianOil Durand Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC (KAMSFC), here at the SAI Stadium. In a closely contested Group D tie, KAMSFC stunned the ISL side with a 69th-minute goal from Joseph Olaleye, before Pramveer (73’) and Konsam Sanathoi Singh (90+2’) turned the game around in the final quarter of the match and gave the Shers a winning start to their campaign.
All matches of the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup are being broadcast LIVE on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Ten 2 channels) and streamed on the SonyLiv platform.
The Shers head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis fielded a youthful side in a 4-2-3-1 setup, handing debuts to Vishal Yadav and Muhammed Uvais. The frontline featured Vishal, Suhail F., and Ninthoi Meetei, while captain Nikhil Prabhu anchored the midfield alongside Ravi Kumar in between the sticks. Karbi Anglong Head Coach C A Laldinsang Pudaite, in their final match of the tournament, made two changes to his starting line-up bringing in goal keeper Gojen Hanse and Ghana International defender Ben Nash Quansh in place of Wellyster Mendes and Khupminlun Hupminlun.
The Shers showed early attacking intent, with chances falling to debutant Vishal and Suhail. Karbi keeper Gojen Hanse stood tall, pulling off crucial saves including a double attempt in the 12th minute and another fingertip denial from Kipgen’s strike that hit the crossbar in the 16th minute.
Against the run of play, Karbi nearly took the lead when Joseph Bempah forced a flying save from Ravi Kumar in the 29th minute. Off the resulting corner, a handball gave Karbi Anglong a penalty. But Lunminlen Haokip fired it wide, letting Punjab off the hook.
Despite controlling possession and creating multiple half-chances, Punjab couldn’t break through Karbi Anglong’s disciplined defence, with Harbamon Timung leading from the back. The first half ended goalless.
The second half saw Punjab dominate the tempo, with Lhungdim testing Gojen again from distance, and Ninthoi continuing to deliver dangerous balls into the box.
However, it was Karbi Anglong who struck first, Nigerian midfielder Victor Jackson launched a lofted ball to Olaleye in front from the center of the field, who took advantage of Ravi Kumar being off his line to place it beautifully from outside the box inside the goal in the 69th minute and give the I-League side the lead.
Punjab responded quickly. Four minutes later, a corner from substitute Shami found Pramveer, who rose above the defence to head home the equaliser in between the keeper and defender on the right bottom corner.
The Shers kept pushing the Karbi Anglong defense trying to find the winner but were not able to find the finishing touch.
In added time, with the match heading for a draw, Uvais floated in a teasing cross from the left which found Konsam Singh, unmarked inside the box. Konsam met the cross on the volley and smashed home the winner in the 90+2 minute, sealing all three points for the Shers.
The win gives Punjab FC a vital early boost in their Group D campaign, while KAMSFC, despite a spirited performance, will rue missed chances and their inability to hold on to the lead as they end their 2025 Durand Cup campaign without a single win. Punjab FC will face ITBP FT in their next group D encounter on Wednesday (August 6, 2025).
ABOUT DURAND CUP
A proud symbol of India’s footballing legacy, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third-oldest football tournament. Organized by the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, it has served as a breeding ground for India’s finest football talent for over a century.
The inaugural edition was held in Shimla in 1888, before the tournament moved to New Delhi in 1940, where it remained for more than seven decades.
In 2019, the Durand Cup came under the aegis of the Eastern Command and shifted to the football heartland of the East, with Kolkata, the Mecca of Indian football and headquarters of the Eastern Command as its home base. Over the past six years, the tournament has grown from a single-city event into a multi-city, multi-state sporting spectacle. And this year for the first time ever, Durand Cup is being played across five states – West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur.
Adding to its uniqueness, the tournament champions receive three iconic trophies: the Durand Cup and the Shimla Trophy, both rolling honours and the President’s Cup, crafted afresh each year and awarded for permanent keepsake
