East Bengal Come From Behind to Beat Calcutta Customs 3-1 in IFA Shield

The Red and Gold Brigade recovered from an early setback to score three second-half goals and begin their IFA Shield 2026 campaign with a win.

East Bengal began their IFA Shield 2026 campaign on a winning note, coming from behind to defeat Calcutta Customs 3-1 in Kolkata on Thursday.

Calcutta Customs made the brighter start and stunned the Red and Gold Brigade by taking the lead in the 12th minute. Riki Gharami found the back of the net to give Customs an early advantage and put East Bengal under pressure on their home turf.

East Bengal, however, gradually found their rhythm and began to increase the intensity of their attacking play. The hosts created greater pressure as the game progressed, but Customs managed to hold on to their advantage through the opening period.

The second half saw a completely different East Bengal side. The Red and Gold Brigade stepped up their attacking tempo and began asking more questions of the Customs defence.

Their persistence eventually paid off when Rohit Danu scored to bring East Bengal level and shift the momentum firmly in favour of the home side.

With the equaliser providing renewed confidence, East Bengal continued to push forward in search of the lead. Their pressure produced another breakthrough as Rohit Kumar found the target to complete the turnaround.

East Bengal were now in control and continued to look dangerous in the attacking third. Akash Hembram added a third goal to put the result beyond doubt and complete a 3-1 comeback victory.

The win marked a positive beginning to East Bengal’s IFA Shield campaign. Despite conceding early, the Red and Gold Brigade showed resilience and attacking intent to turn the match around after the break.

The victory was particularly significant given the difficult playing conditions, with the match taking place on a muddy East Bengal ground following challenging weather conditions in Kolkata.

Match Summary

IFA Shield 2026
Venue: East Bengal ground, Kolkata
Result: East Bengal 3-1 Calcutta Customs

Calcutta Customs scorer: Riki Gharami (12′)

East Bengal scorers: Rohit Danu, Rohit Kumar, Akash Hembram

East Bengal’s comeback ensured that the Red and Gold Brigade opened their IFA Shield campaign with three points, recovering strongly after conceding the opening goal.