Mohun Bagan, East Bengal Kick Off CFL 2026 Campaign with Comfortable Opening-Day Victories
Mohun Bagan, East Bengal Kick Off CFL 2026 Campaign with Comfortable Opening-Day Victories: The 2026–27 football season unofficially began with the opening day of the IFA’s Calcutta Football League. Defending champions East Bengal swept past George Telegraph (3-0), while the following day saw the Mariners thrash Patha Chakra (4-0). The Red & Gold Brigade took a bit of time to get going, but once they found their rhythm, they were difficult to stop in every possible way.
The Mariners followed the same path, even going a step further by dominating Patha Chakra the next day. Sayan Banerjee, who moved to rival club Mohun Bagan due to a lack of game time, made an immediate impact, scoring goals and providing assists for fun. A strong start for both teams sets the stage for a fitting battle as the Kolkata giants look to prepare in the best possible way for the upcoming major competitions.
The main squads of both teams are expected to begin their pre-season very soon, with the Red & Gold Brigade partially starting theirs yesterday. East Bengal FC will have another important assignment in a month’s time when they embark on their ACL 2 playoff campaign. They will host Kuwait Premier League runners-up Al Qadsia SC in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) Preliminary Round on August 12, 2026. The single-leg knockout playoff will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan) in Kolkata.
With successful starts for both clubs, anticipation is already building for another exciting edition of the Calcutta Football League, where Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will once again be among the favourites to challenge for top honours.
In their next match, East Bengal FC will face Bidhannagar MSA, while the Mariners will take on Kidderpore SC on 15th July and 16th July respectively.
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