Diamond Harbour FC will aim to cap a dream run with a title win on debut when it faces the might of the defending champion NorthEast United FC in the final of the 134th Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.
The surprise finalist will be looking to emulate Gokulam Kerala FC and FC Goa, which won the tournament in its maiden appearances in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
Diamond Harbour has pulled off one upset after the other in the world’s third oldest football tournament, beating ISL teams Jamshedpur FC and East Bengal. However, NEU FC has played like a well-oiled machine in the tournament thus far and will pose a stiff challenge to the pretender’s title ambitions.
Diamond Harbour, which became the I-League Division-2 champion this year, underlined its progress by taming East Bengal in the semifinals and will expect its players to rise to the occasion for the big game.
Published – August 22, 2025 11:41 pm IST
