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A 2-0 win over Kalighat MS on Wednesday saw East Bengal clinch their fourth straight Calcutta Football League (CFL) title. A draw would have been enough for the 2013 AFC Cup semi-finalists but a goal each from James Moga and Edeh Chidi saw them comfortably win their record 35th local league crown and thus Saturday’s big derby against Mohun Bagan now becomes inconsequential.
East Bengal are still unbeaten in the CFL with 28 points from 10 outings while Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting have 22 each with the Mariners still have one game remaining.
It is Armando Colaco’s first trophy as East Bengal coach and the red-and-gold brigade will next be looking to retain the Federation Cup where they have been placed in Group B alongside I-League’s current top two Bengaluru FC and Sporting Clube de Goa and newly-promoted Rangdajied United.
East Bengal extended their record of being the most successful club in the history of this competition with Mohun Bagan winning it 29 times while Mohammedan Sporting have 11 crowns to their name but since their last success in 1981, no other club besides East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have won this trophy.
This is the second time that East Bengal have won the local league four times in a row as they triumphed for six straight seasons between 1970 and 1975. Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan have also won four straight titles previously with the black and whites winning it five times in a row between 1934 and 1938 while the Mariners won four in a row between 1962 and 1965.
