Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giant took the lead against East Bengal in the IFA Shield 2026 final as Luka Zeljkovic finished off a well-worked move shortly before half-time at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
The breakthrough came in the 45th minute, with Mohun Bagan making the most of a defensive error by East Bengal.
Edmund lost possession to Zeljkovic, who quickly played the ball to Sahal Abdul Samad before making a run into the penalty area. Sahal showed excellent composure, lifting a delicate pass over the East Bengal defence and into Zeljkovic’s path.
Zeljkovic made no mistake with the finish, sending the ball beyond goalkeeper Lachenpa to give the Mariners a 1-0 advantage.
The goal capped a period of increasing pressure from Mohun Bagan, who had been pushing East Bengal deeper as the first half progressed.
East Bengal now face a second-half challenge as they look to level the Kolkata Derby and keep their hopes of lifting the IFA Shield 2026 alive.
