Mukti Joddha finished at the top of the group and will meet the winners of game between Bengal Mumbai Football Club and Railway FC in Saturday's second semi-final.

In the first semi-final on Friday, city giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will clash for a place in the final. The other team from Calcutta, Mohameddan Sporting, made a premature exit from yet another tournament.

Skipper Iqbal Ahmed Nakib converted his first chance into a goal in the 10th minute of the game. Hasan-Al Mamun's flag-kick came in the centre of the Mohun Bagan circle and Nakib received it at chest height. The skipper hit the ball into the ground and Bagan goalkeeper Sandip Nandy was completely fooled as the ball entered the net after bouncing off theground.

It needed the brilliance of IM Vijayan to get Bagan their equaliser in the 62nd minute. The Mukti Joddha defence gave him ample time to take the bicycle kick which resulted in the goal. Amit Das moved in from the left and beating the defence, chipped the ball towards the Bangladesh goal from the goalline. Goalkeeper Aminul Haque got his hand to it, but managed to push it only as far as Vijayan. A minute later, on a swift counter-attack, Nakib got have put Mukti Joddha ahead again, but his shot from very close went above the cross-piece.