From Durand Cup'23 to CFL'26, 10-Men in Green-and-Maroon, enough to knock down legacy rivals and create history!
La patience est amère, mais son fruit est doux.
The French Quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau closely translates to 'The patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet'. It took the Mariners Brigade 8 years and 7 days of patience to lift the Calcutta Football League trophy today at the Barasat Vidyasagar Stadium, since their last win in 2018.
Mohun Bagan finished 3rd in Group-A acquiring 23 points in 11 matches. In the Championship Round, they trounced Coal India SPA 5-0 and drew against United SC 1-1. The final opponent was a familiar neighbour and long-time rival, Mohammedan SC. A total of 5 out of 6 teams were in contention for the CFL'26 Title on the final day!
~: The Starting Lineup :~
Mariners, here's how we are lining up against Mohammedan SC, in our 3rd & final CFL'26 Super Six Match!
— MBFT (@MBFT89) September 19, 2026
{ Joy Mohun Bagan, MBFT } pic.twitter.com/t2Y7YlVK5M
~: How the Match Unfolded :~
In the first half, Mohun Bagan started off on a good note. In the 9th minute, an amazing pass met sahal's feeble attempt on target and the ball rolled into the hands of the diving GK. In the 26th minute, Chhangte got the ball in the deep end of the box and cleverly lobbed it over the 5 defenders to Sahal, who comfortably headed the ball home! Bagan took the first lead of the game.Near the break, Lalthankima posed trouble on the right wing a couple of times. In 43', he made a run across during a counter attack and found Lalremsanga Fanai who scored past Deeprovat to level the score at Half Time.
It's 1-1 at the HalfTime Break!
— MBFT (@MBFT89) September 19, 2026
{ Joy Mohun Bagan, MBFT } pic.twitter.com/vxKM3HinMU
Mohun Bagan was aggressive from the start of the second half. Chhangte and Kiyan sent in crosses and Sahal often found himself trying to get a shot on target, keeping good company to Manvir in the box.
In 54', Chhangte sent the perfect cross to Kiyan, who could finish like Sahal into the open net, but instead he passed it across and the golden chance is wasted! Four minutes later, Kiyan skillfully broke through the defense, with back-and-forth with sahal and sent the ball one way and went the other, but ultimately it gets cleared off right in front of goal!
A minute later, Lalremsanga got a good pass and he sprinted into the box, only to be brought down by GK Deeprovat. The referee flashed the dreaded red card. Mohun Bagan was down to 10-men. Coach Bastab Roy made two immediate substitutions: Syed Bukhari for Chhangte and Sayan Banerjee for Kiyan. In 64', MDSC Captain, Mahitosh Roy, scored from the spot and they took the lead.
1 man down and in need of 2 goals with just 25 minutes left on the clock might just look impossible to many, but the team on the field was none other than Mohun Bagan! When Mohun Bagan comes on the field, they play to win!
In the 70th minute, a good cross went in from the left wing towards Manvir in the box, who served it to Sahal who equalized the scoreline by heading it into the net.
With Chhangte missing on the right wing, Bagan chose to rely on the left wing and the gameplan worked! In a counter attack, the golden sub, Sayan bolted through the defence and played the ball to Sahal in front. He stood his ground to attract a defender, setting up Sayan to go through with the ball. At the start of CFL'26, he arrived from arch rival club, EBFC as he wanted to play for a greater legacy. At that moment in 74th minute of the final match, as he placed his shot towards the right post and the ball rattled the net, the crowd erupted in excitement and jubilation to make him realize a single irrefutable fact! At that moment, he knew that he became a part of the Mariner legacy!
The crowd held their breath. Hushes and whispers was all that was heard as the clock ticked down. The occasional scream from the stands and claps in unison accompanied every defensive action.
The final whistle blew! The players, staff and coach rushed onto the field. 10-men, but never alone! Mohun Bagan fought together as a team. They fought like anything and made the comeback possible!
CHAMPIONSSSS 💚❤️
— MBFT (@MBFT89) September 19, 2026
{ Joy Mohun Bagan, MBFT } pic.twitter.com/MtFgoj6srG
Champions of Calcutta Football League, 2026! History and Legacy, today! 31st CFL Trophy for Mohun Bagan!
কলকাতা আবারও সবুজ মেরুন 💚❤️🏆³¹
— MBFT (@MBFT89) September 19, 2026
{ Joy Mohun Bagan, Champion, CFL 2026, MBFT } pic.twitter.com/Arc4SA3vui
~: What's Next for Mohun Bagan? :~
Next up: IFA Shield. As Defending Champions, the Mariners will play their first match against Sreenidi Deccan on 23rd September at 3 PM in Mohun Bagan AC Ground. MBFT's Live Match Update returns with IFA Shield!Follow MBFT on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Telegram, Whatsapp & Google News to stay updated with all the Mohun Bagan & Indian Football related News & Updates. Jai Hind Jai Bharat! Joy Mohun Bagan!
