Kolkata: After weeks of uncertainty, Mohun Bagan Super Giant said on Wednesday that they will host the Kolkata derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) against East Bengal in Guwahati on Saturday.
Scheduled in Kolkata on Saturday, the match had to be shifted because of inadequate security cover. This is the second time this season that a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal game could not be held at Salt Lake stadium because of the police.
“Saturday blockbuster ‘Boro Match’ will now be played at Guwahati. See you, Mariners,” Mohun Bagan said on social media. The Kolkata derby is colloquially referred to as “Boro (big) Match.”
With the match coinciding with Gangasagar Mela, which runs from January 10 to 18, police said they could not deploy enough personnel. According to an official of a Kolkata football club, between 1100 to 1400 police personnel are required for the derby at Salt Lake stadium.
Mohun Bagan, according to a club official, considered Jamshedpur, Delhi and Guwahati as alternative venues. Because the ISL television crew would be in Guwahati when Northeast United host Punjab FC on Friday, it was convenient to hold the derby there the next day, the official said.
When Mohun Bagan played their last home match of 2024, against Kerala Blasters on December 14, there were unconfirmed reports that the derby would either be shifted or deferred.
It was difficult for Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which runs ISL, to postpone the match because East Bengal play the double-leg AFC Challenge League quarter-final on March 5 and 12.
ISL’s league phase also has to end by March 12 to give the national team adequate time to prepare for the March 25 Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at home.
ISL toppers and league shield winners Mohun Bagan won the first leg of the Kolkata derby 2-0 in October. East Bengal are 11th in the standings.
The Durand Cup group league match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, scheduled on August 18, could not be held at Salt Lake stadium because of protests following the murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. The teams were allotted one point each. NorthEast United beat Mohun Bagan in the Durand final.
