Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Format: Here’s A Look at Groups and Participating Teams
The draw for the upcoming edition of the Kalinga Super Cup, known as the Super Cup previously, was conducted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in December, wherein 12 teams from ISL and five teams from Hero I-League were divided into four pots. Here is a list of all the teams and their respective groups.
Both Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League teams have been invited to take part in the annual Indian Football knockout tournament for 2024. The gala event started in 2018, with Bengaluru FC winning the inaugural edition. This would be the fourth edition of the Super Cup – now known as the Kalinga Super Cup after three years’ absence due to the pandemic. The draw for the upcoming edition of the Kalinga Super Cup, known as the Super Cup previously, was conducted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in December. A total of 16 teams will compete for the trophy. The tournament format will see the teams divided into four groups of four teams each to play single-leg matches amongst themselves. The group winners will qualify for the semi-finals. All 12 teams from ISL have confirmed their participation. Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Schedule in IST: Get Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings and Venue Details of Football Tournament.
While there will be five I-League teams’ representatives in the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 – Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Inter Kashi, and Rajasthan United FC. The top three of these teams, as per the I-League 2023-24 standings after the matches on December 24, 2023, - Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, and Shillong Lajong FC have qualified for the main draw and placed in respective groups. Inter Kashi and Rajasthan United FC will contest a single-leg qualifying play-off on January 8 to determine the fourth and final I-League team in the group stage. This team will be placed in Group D.
Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Teams and Groups
Group A: Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Hyderabad FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC
Group B: Kerala Blasters FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, Shillong Lajong FC
Group C: Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, Punjab FC, Gokulam Kerala FC 3
Group D: FC Goa, Odisha FC, Bengaluru FC, I-League 4 (winner of qualifying between Inter Kashi and Rajasthan FC)
Reigning champions Odisha FC are in Group D for the football tournament, scheduled from January 9 to 28. Barring the two Kolkata giants, Hyderabad FC are also in Group A, where they will be joined by an I-League team. The Kalinga Super Cup 2024 champions will be nominated to play in the AFC Champions League 2 Preliminary Stage of the AFC 2023-24 season. The tournament will be played across two venues in Odisha. Inter Kashi Begins Preparation For Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Qualifier Game Against Rajasthan FC.
Bengaluru FC won the inaugural edition in 2018, beating East Bengal in the final while FC Goa trumped Chennaiyin FC to be crowned the 2019 Super Cup champions. After being scrapped from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID, the football competition returned in 2023 with Odisha FC emerging as the winners after defeating two-time finalist Bengaluru FC.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2024 09:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).