Bengaluru FC and their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri won their maiden Durand Cup football tournament title after beating Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the summit clash at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Sunday.

Siva Sakthi (10th minute) and Brazilian Alan Costa (61st) scored for the winners while Apuia got the lone goal for the Mumbai side in an entertaining match.

For 38-year-old Chhetri, who is in the twilight of his career, the Durand Cup was missing from his trophy cabinet. It’s also the same for Bengaluru FC, who had won all major Indian competitions since coming into existence in 2013, but not the Durand Cup.

BFC were the ISL 2018-19 champions, I-League champions in 2013-14 and 2015-2016, winners of the Federation Cup/Super Cup 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2018, and now they have the Durand Cup to add to all that.

“It’s very, very special. It is one of the oldest tournaments which in itself is very big. As a club we have not won it,” Chhetri had said of Bengaluru FC after entering the final of the Durand Cup 2022.

“More so for me… Individually too, I’ve not won the Durand Cup at all. I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of tournaments, almost all the tournaments that one can in India and the Durand Cup is missing,” Chhetri said in the build-up to the tournament.

#IndianFootball? Completed it, mate. 😎 pic.twitter.com/qnUi2nVM0g

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) September 18, 2022