Mohun Bagan clinch Durand Cup: Decoding the tournament in stats
Indian football powerhouse Mohun Bagan Super Giant clinched the 2023 Durand Cup title by beating their arch-rivals East Bengal 1-0 on Sunday. The Mariners bagged their 17th Durand Cup honor as Dimitri Petratos's goal separated the two Kolkata giants. The tournament saw some great teams and some exceptional young footballers showcasing their talent on the big stage. Here are the key stats.
David Lalhlansanga and Noah Sadaoui scored the most goals
Mohammedan Sporting striker David Lalhlansanga and FC Goa's Noah Sadaoui took away the goal-scoring honors in the 2023 Durand Cup. Lalhlansanga and Sadaoui scored six goals each. While the Indian striker achieved the feat in three matches, the Moroccan accomplished it in six matches. Both players scored a hat-trick in the tournament. Lalhlansanga scored against Jamshedpur while, Sadaoui accomplished it against Shillong Lajong.
Five hat-tricks in the 2023 Durand Cup
The tournament saw five different players score hat-tricks in different games. Lalhlansanga's hat-trick came against Jamshedpur FC, while NorthEast United's Parthib Gogoi scored his hat-trick against Shillong Lajong. Bidyashagar Singh of Kerala Blasters also scored a hat-trick in their 5-0 win over Indian Air Force. Sadaoui mustered a hat-trick against Shillong Lajong, while Hyderabad FC's Aaren D'Silva also registered a hat-trick against Tribhuwan Army.
Which goalkeeper had the most clean sheets?
Five goalkeepers finished this edition of the Durand Cup with two clean sheets each. Prabhsukhan Gill has been very impressive throughout the tournament while Mumbai City FC's Phurba Lachenpa was good too. Rajasthan United custodian Sachin Jha was also impressive while Vishal Kaith was immense for the Mariners. Mirshad K was great for NorthEast United FC.
FC Goa scored the most goals in the tournament
FC Goa had a sensational group stage, where they humbled Shillong Lajong 6-0 and brushed aside Downtown Heroes 3-0. They managed a 2-2 draw against NorthEast United but finished top of Group D with a better goal difference. FC Goa slammed 4-1 against Chennaiyin FC in the quarter-finals. Ultimately they went down 2-1 against Mohun Bagan SG. They registered 16 goals in this tournament.
Who won the awards?
Mohun Bagan SG goalkeeper Kaith won the Golden Glove for his exceptional saves throughout the knockout stages. He also registered two clean sheets. Mohammedan Sporting striker Lalhlansanga won the Golden Boot for the six goals he scored in this edition. East Bengal forward Nandhakumar Sekar bagged the Golden Ball award for his decisive goals in the Kolkata Derby and also against NorthEast United.
