Sanan Mohammed’s double helped Jamshedpur FC secure a comfortable 3-0 victory against the Assam Rifles Football Team in a Group D encounter of the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup. The match, played at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, saw Sanan scoring in the 45+2’ and 68’ minutes, with Imran Khan adding a third goal in the 86th minute.

Jamshedpur FC Head Coach Khalid Jamil fielded an all-Indian starting lineup, featuring Len Doungel, Sanan Mohammed, Nikhil Barla, and Imran Khan leading the attack, supported by Mobashir Rahman and Emil Benny in midfield. Assam Rifles FT, under Head Coach Vikash Panthi, presented a strong 4-4-2 formation.

From the first whistle, Jamshedpur FC dominated possession, keeping the play largely within Assam Rifles' half. The home side launched numerous attacks, but Assam Rifles' defense, playing deep inside their box, managed to keep the score goalless for most of the first half. Goalkeeper Shobhan Dev Biswas made several key saves, denying efforts from Doungel, Sanan, and Barla. Despite having ten shots on goal in the first half, Jamshedpur struggled to break through. Assam Rifles had a few counter-attacking opportunities but failed to capitalize on them.

The breakthrough came in the second minute of injury time, with Sanan seizing on a loose ball following a corner, firing it past the goalkeeper to give Jamshedpur the lead just before halftime.

Assam Rifles began the second half with renewed energy, but Jamshedpur quickly regained control. Doungel missed a clear chance in front of goal, and substitute Aniket Jadhav’s header was saved by the goalkeeper. Sanan extended the lead in the 68th minute, finishing off a well-executed team move. Imran Khan pulled a pass back into the box, allowing Sanan to side-foot the ball into the net, completing his brace.

Jamshedpur continued to push for more goals, creating numerous chances. The third and final goal came in the 86th minute when the Assam Rifles goalkeeper failed to collect a cross from Ashutosh Mehta, and the rebound fell to Imran Khan, who expertly finished it.

Jamshedpur FC comfortably saw out the remainder of the match, securing a strong start to their Durand Cup campaign and earning all three points.

East Bengal will begin their campaign tomorrow against the Indian Air Force Football Team in a Group A encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, with kickoff scheduled for 7 PM.

All 43 matches of the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Ten2 HD) and livestreamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.