They topped their respective groups after beating Dempo and Vasco respectively in the Durand Cup.
Injury-hit East Bengal will have to overcome stiff challenge from resurgent Prayag United SC when the two local teams lock horns, in what promises to be a thrilling second semifinal contest of the 33rd Federation Cup in Kolkata, on Sunday.
East Bengal's chance to stay in contention for the title race ended after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Dempo FC in the 25th round of the I-League played at Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Saturday.
AFC Cup semi-finalists East Bengal suffered a jolt ahead of their big match next week as they were beaten by former champions Dempo 3-1 in Kalyani on Thursday.
Favourites East Bengal paid heavily for defensive lapses as they lost by a solitary goal to Churchill Brothers in their opening encounter of the fifth edition of the I-League football tournament at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
It's been eight months since East Bengal triumphed in the Federation Cup but the age-old Kolkata club is yet to get the prize money for winning the tournament, thanks to dilly dallying on part of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong attack on the TMC in West Bengal, accusing them of corruption and syndicate rule, while promising to address atrocities against women if the BJP comes to power.
Churchill Brothers' efforts to regain the second spot in the I-League points table got a jolt as East Bengal came from behind to hold Churchill Brothers to a 2-2 draw at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
Former champions East Bengal made a shock exit from the Durand Cup football tournament after a 0-1 loss to I-League newcomers Lajong FC, Shillong in a Group IV quarter-final league match at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday.
East Bengal's chances of progressing to the next round of the AFC Cup tournament received a further jolt when they were blanked 0-2 by Iraqi outfit Arbil SC in a Group B match in Kolkta on Wednesday. The Kolkata giants suffered their third successive defeat in the tournament having been beaten 0-1 by Al Orouba of Yemen and 0-3 by Kazma of Kuwait in their earlier group matches.
Abel Hammond struck a brace as a spirited East Bengal registered their biggest victory of this season, drubbing Lajong FC 3-0 in an ONGC I-league football match at Vidyasagar stadium in Barasat on Thursday.
Punjab FC secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Odisha FC in an Indian Super League match, boosting their title ambitions. Goals from Manglenthang Kipgen, Bede Osuji, and Dani Ramirez sealed the win for Punjab, while Suhair VP and Kartik Hantal scored for Odisha.
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Al Ittihad of Syria rode on a double strike by Abdulfatah Alagha and pumped in two goals in the dying minutes to drub East Bengal 4-1 in their Group D AFC Cup opening match at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday.
'He has agreed to play for us once he is back after a two-month stint with a Malaysian club,' team director Amit Sen said.
Striker Robin Singh struck the match-winner as Bengal made a stunning second-half comeback to upset defending champions Bengaluru FC 2-1 in a high-profile I-League football clash, in Barasat, West Bengal on Sunday.
Title favourites East Bengal's nightmare in the return leg of the I-League continued as they lost to Shillong Lajong FC 0-1 in a 15th round encounter in Shillong on Saturday.
Heeding the desperate urges of their coach Tervor James Morgan, East Bengal picked up a win at the right time as they beat Mumbai FC 2-0 in a 16th round match of the I-League in Kalyani's Municipal Stadium, Kolkata on Sunday.
East Bengal kicked off the new season on a disastrous note as the Kolkata giants were knocked out of the IFA Shield following a shocking 1-3 loss to a young Tata Football Academy in a Group A tie at the Vidyasagar Krirangan in Barasat, West Bengal, on Thursday.
East Bengal on Friday showcaused their Brazilian striker Edmilson Marques who had a spat with coach Subhas Bhowmick that led to a scuffle with team-mate Saumik Dey inside the dressing room.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant has appointed Greek tactician Panagiotis Dilmperis as their new head coach on a one-year contract. Known for his attacking yet balanced style and ability to blend youth with experience, Dilmperis aims to build a disciplined and courageous side to compete for all trophies, acknowledging the high expectations and the significance of the Kolkata Derby.
Kuwaiti outfit Kazma scored in the dying minutes to register a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a 10-man East Bengal in their concluding Group B AFC Cup league match at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Wednesaday. The victory was enough to earn Kazma 11 points and a berth in the pre-quarter-finals.
East Bengal started their AFC Cup campaign with a 0-1 loss to Lebanon's Safa Sporting Club.
Chhetri was shown the first yellow in the 22nd minute after bringing down Anirudh Thapa, something he repeated on the same player after nine minutes to be sent off.
North-East football giant Shillong Lajong came from behind to beat Kingfisher East Bengal 2-1 in a thrilling encounter, witnessed by more than 20,000 strong fans at the J N Stadium in Shillong on Saturday.
Real Kashmir FC's upcoming home leg I-League fixture against East Bengal was Monday shifted to New Delhi in view of the prevailing 'uncertainity' in Srinagar.
The BJP is set to form its first government in West Bengal, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. The event is expected to be attended by prominent BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's office is relocating from the historic Fort St George to a new, spacious, and modern facility on the 10th floor of the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai building in the Secretariat complex due to space constraints and administrative considerations. This move marks a significant departure from a nearly six-decade tradition.
Edmilson Marques scored twice as former champions East Bengal beat JCT 2-1.
Brazil's Sao-Paulo blanked East Bengal 3-0 in the first Super Soccer match.
Benzema to stand trial in sex tape case, says lawyer.
Kolkata's iconic 'FIFA Gully' has transformed a small neighbourhood lane into a colourful World Cup attraction, with murals and giant cut-outs of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and other football stars celebrating the city's enduring love for the beautiful game.
Mike Okoro did the star turn for the Kolkata side as they beat Army X 3-0 in the final.
Manchester United beat East bengal 5-0 in the lung-opener of under-15 Nike Manchester United Premier Cup.
Cristiano Junior scored a brace as the Indian club strolled to an easy win.
Mumbai FC pulled out all the stops to score a well-merited come-from-behind 2-1 victory over a listless East Bengal in a 13th round I-League match at the Cooperage inMumbai on Saturday. They had earlier beaten the same opponents by a 1-0 margin in the first leg in Kolkata.
Yusif Yakubu scored the all-important goal in a 1-0 victory in the clash of the giants, in the National Football League.
Yemeni side Al Orouba rode on a dubious penalty decision to walk away with a lucky 1-0 win over East Bengal in their Group B AFC Cup opener at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Air India dominated Kolkata's glamour team and league leaders East Bengal to share honours in Mumbai
