Durand Cup 2025: Quarter-Final Fixtures Controversial? Was It Deliberately Changed? - Here's What We Know

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The group stage of the Durand Cup 2025 has concluded, and the quarter-final fixtures were unveiled on Tuesday, August 12. The lineup features some exciting matchups: East Bengal versus Mohun Bagan, Shillong Lajong against Indian Navy, Jamshedpur facing Diamond Harbour FC, and defending champions NorthEast United taking on Bodoland FC.

However, behind this seemingly straightforward draw lies a swirl of controversy raising questions about transparency and fairness.

Originally, the knockout draw was scheduled to be conducted via Zoom with representatives from all qualified teams present around 9 PM. Post the draw, early announcements-shared by Mohun Bagan Secretary Srinjoy Bose on Facebook-showed a different set of fixtures, with Mohun Bagan slated to face Jamshedpur and East Bengal against Diamond Harbour FC.

This was quickly echoed by renowned Kolkata sports journalist Dulal Dey, who had previously reported that the iconic Kolkata Derby would not feature in the quarter-finals, despite strong media reports that it will take place in the quarters itself.

Yet within 30 to 40 minutes, official Durand Cup channels revised the fixtures: Mohun Bagan were now set to play arch-rivals East Bengal, and Jamshedpur would take on Diamond Harbour. The ordering of matches also shifted, with the Shillong Lajong vs Indian Navy fixture becoming the first quarter-final instead of the NorthEast United vs Bodoland FC game.

The drama intensified as the Durand Cup's social media initially deleted the derby announcement, only to re-upload it moments later, confirming the Kolkata Derby in the quarters. Meanwhile, Srinjoy Bose and Dulal Dey removed their posts and Dey issued a public apology later on citing a mistake.

Adding to the mystery, the comments on the official quarter-final announcement were either disabled or limited, fueling speculation among fans about the integrity of the draw. Traditionally, in round-robin formats, group winners avoid facing each other in the early knockout stages, yet East Bengal and Mohun Bagan-winners of Groups A and B respectively-are now set to clash early.

While the Durand Committee may have aimed to stage the high-profile Kolkata Derby sooner to maximize excitement because no one can predict if they will reach the summit clash or not. But the sudden fixture changes and muted online response leave many unanswered questions. Was this reshuffle deliberate? Indian football faithful are eager for clarity as the prestigious tournament enters its knockout phase.

Durand Cup 2025 Quarter-Finals Schedule

• August 16, 4:00 PM: Indian Navy vs Shillong Lajong (Shillong)

• August 16, 7:00 PM: Northeast vs Bodoland FC (Kokrajhar)

• August 17, 4:00 PM: Jamshedpur vs Diamond Harbour (Jamshedpur)

• August 17, 7:00 PM: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal (Kolkata)