Five-time champions Dempo SC will take on new entrants FC Bengaluru United at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Sunday at 6.30pm.
Dempo Sports Club, who also qualified for the elite Championship Round in the 2025-26 IFL season. Last term, Samir Naik’s Golden Eagles secured sixth place in Stage I (9 points from 9 matches, edging Aizawl FC on head-to-head record) before finishing sixth overall in the final Championship Round standings with 15 points from 14 matches (three wins, six draws, and five defeats), level on points with fifth-placed Chanmari FC.
Ahead of Sunday’s curtain-raiser, Dempo SC Head Coach Samir Naik expressed satisfaction with his side’s three-month pre-season build-up which included adding experienced midfielder Rowllin Borges and defender Athul Unnikrishnan alongside several promoted Dempo Sports Academy graduates while welcoming the return of a full home-and-away league format.
“A positive start is always crucial, and if we start on a winning note, it sets the tone for us to fight for the championship,” Dempo SC Head Coach Samir Naik said.
“We have prepared really well over the last three months, winning all three of our pre-season games by good margins and with a positive approach. This season, there is welcome clarity from the AIFF with the return of the double-leg format. Last year’s single-round initial stage was challenging for coaches and players alike, so having the full schedule on time makes for a very competitive league.”
Addressing the challenge of facing newly-promoted FC Bengaluru United and integrating youth talent, Naik added, “For me, all teams in this league are equal. FC Bengaluru United are not here by chance, they have worked extremely hard in Division 2 to earn their place here. On our side, we have promoted more boys from our youth development squads this year. The coaches at the academy level have done remarkable work, and this season is a great opportunity for our homegrown players.”
Retained Ghanaian forward Richmond Kwasi Owusu echoed his coach’s determination to make home advantage count at Fatorda.
“I am very happy and proud to be back at Dempo Sports Club for another season,” Dempo SC forward Richmond Kwasi Owusu said. “We have worked extremely hard in training, and there is complete trust between the players and the coaching staff. My personal goal is to give my absolute best so that we can function as one big family and win this championship. I urge all our fans to come out in large numbers tomorrow to back us for our first victory.”
FC Bengaluru United enter the Indian Football League for the first time in club history after securing promotion as runners-up in the 2025-26 I-League 2 season. In a nail-biting final day of the second-division campaign on May 15, 2026, FC Bengaluru United played out a crucial 1-1 draw against GMSC at the Neville D’Souza Ground in Mumbai. That result took the Bengaluru outfit to 15 points from eight matches (four wins, three draws, and one loss), tying them on points with United Sports Club (who drew 1-1 with champions Delhi FC in Kalyani). Courtesy of a superior goal difference (+6, with 12 goals scored and 6 conceded, compared to United SC’s +2, FC Bengaluru United clinched the second promotion berth to step up to the IFL.
Coached by former India international Nallappan Mohanraj and captained by Lalramdinsanga Ralte, the debutants have retained their promoted core while adding Colombian duo Maikoll Herrera and Brayan Cundumí alongside Russian striker Marat Tarek to adapt to the three-foreigner on-pitch regulation.
Speaking ahead of the club’s historic IFL bow, Mohanraj expressed gratitude to the club leadership and outlined his determination to establish FC Bengaluru United as a permanent force in the league, noting the history of promoted clubs from Karnataka.
“First of all, I am very thankful to our club owners, Mr. Shibulal and Gaurav, for the opportunity they have given me as head coach and for everything they have done over the years to bring this club to where it belongs today,” FC Bengaluru United Head Coach Nallappan Mohanraj said.
“We are really proud of the players who earned promotion for us last season, and as the only club from Karnataka competing in the IFL, it is going to be a very exciting season.”
Addressing the opening test against Dempo SC and the club’s season objectives, Mohanraj added, “Dempo Sports Club have a rich history in Indian football. I played against Dempo during my playing career, and now facing them away from home as a coach in our opening game is going to be really interesting. Over the past two decades, clubs from Karnataka have been promoted to the league thrice—HAL twice and Sporting Bengaluru once—and unfortunately, all three times they were relegated in the very same season. We are determined to make sure that is not the case with FC Bengaluru United. We are well-prepared for the entire campaign, and we want to stay at this level and push as high up the table as possible.”
For FC Bengaluru United’s longest-serving player Srijith R, who has been with the club since its inception, Sunday’s fixture represents the culmination of a long journey.
“Having been part of this club since its establishment, this is a very special moment for me,” Srijith Rsaid.
“We have faced a lot of challenges on this journey with the single objective of qualifying for the IFL. As a local lad, stepping onto this big stage and competing against so many legacy clubs in the IFL means a great deal to me, and we are ready for the challenge.”
