Kalinga Super Cup: Mohun Bagan, East Bengal in same group as draw conducted for 2023-24 edition

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Archrivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC were placed in the group along with former Indian Super League (ISL) champion Hyderabad FC in the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 that will be held in Odisha from January 9 to 28, 2024. 

A qualifier from the I-League will be the other team in the four-team Group A.

The draw for the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 was conducted at the Football House in New Delhi on Monday. The tournament will see 16 teams (12 from the Indian Super League and four from the I-League) divided into four groups of four teams each.

AIFF Acting Secretary General Satyanarayan M. said, "I'd like to extend our thanks to the Odisha Government for facilitating this support for the Super Cup, which this year is going to be known as the Kalinga Super Cup.

"One of the reasons we are conducting it in January is because of the problems faced by the clubs when played in April last year. One of the major rules we amended is that the clubs can field all six foreigners in the playing eleven. Hopefully, it will help the clubs. The winners will also get a continental club competition slot. Best of luck to all the teams," he added.

The teams were divided into four pots, with the 12 ISL teams placed in Pots 1-3, according to their points per match in the ISL 2023-24 as of December 17.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, and Kerala Blasters were in Pot 1. Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, East Bengal FC, and NorthEast United FC were in Pot 2. Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Punjab FC, and Hyderabad FC were in Pot 3. The three I-League teams were in Pot 4.

Five I-League teams -– Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Inter Kashi, and Rajasthan United FC -- confirmed their participation in the Kalinga Super Cup. The top three of these teams, as per the I-League 2023-24 standings after the matches on December 24, will qualify directly for the Kalinga Super Cup group stage as I-League 1, I-League 2, and I-League 3, respectively.

The bottom two teams will contest a single-leg qualifying play-off on January 9 to determine the fourth and final I-League team in the group stage. This team, known as I-League 4, was not included in the draw pot and automatically got placed in Group D at Position D4.

The tournament will follow a similar format as the Super Cup 2023, with the top-ranked team from each group progressing to the semifinals. The winner of the final, to be played on January 28, will also earn a ticket to the 2024-25 AFC Champions League 2. Odisha FC are the defending champions after beating Bengaluru FC to win the 2023 final in Kozhikode.

Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Group Stage Draw

GROUP A: Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Hyderabad FC, I-League 1

GROUP B: Kerala Blasters FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, I-League 2

GROUP C: Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, Punjab FC. I-League 3

GROUP D: FC Goa, Odisha FC, Bengaluru FC. I-League 4 (winner of qualifying play-off).

--IANS

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