Punjab FC secured a narrow 1–0 victory over East Bengal FC in their Group A clash of the IFA Shield 2026 at the East Bengal Ground.
Raposo scored the decisive goal in the 41′, giving Punjab FC a crucial lead just before half-time. East Bengal FC were unable to find an equaliser in the second half as Punjab held on to claim all three points.
The victory saw Punjab FC finish top of Group A and book their place in the IFA Shield semi-finals as group winners. East Bengal FC, despite the defeat, advanced to the semi-finals as the second-best team from the group.
Earlier in the group stage, East Bengal FC had opened their campaign with a 3–1 win over Calcutta Customs, while Punjab FC registered a dominant 7–0 victory against the same opponents.
With both teams progressing to the knockout stage, the IFA Shield 2026 now moves into the semi-final phase.
East Bengal FC Starting XI:
Phurba Lachenpa, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga, Diego Zivulic, Boris Singh, Rohit Kumar, Rohit Danu, Raynier Fernandes, Chris Ikonomidis, Mohammad Asif, David Hmar Lalhlansanga
Picture Courtesy: East Bengal Media
