DURAND CUP : Indian Navy in must-win test against TRAU today
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal/Kokrajhar, August 11 2025: The group stage of the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup reaches its final day on Tuesday with two decisive fixtures set to decide the last remaining spots in the knockout rounds. The Imphal match starting at 4 pm, will see the Indian Navy Football Team (4 points) taking on already-eliminated TRAU FC at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium.

The equation is straightforward for the Sailors, win and they qualify; anything less and Real Kashmir FC (6 points) will claim the quarterfinal spot from Group F .

Later in Kokrajhar, Assam, Bodoland FC (6 points) take on the ITBP Football Team (4 points) in the Group D decider at the SAI Stadium.

A draw will be enough for Bodoland to script a historic first-ever knockout appearance in the Durand Cup, while ITBP must take all three points to qualify.

Must-win for the Sailors

The Indian Navy FT, second in Group F behind Real Kashmir FC, must win against TRAU FC to secure a quarterfinal spot as group toppers with seven points.

The Sailors' campaign began with a 2-1 victory over Real Kashmir, followed by 0-0 draw against NEROCA FC.

Solid at the back under captain Bhaskar Roy but occasionally lacking in the final third, the Sailors will need to sharpen their attacking edge to break down a TRAU side eager to finish on a high.

TRAU, already out of contention with one point from two matches, will look to end on a high in front of the home crowd.

They drew 1-1 with local rivals NEROCA FC before a narrow 1-2 loss to Real Kashmir in a match where Afridi Buyamayum scored and skipper Shitaljit Atom saw red.

With no pressure on them, TRAU could play with freedom and disrupt the Navy's plans.

Who join the quarterfinals line-up?

By the end of Tuesday, the quarterfinal line up for the 134th edition of Asia's oldest football tournament will be complete.

Emami East Bengal (Group A), Mohun Bagan SG (Group B), Jamshedpur FC (Group C) and North-East United FC (Group E) have already booked their quarterfinal places, while Shillong Lajong FC (Group E) and Diamond Harbour FC (Group B) currently lead the two-best-second-placed standings with 6 points and goal differences of plus-7 and plus-4 respectively.

With Groups D and F still in play, the drama is far from over.

For Bodoland, it could be history in the making; for ITBP, a chance to turn resilience into a famous qualification.

And for the Indian Navy, the course is clear, win to sail into the quarterfinals, while TRAU have the opportunity to play spoiler.

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