Emami East Bengal take the field next at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, to face Rajasthan United FC while the Indian Navy will be seen in action against ATK Mohun Bagan on August 31 at the same venue.
Hyderabad FC will face Chennaiyin FC on August 26 and TRAU will face Army Red Football Team on August 28. Chennaiyin FC and Army Red played out a draw in their first match.
The first ever Indian winners of the Cup, MDSP took the lead in the 38th minute of the first half through Faslu who scored his second of the tournament and then added two in three minutes of the second, through Abhishek Halder and Sk. Faiaz respectively to secure three points.
The ISL champions Hyderabad are at full strength with their full quota of six foreigners including Brazilian Joao Victor, Australian Joel Chianese and the redoubtable Nigerian Bart Ogbeche, driving forces behind their epoch ISL triumph last season.
Everyone barring four first-team players away on Durand Cup duties joined the contingent which began practice here at the Salvador do Mundo Panchayat Football Ground on Friday.
NEUFC were humbled 6-0 by a strong Odhisa FC in their first Group D game on August 17 and they do well to shrug that off mentally and believe that they can come back to winning ways against an Army Green side with plenty of new faces from last year.
The Mariners under Juan Ferrando have significantly strengthened in the summer despite losing the likes of Roy Krishna, David Williams and Sandesh Jhingan.
Popularly known as Badru Banerjee among his teammates and fans, the former India forward had captained the National Team to a fourth-place finish in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
Md. Ajsal drew first blood for the Delhi NCR-based side, but a stunning strike from Mangku Kuki just three minutes later ensured that both teams split points in their respective opening game of Asia's oldest tournament.