Kolkata: After a prolonged period of uncertainty, Mohun Bagan Super Giant announced on Wednesday that they will host the Kolkata derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) against East Bengal in Guwahati on Saturday.

Originally scheduled to take place in Kolkata, the match was relocated due to insufficient security arrangements. This marks the second occasion this season that a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal fixture has been moved from Salt Lake Stadium due to police constraints.

“Saturday's blockbuster ‘Boro Match’ will now take place in Guwahati. See you, Mariners,” Mohun Bagan communicated via social media. The Kolkata derby is commonly known as the “Boro (big) Match.”

The rescheduling is attributed to the Gangasagar Mela, which occurs from January 10 to 18, leading police to state that they could not provide adequate personnel for the event. An official from a Kolkata football club indicated that between 1,100 and 1,400 police officers are necessary for the derby at Salt Lake Stadium.

According to a club representative, Mohun Bagan evaluated Jamshedpur, Delhi, and Guwahati as potential alternative locations. The decision to hold the derby in Guwahati was facilitated by the presence of the ISL television crew, who will be in the area for the Northeast United versus Punjab FC match on Friday.

Following Mohun Bagan's final home match of 2024 against Kerala Blasters on December 14, there were unconfirmed reports indicating that the derby might be either postponed or moved to a different location.

Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organization overseeing the Indian Super League (ISL), faced challenges in postponing the match due to East Bengal's participation in the double-leg AFC Challenge League quarter-finals scheduled for March 5 and 12.

Additionally, the ISL league phase must conclude by March 12 to allow the national team sufficient time to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on March 25, which will take place at home.

Mohun Bagan, the league leaders and shield winners, secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the Kolkata derby held in October. Currently, East Bengal occupies the 11th position in the standings.

The Durand Cup group league match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, which was set for August 18, could not proceed at Salt Lake Stadium due to protests following the tragic murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. As a result, both teams were awarded one point each. In the Durand Cup final, NorthEast United triumphed over Mohun Bagan.

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