The Red and Gold brigade o Kolkata erupted into celebration on Thursday night as East Bengal scripted footballing history by capturing their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title. The historic victory effectively ended an agonizing 22-year drought in India’s top-tier domestic football competition, sending waves of pure ecstasy through a passionate fanbase that had long hungered for premier silverware.
In what turned out to be a nerve-shredding, five-horse race for the ultimate prize, the Red and Gold Brigade secured the championship on the final day with a gritty 2-1 comeback win against Inter Kashi at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan. Due to recent structural revisions, this season’s ISL abandoned the traditional post-season playoffs, shifting instead to a high-stakes, single-leg round-robin format of 13 games where the table-topper was crowned outright champion.
Heading into the final matchday, East Bengal were tied at the top of the standings with fierce local rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant on 23 points, though they held the upper hand with a superior goal difference (+18 to +13). Three other clubs—Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC, and Jamshedpur FC—were also mathematically alive in a chaotic title race.
East Bengal’s championship credentials were put to the ultimate test early on when Inter Kashi’s Alfred stunned the hosts with a spectacular first-time strike in the 15th minute. Shaken but resolute, East Bengal squandered several opportunities to level the score before the halftime whistle.
However, the second half belonged to the hosts. The comeback was sparked in the 50th minute by Spanish-born Moroccan striker Youssef Ezzejjari. The 33-year-old made amends for earlier misses by slotting home a crucial equalizer. The vital strike also sealed the prestigious Golden Boot award for Ezzejjari, who finished the season as the league’s most lethal marksman with 11 goals from 13 games.
Driven by the momentum, East Bengal completed the turnaround in the 73rd minute when Mohammed Rashid found the back of the net, triggering wild celebrations in the stands. The team successfully defended their lead until the final whistle to secure the historic crown.
The victory rendered Mohun Bagan’s parallel 2-1 triumph over Sporting Club Delhi at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan academic. Elsewhere on the final day, Mumbai City FC defeated Punjab FC 2-0, while Odisha FC and Jamshedpur FC played out a scoreless draw.
This monumental triumph marks East Bengal’s first top-flight league title since their National Football League victory during the 2003-04 season under the legendary late coach Subhash Bhowmick, officially ushering in a glorious new era for the iconic club.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
