Bengaluru FC lifted their first-ever Durand Cup title as they beat fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
BFC were the ISL 2018-19 champions, but also have six other top domestic titles to their name and will be vying for their seventh. They have presented the most successful striking force of the tournament with talisman Sunil Chhetri, Roy Krishna and Siva Sakthi, all being in goal-scoring form
BFC too have had stops and starts in their campaign and scraped through a 10-man Odisha FC in the quarter-finals, with the last touch winner from Roy Krishna following a monumental blunder by the Juggernaut's keeper in the dying seconds.
The ISL side put past three with the help of Ogbeche (6'), Akash Mishra (45'), and Javier Siverio (68') whereas Rajasthan United FC managed to equalise with a goal from Martin Chaves (29', P) but it was too little to make any difference.
John Kenneth Raj has been appointed as the Assistant Coach of the First Team. Up until last season, Raj was the Technical Director of the United Pro School and United Pro Academy at FC Bengaluru United.
Both clubs' reserve teams will face the academy sides of some of the top Premier League clubs in the international competition that will also see an academy side from South Africa as one of the participating teams.