Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC made history on Saturday by clinching the Durand Cup, securing their first-ever piece of silverware.

The Highlanders staged a remarkable comeback in the first fifteen minutes of the second half, levelling the score after trailing by two goals to defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the opening half.

Alaeddine Ajaraie and Guillermo Fernandez scored to cancel out goals from Jason Cummings and Sahal Abdul Samad, sending the match into a penalty shootout.

NorthEast United FC goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh emerged as the hero, saving spot-kicks from Liston Colaco and Subhasish Bose to secure the long-awaited trophy for his team.

Under the guidance of Juan Pedro Benali, the Highlanders will carry immense confidence from this victory into the ISL, where they have always set their sights high. Their red-hot form throughout the tournament underscored their growing strength.

Meanwhile, the Mariners fell agonizingly short of retaining their title, narrowly missing out on their third consecutive penalty shootout victory in the tournament. Nonetheless, they will aim to build on this performance as they begin their ISL Shield retain campaign on September 13.

NorthEast United FC’s Jithin MS and Gurmeet Singh also received individual honours. Jithin, who scored four goals and provided three assists, played a pivotal role in the Highlanders' title-winning campaign and was awarded the Golden Boot.

Gurmeet Singh, who kept three clean sheets in four matches and made two crucial penalty saves in the final, earned the Golden Glove award.

Kerala Blasters FC forward Noah Sadaoui claimed the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer with six goals, including hat-tricks against Mumbai City FC and CISF Protectors. The Moroccan forward also contributed two assists.

Here is the list of all award winners from the Durand Cup 2024:

Sr No Award Winner
1 Champions NorthEast United FC
2 Runners Up Mohun Bagan Super Giant
3 Golden Ball Jithin MS
4 Golden Boot Noah Sadaoui
5 Golden Glove Gurmeet Singh

 

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Jithin M.S.Mohun Bagan Super GiantNorthEast United FC2024-2025 GurmeetNoah Sadaoui